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Category Archive: Gender Diversity

Sep 17

Career Tips For Aspiring Women Achievers

We are finally seeing the entry of women in board-level positions at leading multinational companies. However, the numbers are not stacking up as anticipated – many businesses continue to have a less-than-balanced equation in terms of gender diversity in leadership roles.

Without doubt, it is still an uphill climb for women achievers who have set their sights at the top. After the deconstruction of the women’s liberation mind-set of the late ’70s, there seems to be a lack of both purpose and opportunities. Women realized that Mother Nature never meant to be men, and that their essential femininity is in fact their greatest strength. However, they also discovered that it takes more than strength to break into certain time-enabled silos.

The corporate world – especially in developing countries – still seems to be more geared more towards male domination at the top. Women who deem themselves of suitable caliber to breach these vaults need a clear strategy. Here are some tips for aspiring women achievers:

Chart Out A Clear Course Of Action

Take a dispassionate look at where you are today, and decide on where exactly you hope to land up within a certain time frame. Without a clear goal, all your efforts will be futile. Don’t set your goals without considering your existing or future family responsibilities. The pursuit of your career goals should not entail giving up on other important aspects of life.

Discuss Your Goals With Your Manager Or A Trusted HR Representative

Every company has different nuances wired into its employee growth equation, and you may not be privy to these. It is wise to discuss the way forward with someone who can advise you on your company’s policies and corporate culture. This will clarify your thinking and give you more objectivity.

Evaluate The Challenges

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Who else is in line for the promotion you are seeking? What are their abilities and weaknesses?
  • Who are their connections and how did they build them?
  • How can you leverage someone else’s abilities to manage your limitations?
  • What can you do to have your candidature noticed even in the presence of these contenders?

Build A Personal Network Of Influential Men And Women Within The Company System

Construct and grow your network and then leverage your contacts tactfully. While many would view such a course of action as office politics, there is really no substitute for strategic thinking. Arrange to meet these people in formal and informal settings, and offer innovative ideas that will get you noticed. Also establish what their business objectives are, and how you may be helpful in fulfilling them.

Begin To Dress Like A Winner

Women have a much harder time dressing for success than men, and there are fine lines that must not be crossed. If your dress code is rather casual now, you need to gradually adopt a more formal look. The key concept is ‘gradual’, since a sudden change of dress code may proclaim your aspirations and goals too loudly. You do not want to invite antagonism from other aspirants to the higher echelons of company leadership.

Ensure That Your Achievements Are Noticed By The Right People At The RIght Time

This does not mean shouting them from the roof-tops – again, you do not want to antagonize the competition. You can do this more subtle and focused ways:

  • Copy your manager on a mail thanking a client for awarding you a contract
  • Schedule a meeting with your business head – ask him or her what would be the best way to build on a recent success
  • Ask about what achievement awards you may be entitled to, and make sure you send in your candidature
  • Keep a track of your achievements in your diary and use it for your mid-year or year-end review.

Do not allow yourself any feelings of entitlement. Nothing succeeds like success – it is your triumphs that will get you to the top, not the fact that you are a woman. Above all, beware of token positions that many companies create merely because of political correctness. These are dead-ends from where there is no upward trajectory at all.

Jappreet Sethi
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Jappreet Sethi

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Aug 27

Gender Diversity – Women In Leadership Roles

Why is gender diversity at the workplace important? One could cite any number of politically correct reasons. However, those have already been done to death by others. Also, they are not necessarily why gender diversity at the workplace – especially in leadership positions – is essential.

Our workplaces need gender diversity because men and women are, by nature wired differently. In other words, each gender comes with some unique capabilities (and also ‘incapabilities’). This has a direct bearing on leadership abilities. To elaborate on this:

Man lives and operates by logic and reason, while woman is also driven by emotion and the heart. This is, in fact, the more dangerous and therefore more courageous path. Man tends to choose the rational path because it is usually also the safer one. Woman chooses the dangerous path of emotions and sentiments. (This is why women have always found it difficult to live in a man-made society driven by the safe paths of reason and logic.)

The qualities that define a woman are trust, sincerity, truthfulness and authenticity. In times of conflict, such as in war, these qualities do not work well. History has been defined by power struggles and wars, which is where the man’s abilities to be forceful, devious and ruthless served a larger purpose. This is why it now appears to be a male-dominated world.

However, man’s strengths are far more primitive than those of woman. As humanity evolves, it emerges that man’s qualities are those that shaped the past, while woman’s qualities are those that will shape the future. Both serve their purpose, so there is no question of one gender being superior to another. However, there is a subtle difference in abilities. This difference is the one we perceive between what abilities it takes to build a city, and the ones needed to build a society.

Woman should never try to imitate man, because imitation is always imitation – never equality. There are unique qualities of female leadership that the most effective women leaders possess:

  • Women leaders are more assertive and persuasive
  • They have a stronger need to get things done and are more willing to take risks than male leaders
  • Women leaders are more empathetic and flexible, as well as stronger in interpersonal skills than their male counterparts. This helps them to read situations accurately and take information in from all sides
  • Women leaders are more effective at bringing others around to their point of view,  because they genuinely understand and care about where others are coming from
  • Women leaders demonstrate a more inclusive, team-building leadership style of problem solving and decision-making
  • Women leaders are more likely to ignore rules and take risks
  • Women are more capable of turning challenges into opportunities

The leadership style of women is not simply unique but possibly also more valuable in business. The male approach of domination as a leadership style is becoming less and less popular. There is a new growing appreciation of the traits that women use to keep families together and to organize volunteers to unite and make change in the shared life of communities.

These qualities of shared leadership, nurturance and doing good for others are today not only sought after but also required to make a difference in the world. The woman’s way of leading includes helping the world to understand and be principled about values that really matter.

Jappreet Sethi

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Jappreet Sethi

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