It’s still a man’s world out there. Still true that women in comparable positions and with similar expertise and experience are paid at least 20% less than their male counterparts. And it remains difficult to get C-suite positions as a qualified woman.
C’mon guys. It’s time for U.S. to speak up. This is no longer a “woman’s movement” – it’s a humanity movement. And, it is an important leadership and issue.
Gross inequalities abound worldwide for woman. Just read through the groundbreaking bestseller, Half the Sky, to see the stark realities facing young women globally. They are more likely to be abused, neglected, ignored, and overlooked, and the treatment of young girls in many countries remains an atrocity.
But what about closer to home in the good old US of A in 2021? How are we doing? More women are going to college than men in many areas now, and more women are stepping into challenging roles in the media, educational leadership, politics, and religion. But the business world and religious landscape remain largely male-dominated playing fields.
So what are we afraid of, guys? Will bad stuff happen when women lead?
NO! When women lead, the same things happen as when men lead. There are great male leaders and some real duds out there. The same is true of women, but they do not get the slack that men get. When a women falls short in the leadership category she must overcome not simply a poor performance, but also the gender stigma – “she just could not compete with strong males!”
Seriously?
I have worked with (and for) strong and weak leaders, men and women. A bad leader is a bad leader, and strong leaders can be found in each gender and in every work environment. But there are too few worthy women in the upper echelons of leadership. Look especially at corporate CEO roles. Writing in 2011 in the Courier News/Sun Times Dr. Ella Edmondson Bell observed:
This year a record number of women are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies — but you still don’t need all of your fingers and toes to count them. (You don’t even need all of your fingers to count those running Fortune 100s.)Few as they are, they’re doing fine at the top, thank you very much. During the economic storm of 2009, women leaders proved they can be as tough, decisive and competitive as men. USA Today reports that stocks of the 13 Fortune 500 companies run by women for all of 2009 were up an average of 50 percent. The biggest female winner was Mary Sammons, whose Rite Aid stock soared 387 percent!
That was written in 2011. Ten years later, there are only 30 women CEOs.
When women lead they bring all their gifts, insights, experience, stamina, charisma and womanly strengths to the job – just as men bring theirs. I believe men and women are different (not just anatomically) and that each has great strengths to bring to the table. We need more balance in the boardroom and more ladies at the top of the leadership ladder – but for the right reasons. A token leader is a disaster for everyone, and no woman leader worth her salt wants a handout.
Ideally…
We need more women and men leading together in every area of the workplace – corporate, healthcare, religion, science, education and politics. Women will bring much needed relational EQ that is lacking, typically have greater gut instincts and intuition, and can bring a fresh leadership perspective to our clients, customers, parishioners, and students.
When men and women lead together with trust and integrity it is effective, efficient, engaging, and profitable. Sure, we will want to mingle with the men and gather with the women because we still like times to hang out with our own.
We men should not be afraid to shout, “Ladies First!” to open leadership doors for women. Not because they are weak, but because they have been ignored, overlooked, and undervalued. Given the chance, they will open doors of opportunity and build balance sheets with the best of us.
Women and men, leading together. It’s time to turn that ideal into reality!
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