From Aspiring to Inspiring

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, there is a growing recognition of the importance of diversity and female representation at all levels of leadership. For years, women have been breaking barriers, shattering glass ceilings, and proving their competence in various professional domains. However, there is still a long way to go to bridge the gender leadership gap.?

When more women are empowered to lead, everyone benefits. Organisations with more gender diversity at the most senior levels are more profitable and outperform those that are more male-dominated. Additionally, having more women in leadership roles dismantles the very stereotypes that hold women back in business and the workplace.?

Despite this evidence, as of 2023, only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs. In the UK specifically, women still only makeup around a quarter of the C-Suite in the nation’s largest and most influential companies.

Luckily, there are some powerful female-focused communities both locally and globally that are fighting to change these numbers and increase the number of women in leadership roles. Here are some of the most significant ways in which these communities are empowering women to lead and advancing female representation.

Increased Access to Funding

Despite women-led small and medium enterprises contributing some ￡85bn to the UK economy, just 9pc of the funding funnelled into UK startups goes to women-run businesses. This severely diminishes female representation in business and leadership positions.?

Communities such as Hatch offer programmes that provide female founders with the necessary financial and social support to help them grow their businesses and boost their confidence. Hatch has reported that 98% of women complete their programs with increased financial confidence,? 94% with an increase in their networks, and 93% feel more confident in being able to access funding.

Empowerment Through Mentorship

Mentorship plays a pivotal role in nurturing leadership skills and advancing women in business. Female business communities often provide mentorship programs, pairing aspiring leaders with established professionals who can offer guidance, advice, and support. These mentor-mentee relationships not only enhance leadership capabilities but also instil confidence and empower women to take on leadership roles with more conviction.

Non-profit community Female Lead offers a ‘Role Models’ service where women can access a list of influential female business leaders that they can follow on social media. Their own research discovered that women who follow positive role models on social media have higher and more focused personal and career aspirations.??

In a nutshell, female representation matters. The importance of simply seeing other women succeed is incredibly significant. LinkedIn research has shown that 57% of women believe that having a relatable role model is crucial to achieving career success and 70% agree it’s easier to be like someone you can see and relate to.?

Creating Safe Spaces for Discussion

In male-dominated industries, women often face unique challenges and biases. Female business communities provide safe spaces for open and honest discussions about these challenges, allowing women to share their experiences, seek advice, and find solutions collectively. By addressing these issues head-on, these communities empower women to overcome barriers and thrive in their professional journeys.

This is something that the Driven Woman platform is passionate about changing. Their goal is to remove the mental barriers women have when it comes to their own ambition and success. Cultivating powerful female leaders isn’t just about putting women in leadership positions. Becoming a leader involves a fundamental identity shift.?

Organisations can unintentionally hinder this process when they encourage women to actively pursue leadership positions without simultaneously addressing internal practices that give the impression that women are not ‘cut out’ for leadership roles. Communities like Driven Woman allow women to explore and embody the process of this identity shift in a safe and nurturing environment.?

Expansion Through Networking

It’s common knowledge that your network is your net worth. Female business communities act as powerful networking platforms, connecting women with diverse backgrounds and experiences. By facilitating meaningful connections, these communities create opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mentorship. Through shared experiences and collective support, aspiring female leaders can gain valuable insights, expand their professional networks, and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Female business communities have emerged as powerful catalysts in developing leadership skills and advancing female representation in the business world. By fostering connections, providing mentorship, offering skill development opportunities, creating safe spaces for discussion, and advocating for gender equality, these communities empower women to fulfil their potential. As more women join forces, support each other, and break through barriers, we can look forward to a future where female leaders thrive, representation is balanced, and diverse perspectives shape the business landscape.?

Summary?

• Gender diversity in leadership positively impacts organisations, enhances profitability and challenges gender stereotypes. Despite this evidence, the gender leadership gap remains significant, with only 10% of Fortune 500 companies having female CEOs.

• Fortunately, there are now many female-focused business and leadership communities that are fighting to change this number and give women more confidence when it comes to leadership and advocating for themselves in a male-dominated environment.?

• These communities serve women in several ways including increasing knowledge around the funding process, providing mentorship, creating safe spaces for discussion and facilitating meaningful and fruitful connections through the power of networking.?

• As these communities continue to grow we can hopefully look forward to a future where we see more women in high levels of leadership and contributing to the world-shifting decisions that happen at such levels.?