Can Women Excel In Leadership Roles?
Women In Leadership Roles
“AERODYNAMICALLY THE BUMBLEBEE SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO FLY, BUT THE BUMBLEBEE DOESN’T KNOW THAT SO IT GOES ON FLYING ANYWAY.” – Mary Kay Ash, Founder Of Mary Kay Cosmetics
Leadership is a lifestyle…
a choice…
Female leaders are found in the workplace, at home and in life.
What is it that all successful women have in common?
- They don’t allow the underrepresentation of women in the business world to prevent them from taking the place they deserve at the table.
- They do not conform to limitations, societal guidelines, or someone else’s opinion of who they should be, or become.
- They are the architects of their own lives.
Today, according to Catalyst.org, women make up around 5.4% of CEO positions in Fortune 500 companies. There are less than 1 in 5 women on the seats of corporate boards. While that number is improving, with female MBA students exceeding 1/3 of all MBA students, we have a long way to go.
The woman who chooses to raise responsible, loving children who will grow into contributing members of society in lieu of a career is also a leader, and arguably may be the most important one of all.
One thing is 100% certain, women have the power to mold our world, and make a deliberate and conscious effort to create and live the life they want, be that in the workplace, at home, in the community or in any other way that applies within their own lives.
“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes — understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington, Editor-In-Chief Of The Huffington Post
Key Characteristics And Behaviors of Successful Women Leaders
Here are the key characteristics and behaviors of successful women leaders across the globe.
She Has No Fear
Successful women leaders aren’t afraid to take the off-ramp during their career, providing they keep the on-ramp in sight. She has figured out life’s puzzle pieces and truly knows how to have it all.
It’s a fact that having children and raising children is more likely to affect the career of women.
Watch out, though, because there’s nothing stopping you from doing both. Just look at Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s CEO, who has managed a Fortune 500 company for 5 years while raising 3 children.
She Has a Strong Voice
The hallmark of a strong female leader is her own voice, it is the inherent ability to speak her own truth, and dare to be heard, and especially when the message does not align with what is politically correct, of the status quo or what may be expected of her by society’s standards.
She Is Confident
Confidence is a hallmark of a strong female leader, whether that applies to her own belief in herself to succeed and achieve, but also that which she exudes on the people around her.
Confidence even through times of self-doubt. Confidence even when others doubt her. Confidence especially when there are challenges. Confidence especially when all eyes are on her.
Faith in herself and her abilities are constant threads that drive that confidence
“Life-fulfilling work is never about the money — when you feel true passion for something, you instinctively find ways to nurture it.” – Eileen Fisher, Fashion Designer
She Asks For Help
The road to a successful career in leadership can be a long one, and time consuming. When she finds herself struggling to keep up, she asks for help.
She Is Self-Driven
Successful women leaders are self-driven, while they take external sources of support, motivation and knowledge to heart, ultimately what drives their success comes from within.
She Cares About Culture
Building a successful career is all about finding the right fit. That means she finds a culture that really works for her. It isn’t always all about the salary, job description, or job title. When the right opportunity unfolds in the right organization, where her passions and her values are met… she has the courage to follow her gut.
She Doesn’t Wait Around
No one is going to do it for her; it’s her life and her career. If you wait to be recognized, you could be waiting for a long time.
Successful women leaders take a proactive approach, because they find an appropriate way to get the credit for their actions and performance, and find suitable ways to summarize their achievements.
“The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves.” – Barbara Corcoran, Real Estate Magnate and ‘Shark Tank’ Investor
She Is Persistent
She remains persistent even in the face of strife, and opposition. As the old saying goes, “when things get tough, the tough get going.” Resilience, persistence and inner drive keeps her on the path, and each test that comes along only fuels that drive.
She Has A Network
Every leader has a network, which is especially useful for long-term development. Once upon a time networking conjured images of boys being boys in smoky rooms and making deals with friends, but that isn’t the case these days; it’s all about building meaningful relationships with her colleagues.
She Knows How To Negotiate
There are varieties of reasons why women may not negotiate as effectively, or as often, as their male counterparts. It could be because of stereotypes and bias, as well as socialization. However, successful women leaders know how to negotiate, and those skills show in your paychecks.
According to Harvard Business Review only 7% of MBA women, request more money during their salary negotiations, while 57% of men do. The result of this discrepancy is that starting salaries for male MBA graduates are higher by almost 8%.
She Has A Positive Attitude
Nothing can replicate the energy that’s released when a positive, confident, woman enters the room. Positivity fuels the drive to take an idea from conception through to realization.
When negative thoughts enter her head, she dismisses them and replaces them with positive ones. Positivity is the hallmark of any success, it is what motivates and keeps her going as the tough times roll in.
She pays attention to her thoughts, uses words that are focused on affirming constructive thoughts deliberately.
She Has The Ability To Overcome Obstacles
When someone deals with serious struggles in their lives, they often have an incredible inner strength and drive.
Struggles can turn us into better people, so you can use the hardships to your advantage. We don’t develop our characters quietly or easily. We develop our characters when we suffer, when we strive, and when we struggle, and come out stronger on the other side.
