In the September Harvard Business Review, Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli co-authored an article entitled Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership, based on their November 2007 book Through the Labyrinth: The Truth about how Women Become Leaders.
The authors suggest that there is a new account for why women are not securing leadership positions. It is less about the ‘glass ceiling’ and more likely as a result of many obstacles that women face along the way. Although we have seen some improvement, let’s review the current statistics:
- In the United States, only 40 % of managerial positions are held by women
- At the C-suite level, as reported by Fortune 500 companies, only 6 % are women and 2 % of CEOs are women
- Further, only 15 % of the seats on the boards of Fortune 500 companies are held by women
Notwithstanding this tepid update on the advancement of women in the corporate world, the authors dispel the glass ceiling as myth; they position that women face a variety of complex challenges along their leadership journey, rather than one absolute barrier. Eagly and Carli replace the metaphor of the glass ceiling with that of a labyrinth, a complex journey toward a goal worth achieving.
The authors identify five (5) obstructions that women face as they traverse the leadership labyrinth.
Prejudice
The authors present very compelling data that clearly suggests that discrimination remains prevalent in both compensation and promotional opportunities:
In the US in 2005, women employed full-time earned 81 cents for every dollar that a man earned.
Marriage and parenthood are associated with higher wages for men but not women.
Promotions are slower to materialize for women than for men with equivalent qualifications.
Resistance to Women’s Leadership
Most people will identify different traits (personality and behavioural) for men as compared to women. We tend to describe men as ambitious, assertive, self-confident, self-reliant and individualistic; all traits that are commonly associated with leadership. These leadership traits are seen as effective and appropriate when it comes to men as leaders. How about women leaders? These agentic qualities are frowned upon when displayed by women. Women are expected to act more communal; displaying empathy, kindness and sympathy. However, can a leader be effective if they are communal in nature?
The authors describe this as a double bind that women face when competing for the top jobs. It could be said that men also face the same challenge. The difference is the assumptions that average people make when they assess women leaders as compared to their male counterparts. The studies show that successful female managers must be more deceitful, pushy and selfish as compared to a successful male manager.
Issues of Leadership Style
The pace of business is challenging enough without the added task of balancing the communal qualities that people look for in women with the obvious agentic qualities those same people look for in their leaders. The authors reference a study by Catalyst of the Fortune 1000 female executives that found “96 % of them rated as critical or fairly important that they develop a style with which male managers are comfortable”. Catalyst also published a study in July of this year titled The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership:Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don't
The authors also compared the concept of transformational and transactional leadership as they relate to men and women. Transformational being based on relationships, gaining trust and empowerment (think role model and mentor that helps people develop to their full potential). Transactional is focused on clarifying subordinates’ duties, rewarding them for execution and correcting them when they fail. The analysis showed that female leaders were more transformational than male leaders. Most leadership research indicates that the transformation style is more suited to leading the organization of today. So, and perhaps no surprise to many of you, women’s approaches are generally more effective.
Demands of Family Life
Perhaps the most challenging of the twists are the ones associated with family responsibilities. There have been improvements in the overall balance of responsibility between men and women as it relates to housework and parenting. Though men have taken on more of the household/parenting duties, the challenge for women has escalated; particularly as it relates to intensive parenting and the demands of high-level careers (men have increased their parenting involvement from 2.6 hours per week in 1965 to 6.5 in 2000 whereas women have increased from 10.6 to 12.9 hours respectively). We have a long way to go gents!
A negative associated with a mother reaching for leadership positions is the belief by many key decision makers that mothers have domestic responsibilities that make it difficult to promote them to more demanding positions.
Underinvestment in Social Capital
A further challenge for women is that their increased parenting responsibility does not allow for socializing with colleagues to the extent that their male counterparts are afforded. The ‘social capital’ that is accrued through these informal interactions is essential to the leadership track. In addition, this ‘network’ often places women in the minority as men occupy the majority of this circle.
What to Do?
The authors share that if a company would like to see more women in their executive offices, it should do the following:
Increase people’s awareness of the psychological drivers of prejudice toward female leaders, and work to dispel those perceptions.
Change the long-hours norm.
Reduce the subjectivity of performance evaluation.
Use open-recruitment tools, such as advertising and employment agencies, rather than relying on informal social networks and referrals to fill positions.
Ensure a critical mass of women in executive positions – not just one or two women – to head of the problems that come with tokenism.
Avoid having a sole female member of any team.
Help shore up social capital.
Prepare women for line management with appropriately demanding assignments.
Establish family-friendly human resources practices.
Allow employees who have significant parental responsibilities more time to prove themselves worthy of promotion.
Welcome women back.
Encourage male participation in family-friendly benefits.
The authors undertook their research to better prepare women for the challenges associated with the leadership labyrinth and the barriers that they will face. More information equals more informed choices. Management has an opportunity to implement effective strategies that will create better gender balance at the leadership level within their organizations.
Showing posts with label Authentic Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Authentic Leadership. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Moving Your Leadership in the Right Direction
Bill George is the best-selling author of the 2003 book Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets of Creating Lasting Value. He has followed this with a guide to authentic leadership True North: Discover your Authentic Leadership (2007). Having read George’s first book, I was certain that his next offering would be anything but the regular leadership ‘fare’.
