Women Have Leadership Innately Wired Into Them - Exactly What Modern Neurosciences Claim

It is heartening to know that workforce diversity is on an increasing trend YoY. Few forward-looking organizations have reached to a ratio of even 30% and beyond. We @ [24]7.ai are ambassadors of “EQUALLY IN”

 Do you know?

 A World Economic forum research study claims

? Given a task both men and women have a 66% completion rate of work. What is interesting is that women are 10% more productive at it.

? Stats even gets interesting that even-though women spend an additional 10% more than men in chatting and messaging, they prove to produce 10% more.

I believe “women are more socially inclined and have more whole brain thinking” which modern neuroscience claim 

Apart from the impact of evolution and genetics which are deeper subjects and which I will refrain from discussing in this post, I see three major environmental forces that makes diversity challenging.

1.    On Family: How is the girl child treated at home?

Is she in an environment with rigid beliefs and prejudices driven by rituals, dictums and tradition that separates boys and girls or are the practices more liberal and equal that support both genders

Example:

a.    “Mechanical & Civil Engineering is not for girls. It involves Physical excretion that only men can handle”

b.    “Mother Cares while Father Earns”

c.    “Women have to be back at home before dusk. It’s not safe”

d.    “Women cannot be travelling and living alone in different places”

 2.    On Society & Security: Prejudices from the larger community or social setup towards supporting women to play larger roles in the corporate.

“Do we believe the in the concept of HOUSE HUSBANDS”

Will society accept and support this role reversal? It breaks the stereotype that men should be out there working and saving for the family.

 This is something that is not accepted even by the lady of the house due to early life conditioning and social stigma created by the nosy neighbor. It’s perceived as “why the car is parked every day at home” and wonders and make assumptions like

“Has this guy lost his Job?”

 3.    On Organization: Many of the tech companies have a good strategy to increase women diversity. The Millennial population is helping break stereotypes and the diversity is growing upwards of 25%. However, at senior levels this is not the case the percentage drops. This is mostly attributed to distributed responsibilities of work and family at the midlife stage

Organizations are also now focusing on becoming more inclusive which is good news.

In-fact @ [24]7.ai journey we have moved beyond women diversity to an inclusive culture that support the LGBTQ community. 

Therefore, it’s important for diversity that both family and organization create a supporting environment for women leaders to reach the pinnacle. This requires a conscious effort to create awareness and new ways of thinking for the flip to happen.

 “Leadership is an innate characteristic for women”

 Short story: Once a weary traveler who was crossing the desert lost her path and running out of resources (food and water) came across a shack in the middle of nowhere. She was looking for water but to her surprise found a hand pump. With all energy tried pumping it to get water but to her disappointment there was no water coming out. With all desperation, she sat in a corner and prayed the almighty. Her deep prayers had an answer when she tumbled with a small water bottle. The traveler was so thirsty that she grabbed the bottle and was about to drink the water in it, when she noticed the note and read it.

  It Said, “Use the water to start the pump and refill the bottle”

 This was the dilemma. She now had a choice, either drink the water and survive or take the risk of using the water to start the pump and get more of it to survive the entire journey.

 Fortunately, she had the courage to choose the latter!

 There was enough water gushing out from the pump. She showed the Leadership Traits of having the “end in mind” and choosing to “delay her gratification for a greater good”. While she was about to leave the shack, she promptly filled the bottle with water and added to the already written note on the bottle. “Use the Water, it works I have tried it. It will work 100%” so the next traveler will not be in any dilemma.

 To Sum up she was ready to give before receiving and have the empathy to create clarity, hope for the next traveler.

 To relate this back - A best example from my life is my mother. Have grown up in a modest family with limited resources, it was my mother who gave us hope and managed the resources in a way that we were ever grateful for what we had. This sense of gratitude she created at home, enabled me to work harder and take our family welfare and comforts to north with lot of compassion something that we never imagined. It was her leadership vision and sense of giving before taking and perseverance that were enablers of the family’s success.

Does this ring a bell?

Therefore, it’s my belief that Women have leadership innately wired into them.

“They give first, create hope and clarity and enable others to grow”

All leadership traits that are needed and valued in the corporate.   

Hence, I invite the Corporate ‘C’ Levels leaders to create conscious awareness to leverage leadership potential in women.

In tune with international women week, I celebrate and salute all great women leaders who made a positive impact in life.