She Is Strong Minded
Being strong-minded isn’t about being destructive, rude, or conceited. It’s all about putting her confidence on display. Strong minded successful women leaders are empowered, empowering, and have a healthy self-awareness, and accountability of their lives.
“The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” – Faye Wattleton, Alvarez & Marsal
She Is Resilient
There will come a time when every leader makes a mistake. Every leader will stumble, and every leader will fall. The key is whether that leader can regroup, get back up, and go at it again with renewed conviction, confidence, and passion.
In business, you will face obstacles, and there will be moments you get the wind knocked out of you. It’s all about getting back up and tackling the next obstacle harder.
She never gives up.
She Has The Ability To Teach
Any great leader is also a great teacher. They naturally impart their wisdom to those around them. For women, it’s vital that women leaders help to shape the successful women leaders of tomorrow.
She Sets Goals
Think of a goal as a dream that has a plan for realization. The successful women leaders plan their goals in writing, and include both short term and long-term goals. They plant the steps needed to achieve them, and commit to a reasonable and achievable timeline.
She Has Integrity
There is no need to leave a trail of destruction in your wake as you rise to victory.
Integrity is at the core of character. If you live by your convictions then you will gain the trust and respect of the people that you work with and you will grow in your success. People buy people, and they do business with people that they can trust.
“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” – Estée Lauder, Estée Lauder Companies
She Has A Cause
Successful women leaders have the ability to spot a gap in the market and make strategic moves to fill that gap. She looks out for needs within her business and pursues those causes with a passion.
She Learns Continuously
She is never satisfied with what she knows, but is constantly learning new processes, ideas, and techniques.
She Knows Herself
It may sound trite, but it’s absolutely true. It’s all about first finding the right career opportunity initially, through identifying how you can improve. Self-awareness is so important, and if you truly want to cultivate your insight and self-knowledge, find yourself a strong mentor.
She Sees Things From Every Perspective
A truly great leader has the ability to look beyond her own interests and consider other people’s perspectives. She has the ability to remain judgement free when she’s analyzing any situation.
She Expands Her World Constantly
Many people in the corporate world can’t look beyond that status quo. Successful women leaders look for new and innovate ways to run their businesses.
“We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; they do not exist.” – Queen Victoria, Former Queen Of The United Kingdom
She Has Focus
Successful women leaders have the ability to remove the mental clutter, disregard distractions, and concentrate on one issue, analyzing it with clarity. She can focus on external contribution, and gear their efforts on results, rather than on the work itself.
She Deals With Disapproval Effectively
A successful woman leader doesn’t allow disapproval or approval from others to influence her unduly. When faced with rejection she does not slip into a downward spiral, she simply takes it as an opinion or constructive criticism when that is the case.
She Is Passionate
She not only likes what she does, she loves it, and she might even live for it, with an unwavering obsession. This type of passion drives her to succeed, and succeed at leading.
She Is Authentic
The successful female leader strives to write her own story, to be and embrace who she really is, and not who she is expected to be.
“I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist.” – Ginni Rometty, IBM
31 Amazing Female Leaders From Around The World
We can definitely say that these women (and many others) are role models of leadership, courage, and the perseverance that it takes to reach beyond any and all limitations to achieve at the highest levels.
Every mom who has dedicated her life to raising her children
Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo (the second largest food and beverage business in the world by net revenue)
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube and Google
Kristen Griest and Shaye Haver, first ever female U.S. Army Rangers
Lori Robinson, Air Force General, and leader of U.S. Air Force Northern Command (the highest ranking woman in U.S. military history and the first female service member to lead a unified combatant command)
Erica Gunter, Corporal US Army, the first woman of 13M military occupation to become a launcher chief
Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
Harriet Tubman, American abolitionist, humanitarian, and spy for the United States Army during the American Civil War
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Janet Yellen, Chair of the Federal Reserve, United States
Arianna Huffington, Founder of Huffington Post
Meg Whitman, Former CEO of eBay
Dana Walden, Chair-CEO of Fox Television Group, Twenty-First Century Fox
Michelle Obama, former First Lady Of The United States
Melinda Gates, co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Donna Langley, chair of Universal Pictures, Comcast
Christina Figueres, Executive Secretary, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Nikki Haley, Governor of South Carolina
Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code
Anna Maria Chavez, CEO of Girl Scouts USA
Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress nominee
Alicia Garza, Patricia Cullors, and Opal Tometi, Co-Founders of Black Lives Matter
Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund
Rosie Batty, founder of the Luke Batty Foundation
Gina Raimondo, Governor of Rhode Island
Tory Burch, CEO of Tory Burch
Amina Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Nigeria
Arundhati Bhattacharya, chair-managing director of State Bank of India, India
Irina Bokova, director general of UNESCO
Final Thoughts
“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.” – Anne Sweeney, Walt Disney
Leadership is accessible in all forms to any woman who wants it.
Remember that leadership is not just in the world of business, a woman can be of great impact at home, in the community, in society and in life.
Leadership is accessible and available to every single woman, no matter how she chooses to lead.
