I was invited to a significant number of workshops live and on-line this week on women in leadership. The fact that we need more women in leadership is an oxymoron. We now have robust data and it speaks for itself. Do you know the percentage of women CEOs among the Fortune 500? It is a ridiculous four percent… this is not the worst part! The fact that it seems to be going down in 2018 is shocking. It is simply unacceptable and hard to understand when you know that women represent 57 percent of college students, and about 37 percent of managers. Do I need to remind ourselves that we are talking of half of the population? How is it that women do not make it to the top? And this is not only in the business world, but it is just as bad – if not worse – in political leadership.
What is the urgency, you might ask? We are in 2018! The data shows that equal pay should occur in 2059… We are progressing at snail’s pace, and we are hindering the progress of society every day. For business, more women means higher returns. Again, check the data. Women are a big market. Moreover, diverse teams are smarter and more sustainable. No, it is not because women are less smart, or less pushy, or even more interested in life balance. There are a lot of biases out there. Women are simply wired differently, and the workplace is generally biased towards leadership based on power, control, and individualistic decisions. The good news is that it is not as if the leadership today is offering future generations a well-functioning and promising world. And the best news is that women have essentially been “outsiders” so far when it comes to leadership.
The perspective of an “outsider” is precisely what the world needs today. We need everybody’s contribution. This is not about diversity…this is about inclusion. Let us stop counting heads, and let us start making heads count!
As we look to a fast-moving and challenging world, we can no longer afford to lead without the unique contribution women can make. They have considerable experience when it comes to being left out. They know how to listen differently and translate for others. They know what it means to belong–or not –and they know how to create a different playing field. In fact, women are operating from an advantage point in today’s world, if only they would see it! Let us hear this! It is time to show up with confidence, own it, and lead with imagination, pulling our voices together, from a place of vulnerability.
The four “musts” as we move towards an inclusive world are: 1) know yourself and your core values; 2) do not seek 100 percent confidence (men operate with only 30 percent confidence); 3) amplify other women voices; 4) seek sponsors among men, as many recognize the pitfalls of belonging and the value of an inclusive world.