Are women leadership programmes still needed?

I have often asked myself this question in light of the progress we have made on gender inclusion. One?can argue that it is the system that needs fixing - women shouldn’t need a separate track to develop and position themselves for opportunities. Whilst I agree with this principle, I also believe that women leadership programmes at senior levels can be impactful.

Recently, I was in Frankfurt for the closing module of ATLAS (Accomplished Top Leaders Advancement Strategy) – Deutsche Bank’s senior women leadership programme, sponsored by Christiana Riley , member of our Management Board (an ATLAS alumna). The 18-month programme offers participants access to bespoke development, coaching, exposure to our Board members, sponsorship from senior leaders and group based experiences.

It was a valuable experience to spend time with this talented, accomplished, exceptional group of women and to partner with them on their journey of self-exploration. The experience further reinforced my belief in the value of such programmes, and here’s why.

• A focussed, immersive experience for women offers a safe space to explore some of the challenges they face, share experiences and discuss strategies to disrupt the stereotypical expectations of leadership. It allows women to fully express themselves, discuss their fears, anxieties, their view of the world, be vulnerable and come up with coping strategies.
• As a senior leader, you are often expected to show no emotion or seem untroubled by all that happens around you. Leaders achieve greater success by being authentic and confident in who they are. However, there are differences in the way women experience work and think about leadership vs how "leadership is traditionally understood". They often share challenges of being a minority in leadership teams which can have an impact on their confidence and their ability to be themselves. The impact of wearing a shield or a business persona at work cannot be under-estimated.
• Women leadership programmes are not needed to develop different skills or to become who they are not, in order to fit in. However, if anchored in their leadership purpose, help them explore who they are and want to be, these experiences can help provide confidence and inspiration to express leadership that aligns with their unique identity and purpose.

My closing thought is that these programmes not only benefit women but also offer a learning experience for the organisation. Leadership definitions still need to be broadened to allow everyone to flourish. Taking yourself out of your day-to-day work and focussing on yourself is as relevant for men as for women. However, there is still value in selectively bringing under-represented groups together, especially at senior levels, where the reality of their daily work experience is still not balanced. Equally important is to ensure these experiences are integrated into the broader leadership development strategy rather than being treated as standalone initiatives.?

Nisha Rao-Schiller Dr. Virginia Bastian Angela Potter Hoby Buvat Serene Chen Karen Abbott Samantha Ng Franziska Durán Luis Sigrid Bowenkamp Alice Neumann Lisa Witney

#diversity #womeninleadership #leadershipdevelopment