The Female CEO- Why just not "The CEO"

Close your eyes and think of a renowned CEO. Who do you see? And don't kid me. Rarely some of us would see a Leena Nair or a Whitney Herd (now, google her, if you don't remember who she is :))

As per the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, the share of women hired in leadership roles has increased from 33.3% in 2016 to 36.9% in 2022. While this is a good news for all the women professionals out there, we cannot disregard the fact that men are still more likely than women to be perceived as leaders and receive growth opportunities more often. Even after all the niceties we talk on forums and empowering statements that we console ourselves with, there is a long way to go when it becomes passe' to talk about gender gaps in corporate leadership.

What Keeps Women from Seeking Leadership Roles?

I am sure you must have heard terms such as “intimidating”, “aggressive”, “bossy”, “dominating” (the list goes on and on) being used for a female in a leadership position. While the same qualities are considered enduring in a male leader, they are used to demean and mock women in position of power. Gender bias, unfair performance evaluation, inflexible work arrangements, all account for women stepping away from leadership roles & responsibilities. Many studies show that the pushback women experience when they decide to start a family is the strongest gender bias. Motherhood triggers assumptions that a woman is less competent and less committed to her career and hence given fewer growth opportunities.

How can Managers Support Women Team Members?

All said and done, let’s look at how team managers can help women professionals progress in their career trajectory and take leadership positions head-on. Research has found that male performance is often overestimated as compared to female performance. In order to remove this gender bias from decision-making, look out for gender-blind evaluations when conducting performance appraisal. Ensure that female colleagues are given an opportunity to share their POVs in boardrooms and team meetings and are not constantly interrupted by other “opinionated” team members.

Evidence suggests that women are less self-assured than men, mostly because they are undervalued by others and start to see themselves from that same lens. As a manager, make sure that you give credit where it’s due - look out for opportunities to publicly acknowledge their accomplishments. Mentorship and sponsorship are key drivers of success, and there is definitely a need for more male managers to sponsor and mentor women.

While gender stereotypes are deeply engraved in our society and will take generations to pass, encouraging and most importantly considering women for leadership roles can help break the stereotype. The narrative is changing steadily. And all of us can always take a bit from the medal that our next Leader, where news articles don't have to emphasize by saying "1st female CEO" of XYZ organization and it becomes a norm to close eyes and think of CEOs from both genders.