Women In Leadership
Women in Leadership
In recent years, women have made great strides in their search for equality.
We now have many strong women in positions of power: Angela Merkel. Teressa May. Nicola Sturgeon. You may know that Norway has their female Prime Minister Erna Solberg. And of course, Hillary Clinton came close to becoming the president of the United States.
But the fight continues.
There are still many women who feel that the dice are loaded against them. So, in the last few weeks we have witnessed several women's protest marches, in London and across the globe. It is evident that many women are not satisfied with the way the world is going.
There is still work to do to empower women.
In the world of work, women need to be empowered to feel stronger and more confident and to never hold back.
You may feel that you ARE confident and that you DON'T hold back, but that you are being HELD back by the system, or by other people around you. If this is the case, then here are some things you can do to improve the situation:
Continually work on:
- Yourself.
- The others with whom you work.
- The system in which you operate.
Be relentless
Never give up. Recognise the world works by evolution. Big changes are made up of a series of small changes combined. So, work relentlessly to challenge inequality even in small things. Challenge sexist comments, don't let them pass. If someone says to you, as I heard, once, "Let me sit opposite to Becky so I can have something nice to look at", then don't let that pass.
Handle people who will try to undermine you.
There are many people, both men and WOMEN, who don't like to see women with talent get on. They may strive to undermine you in ways that are obvious and in ways that are subtle. The subtle ones I call, the smiling assassin.
Take on the underminers and expose them.
Handle conflict in a logical, not emotional manner.
In conflict situations, remain calm, logical and fact based. Handle conflict in a logical not emotional manner.
Don't overtly lose your temper, or become upset or rude. Maintain your professionalism at all times.
Outperform others.
The way to the top is to outperform the others.
Theresa May is prime minister because she outperformed Boris Johnson on every level. Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of the Scottish National Party because she is a highly effective speaker.
Remain committed to your goals and work to get the best from:
- Yourself.
- Others.
- The system in which you operate.
Women Into Management Training Course
This one-day training course has been designed especially for women. On this course you will learn how to lead and manage your team, with more courage, confidence and finesse; and you will feel more empowered and motivated. Find out more details about this course here and book your place, today.
Definition: women leadership
In business, women leadership is a leadership approach exercised by women that simultaneously challenges gender bias, pairs high personal performance with confidence-building, and empowers self, colleagues and workplace systems.
Show CG4D Definition
- Practised by leaders who identify as women
- Actively challenges visible and hidden gender bias
- Combines high performance with deliberate confidence-building
- Empowers self, colleagues and organisational systems
Article Summary
Women leadership grows when we back our own skill, challenge bias and beat those who doubt us; work on yourself, help others and fix the system, and each small win adds up to fair pay, more top roles and a stronger voice for all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What does “work on yourself, others and the system” involve?
How can I handle sexist jokes at work without losing calm?
What is a "smiling assassin" in the women leadership context?
Why should conflict be handled logically rather than emotionally?
How can women outperform colleagues and reach senior roles?
Does being relentless really change workplace bias?
Why do some confident women still feel held back at work?
Thought of something that's not been answered?
Did You Know: Key Statistics
The 2024 Grant Thornton Women in Business report shows women now hold 35% of senior management roles worldwide, up from 29% in 2019. Office for National Statistics data confirms the UK gender pay gap sits at 14.3% in 2023, meaning the average woman earns 86p for every £1 earned by a man.Blogs by Email
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