Women in Business Leadership Roles: Determined, Dedicated, Passionate, Sustainability Strategy Centered and Goal Oriented

I have a firm belief in Women Power as the only Power that can become the change that we all want to see in the world, a catalyst of sustainable growth all around.

Society has come a long way and only in the last twenty years has gender equality in the workplace been discussed in modern, developed countries. This should ensure equality in the labour market and give companies a choice to find the best possible leaders to increase productivity. Productivity is the key word, because this is an analysis of the leaders of the new age.

Research shows that women are more likely to possess the qualities needed for leadership that are associated with success. Women are ready and have a better ability to transform and adapt, care more about the development of their followers, are better listeners, easier to encourage followers to think “outside the box” and inspire them and have higher ethical standards.

Whether it’s about running a household or business, management skills come naturally to women. It’s in their nature to shoulder an entire burden of responsibilities and handle everything producing perfect results.

Their inherent qualities like abundant patience, exceptional communication skills and the habit of giving everyone an equal say in every crucial matter make them way different from men.

It does not mean that I am berating my own male gender-not at all. There are a lot fewer female managers than male managers but research has shown that women can be as good as men, or even better, in senior management positions.

Latest research tells us that not only are women as good as men, most of the time they are better.

Dr. Bernard Morris Bass, who developed the theory of transformational leadership, predicted that in the future, women leaders will dominate because they are more suited to governing the 21st century than men. The research sublimates the common traits of talented and confident women leaders in seven essential categories:

1. They give great value to relationships and the success of their organizations is based on the quality of relationships within them

2. They like direct communication

3. They love diversity and believe that it brings added value to their team

4. When it comes to the structure of their organization, they prefer to lead from the center rather than from the top

5. They are skeptical of a hierarchy that includes arrogance and gaining advantage just because of the position within it

6. They have a broader picture of the work they do, because they are interested in it, so they ask such questions

7. They are more loyal and committed

At the lowest level, more than half of the employees in the organizations are women. As we climb to higher levels of organization, the number of women is declining. The disturbing fact is that the percentage of women in senior leadership roles in businesses has remained relatively steady. So what’s holding companies back?

This news feature in The Times Of India edition dated 28th March 2023 outlines the story of women entrepreneurship taking great strides in the erstwhile almost unknown town of Umred in Maharashtra. A cluster of 42 micro units at Umred's Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation complex has come up for only producing incense sticks (Agarbatti). This Agarbatti Park is exclusively run and managed by local women. Started in 2017, the cluster is providing direct and indirect employment to 1000 people. All their produce is picked up by a couple of big business houses, who rebrand and sell these as their own.

The park will produce 3% of the total output of Agarbattis in the country once the work is shifted to a high tech Common Facility Center (CFC) coming up soon. This is a very well curated and strategically planned initiative where in addition to some funding, financing has been leveraged such that ownership rests with the Women. A dedicated bamboo expert has guided and mentored this cluster with support from MIDC and other government schemes. Use of bamboo in place of wood for making the incense sticks is a unique sustainable solution contributing to climate change. The economic self dependence, dignity of work, generating employment, having access to clean water, health, sanitation, safe food are some of the basic human rights that these Champion Women have earned, inspiring women at work around the world!

The increasing presence of women as entrepreneurs has led to significant business and economic growth in India. Women-owned business enterprises are playing a prominent role in society by generating employment opportunities in the country, bringing in demographic shifts and inspiring the next generation of women founders.

With a vision to promote the sustainable development of women entrepreneurs for balanced growth in the country, Startup India is committed towards strengthening women entrepreneurship in India through initiatives, schemes, creation of enabling networks and communities and activating partnerships among diverse stakeholders in the?startup ecosystem.

#embraceequity #embracewomenleadership #embracechange

Content Courtesy:

The Times Of India