How can we close the female leadership gap?

Closing the female leadership gap is so much more than just fulfilling a quota or ticking a box. It requires deep, fully embedded change across all levels. A change that cannot be achieved overnight.

Because the gap still exists, regardless of how many steps have been taken in the right direction. Globally, women hold just 24% of senior leadership roles ; patriarchy is rife in the workplace , and it’s high time we did something about it.

So, how can we close the female leadership gap? We need to take a multifaceted approach where stereotypes, pay, flexibility, celebrating success, balancing work styles and being perceptive all sit at the forefront of the work environment.

It’s a hefty task; there are mountains to climb and battles to tackle. Are you up for the challenge?

Is the gender leadership gap really a thing?

The gender leadership gap is real - and it needs addressing.

Women make up only 6% of CEOs and 32% of Directors of FTSE 100 companies , and there are nearly twice as many men in senior positions like managers and directors than women.

Even when it seems we are better represented, like in the global financial sector where women account for more than half of the workforce, women make up only 19% of senior leadership roles; shockingly, just 2% of CEO positions are held by women.?

Despite women largely surpassing men in terms of their share of the healthcare workforce, in the US they are hugely underrepresented in leadership roles; it also takes women far longer to make their way to top positions. They account for merely one third of executive teams and 13% of CEO positions in healthcare. Research by Oliver Wyman also shows that it takes a woman on average one to five years longer to reach that CEO position (if at all).

As of October 2019, only 8 women (3.2%) held CEO roles in the FTSE 250. And while women represented over a third (35%) of non-executive directors, only 10.3% were executive directors .

So yes - the female leadership gap is a thing. And despite some (slow) improvements, there is still a long way to go.

Why is gender diversity in leadership important?

Gender diversity in leadership is not only necessary, but fundamental for business success. It is also a crucial way of encouraging genuine equality - both in and outside of the workplace.

Although a century has passed since the movement to extend voting rights to women, we are still stuck in an endless loop of men first, women second. That is despite unavoidable research and statistics highlighting the importance of gender diverse leadership:

• Forbes found that diversity is the main driver for innovation - it is a future-proof means of helping businesses grow. Research has even shown a causal link between women in leadership and the financial success of a business.
• Global Leadership Forecast produced a report stating that companies with top 20% financial success comprised 37% women leaders compared to the bottom 20% of companies who have less than 19% women leaders.
• Another study found that gender-diverse boards lead to better performance compared to those with male-dominated leadership teams. They found up to 60% greater ROI capital, 46% higher return on equity and an incredible 86% higher return on sales.

Whatever your stance, the stats don’t lie - the female leadership gap isn’t just impacting womxn; it’s dragging down the entire business landscape.

Why do women make great leaders?

Women make exceptional leaders for countless reasons. And yes, I am biased (sorry not sorry) - but there are no two ways around it.

Traits that we encourage more in womxn, such as empathy, collaboration and risk-averseness are becoming more important for the skills of leadership teams as they navigate unprecedented change and disruption. Women are also more likely to lead democratically , be a trust-worthy role model , listen to their staff and push their potential, exhibit transformational leadership and - in general - score higher when it comes to leadership effectiveness.?

And lest we forget; the fact that we have had to work so much harder to get into leadership positions means that we possess resilience and determination in abundance.?

Basically? We’re the real deal.

How can we close the female leadership gap?

Sadly, there is no blueprint when it comes to closing the female leadership gap. It will take perseverance and a heady dose of ‘keep calm and rise above them’. However, there are steps we can all take to - one day - ensure that the gender leadership gap is a thing of the past.

Address stereotypes.

“Girls can be athletic. Guys can have feelings. Girls can be smart. Guys can be creative. And vice versa. Gender is specific only to your reproductive organs (and sometimes not even to those), not your interest, likes, dislikes, goals, and ambitions.” Connor Franta, A Work in Progress

I mentioned earlier the traits that are more frequently encouraged in womxn and how they are steadily becoming recognised as key leadership traits. But, what about a womxn who shows more ‘masculine’ tendencies in their leadership skills?

This is something that Harvard Business School addressed in their Heidi / Howard experiment . They found that assertive womxn were viewed in a more derogatory way than their male counterparts; in fact, they were seen as ‘selfish’ and ‘not the kind of person you would want to work with’. Apparently decisiveness, courage and determination were not *attractive* traits for a female leader.

If we want to see more womxn in leadership, then we need to battle those stereotypes and gender biases. Education needs to not only start from the top, but it also should be brought into schools. If we grow up thinking that girls should learn to sew and boys should be out in the field, then those narratives are going to dig deeper and deeper and deeper. It’s vital that we look at individuals as a unique entity capable of complicated and far reaching skills and emotions; not a vessel that fits either a male or female stereotype.

Fix the money bias.

“Mom, I am a rich man.” Cher?

The gender pay gap was 15.5% in 2020 - you cannot deny that there is a money bias in the workplace. It has also been suggested that womxn are 19% less likely to ask for a raise than men and of those that do ask for a raise, they receive them at a considerably lower rate than men: 82% of men are reported to receive the raise they ask for compared to 74% of women.

Why is this? A hell of a lot of it comes down to self doubt and insecurity. Over the centuries, society has told us that we are less competent and that we don’t deserve a place in the boardroom (stick to the kitchen, thanks). We therefore tend to doubt ourselves and become bogged down by how we can ‘prove’ our worth.?

It is therefore paramount that we close the gender pay gap and encourage more opportunities to celebrate our wins. The mindset needs to turn on its head; we should embrace a culture of highlighting success, rather than pushing people (especially womxn) to sell their abilities and constantly show why they are ‘worthy’.

Better flexibility.

"No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens." Michelle Obama

Mothers are more likely than fathers to be spending an extra 20 hours per week on housework and childcare, increasing the pressure on them and leading to the symptoms of burnout. This, coupled with the fact that in the UK, statutory paternity leave is just two weeks (paid at the minimum statutory rate) means that womxn have to handle a far chunkier balancing act than men.

Rather than using this as a reason not to bring womxn into positions of leadership, we need to create environments where we foster flexibility and give people the space to live a life outside of work. As a society, we also need to stop putting the image of the ‘supermum’ on a pedestal and, instead, recognise that competing commitments are a real burden and must be handled with care.

The benefits of flexible working extend far beyond the needs of female leaders. It has been proven to increase productivity, motivation, retention and work life balance. If it can also encourage more womxn into positions of leadership, then why on earth wouldn’t we adopt it?

Call out the naysayers.

“There is nothing wrong in calling yourself a feminist. So I am a feminist, and we all should be feminists because feminism is another word for equality.” Malala?

It’s easy to witness *things* you don't agree with and stay quiet. Maybe you don’t want to be seen as the ‘difficult’ one. Or perhaps you don’t think that using your voice would make a difference, so why bother?

Wrong. However you identify, your voice deserves to be heard. It can be used for good; one way is to be perceptive and call out anyone getting in the way of gender equality.?

And this doesn’t have to be in a forceful way. Identifying and suggesting opportunities (such as womxn’s talent strategies, fairer evaluations, improved recruitment drives and potential mentorship opportunities) can be a positive catalyst for change.?

Closing the female leadership requires more than a quick fix. But the benefits outweigh the effort tenfold. Let’s implement the transformation today to create a more equal, thriving world for the leaders of tomorrow.

Are you ready to challenge and rewrite your inner programming to one of confidence, motivation and determination? Watch my FREE Emotional Freedom Technique video guide and tap into your warrior energy.

Photo by That's Her Business on Unsplash