By Matt McIntyre, Executive Consultant at OnTrack International
Consultants, businesses, and the media have observed, analysed and discussed the lack of women in senior leadership positions from almost every angle. Why aren’t there more? Why should there be more? Does it matter?
First, it matters.
Evidence shows that organisations with more women in senior roles are more profitable, provide a higher quality of service, and are more socially responsible. It impacts recruitment – people want to join a modern and diverse organisation, an issue critical for younger generations.
There are also reputational factors here: legislation requires private sector employers with more than 250 employees to report on gender information. Such information draws attention to businesses with few, or even no, women at senior levels. With such compelling arguments for change, it seems unusual that we are not seeing significant progress.
That is not to say that the dial is not moving. High-profile women leaders have, for some time now, been modelling what is possible.
In 2022, Sarina Wiegman led England’s Lionesses to a major football tournament win – a feat no man has achieved in nearly 60 years. Indeed, we are witnessing another significant moment in female leadership, as the Democratic Party has chosen Vice President Harris as its nominee for the US election in November.
Whether the current groundswell of support for Kamala Harris translates to her election to one of the highest leadership positions in the world will be revealed later this year. But, the absence of a female president in the US illustrates that these high-profile examples remain exceptions.
The representation of women in senior positions is not keeping pace with the volume of discussion about it. The ‘Women in the Workplace’ report by consultants McKinsey, published last year, revealed that while female representation in the C-suite is the highest it has ever been, there is a lack of progress in the middle of the pipeline.
McKinsey’s report concludes that “true parity remains painfully out of reach”. The lack of women in senior roles also feeds itself. The fewer role models available to women, the less likely women are to know they can get there.
So, organisations must do more.
Often, the businesses that are achieving an increase in the number of women reaching the top level are doing so because they are making a genuine investment.
One of the most profound impacts of people telling women that they do not have what it takes to be a leader is the proliferation of imposter syndrome: a deep-seated belief that they are not up to the job.
Some women in senior positions for many years still describe experiencing occasional doubt about their right to be at the table.
So, challenging imposter syndrome requires intentional action, and learning and development training can be a valuable tool in changing established narratives.
Investing in female progression through the ranks can make a big difference. Such progression includes identifying where company culture may need to evolve – and highlighting the diversity of skills required for good leadership and successful businesses.
We know that, historically, corporations have not valued skills and qualities such as emotional intelligence and vulnerability. While these qualities are not the preserve of one gender or another, when looking at people in positions of power these traits tend to be displayed more by women.
Investing in and modelling the role such skills can play in an organisation’s success has additional benefits. Such qualities become more valued throughout the company as the message filters down to all employees that these skills are welcome.
Similarly, we should challenge the myth that strength and resilience are skills that are only present in men. Training allows these qualities to be fostered and encouraged in women who may have previously felt they were not for them.
Ultimately, increasing gender diversity among senior leaders broadens the diversity of skills available to everyone working in it. This diversity of skills helps enable growth in all employees and unlock their, and the organisation’s, full potential.
Matt McIntyre is an Executive Consultant at OnTrack International
