Jess Stillman’s post on female executives’ perceived lack of vision has brought in a bagload of responses and some possible explanations as to why research might’ve arrived at that conclusion.
Another research report, another possible answer: gender consultancy Catalyst’s latest research suggests that it’s not women’s vision that’s falling short, it’s our leadership models.
These are, naturally enough, based on male traits (since there are fewer female leadership models to emulate). In a self-perpetuating cycle, leaders set the tone
and aspiring executives will aim to mimic those (usually male) leaders.
The company develops a talent pipeline that is inadvertently biased towards masculine leadership qualities. Other qualities are less valued because they don’t fit the stereotype — those who show “atypical” skills may be under-valued and under-used, a waste of potential talent, according to Catalys’s CEO, Ilene H Lang.
“Businesses restrict their own growth potential when women are unintentionally excluded from key training and advancement opportunities.”
There’s plenty of research to suggest organisations promoting women have superior performance. In the current economic climate, diversity of leadership could help the business outperform competitors and reach a wider customer base, but companies need to be aware of the ‘trickle down’ effect of bias and address it at root. You may have to consider whether your organisation is ‘institutionally sexist’.
Catalyst suggests companies take a fresh look at their business needs, targeting the specifics of each division, while looking at stereotyping that might exist.
- Ensure those at the top of the business appreciate how stereotyping can negatively influence performance appraisals, interviews and project allocation.
- Employees should be able to recognise and value ‘gender-neutral’ leadership characteristics.
- Look at best practice among other businesses — what are top diversity champions doing to ensure its opportunities are even-handed.
- Consider the language you use when talking about talent — do the words or phrases lean towards traditionally male qualities?
Smart companies will adopt what Avivah Wittenberg Cox’s organisation, 20-First, terms corporate bilingualism. In a recent blog, Cox also presents another fightback against the visionary question. Here’s her take:
“Women don’t arrive with answers, designed around their own truths. They are more modest than that. They still ask questions, are comfortable with ignorance – their own and other people’s. They are more interested in connectedness than power, in conversation than competition, in complexity than clarity. Or, as Serge Thill, a European coach, puts it: ‘Men are good at playing by the rules of the game. Women don’t think it’s a game.’ This is precisely the approach we need in these uncharted times.
(Photo: Lee Carson, CC2.0)