Considered an ‘academic’ now (professor of management practice at Harvard Business School), George established himself as a management and leadership icon as the chief executive officer and chairman of Medtronic (the world’s leading medical technology company). He engineered an incredible 11 year run; growing Medtronic’s market capitalization from $ 1.1 billion to $ 60 billion, averaging 35 % per year. He continues to serve as a corporate director for a number of notable companies, including Goldman Sachs and ExxonMobil.
George sets out to demonstrate how anyone who follows their internal compass can become an authentic leader. George, supported by colleague Peter Sims, undertook interviewing 125 leaders (ranging in age from 23 to 93) that represent a truly diverse group of women and men from different backgrounds. These leaders (including Andrea Jung of Avon and Howard Schultz of Starbucks) were chosen as a result of their reputations for being authentic and achieving success. Distilling George’s message to its base element, when you are aligned with who you are, you find alignment between the story of your life and your leadership… Authentic Leadership.
The Five Dimensions of an Authentic Leader
• Pursuing purpose with passion. Without a true sense of purpose, leaders are at the mercy of their egos.
• Practicing solid values. Leaders define their values; they are not determined by others. Values are a personal.
• Leading with heart. Truly authentic leaders lead with heart and head.
• Establishing enduring relationships. Authentic leaders develop lasting relationships.
• Demonstrating self-discipline. To produce results authentic leaders understand the need for a consistently high level of self-discipline.
George posits that leadership is not a destination, rather a continual journey that travels through stages until you reach the pinnacle of your leadership. George describes the stages as:
Phase I – Preparing for Leadership. This is the first 30 years, preparing for leadership, character is being developed and people become individual contributors or lead teams for the first time.
Phase II – Leading. The next phase is characterized by the accumulation of leadership experiences and opportunity, reaching a peak in the 50’s.
Phase III – Giving Back. Leaders share experiences with numerous groups, mentoring and coaching new or young leaders.
George shares that on occasion people with excellent potential get derailed. This is often linked to two critical questions - ‘What motivates me to lead?’ and ‘What is the purpose of my leadership?’ If the answer is power, prestige and wealth then the leader will be cornered by external gratification and never reach their full potential. In addition, leaders that avoid risk will not be prepared to manage the many increasing challenges that come with executive level positions.
A critical element of authentic leadership is the transformation from “I” to “We”. This is a shift from the leader attending to personal needs and focusing on the development of others. Only then can the leader provide the motivation to assist people in reaching their maximum potential. This transformation appears to be a critical ‘go’ or ‘no go’ in achieving authentic leadership.
George devotes a great deal of his book to discovering your authentic leadership and, in particular, knowing your authentic self. It only makes sense that you ensure you are clear on the direction (your compass) if you desire to be successful on your journey.
In an effort to know your authentic self it will be critical to become self-aware. It is often difficult to see ourselves as others actually view us. We need to open ourselves to colleagues in order to uncover our blind spots and provide an opportunity to explore new ways of doing things. Knowing and accepting yourself are essential in achieving your personal True North.
The author also highlights the importance of clearly understanding what motivates you to be a leader. There are two types of motivation – extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic are measured by the external world, while intrinsic motivation is derived from a personal sense of the true meaning of your life. Moving away from external validation of your achievements is very difficult. We are used to successive ‘wins’ (as defined by our supervisors or the street) and it takes a real dose of courage to shift to a focus on intrinsic motivation. But there is good news! George found that the leaders that focused on the intrinsic (an example would be turning down a lucrative pay cheque in order to pursue the roles they enjoy) still came out ahead in the end in both compensation and satisfaction.
An aspect of leadership that receives less attention is the support system that a leader needs to establish and maintain in order to effectively maximize your development plan. So what exactly is a support system/team? Essentially, it is a consistent nucleus of resources that can act as a ‘sounding board’ for you. They can be trusted advisors, mentors or a professional support network of peers within and from outside your organization. The key is that we all need that person(s) that we can trust so that our greatest fears and challenges can be discussed without risk of inappropriate disclosure. This kind of real-time feedback is essential to the leader’s development.
Optimizing Leadership Effectiveness
George recommends that every leader be very clear to ensure that their use style and power be consistent with the situation that they are facing. In considering your leadership style and power, consider the following:
• Is your leadership style consistent with your leadership principles and values? Is it ever inconsistent? Believe, your colleagues will be the first to notice!
• How do you adapt your style to the situations that you are addressing and to the specific competencies of your team?
• How do you get the most of your personal power in leading people?
• When you have used your power over others inappropriately how did they respond?
• How do you respond to powerful people who use their power with you?
The author feels that the more power that an individual accumulates the less often it should be used. Powerful leaders use persuasion rather than force to build consensus. In demonstrating the link between leadership style and power, George identifies five different styles that convey your sense of power:
Directive Leaders – Create dependent relationships with their subordinates, who faithfully complete their orders and respond to their demands.
Coaching Leaders - Create interdependent relationships.
Consensus Leaders - Use power in subtle ways to reach agreement without offending others or isolating people with a different perspective on an issue.
Affiliative Leaders – Readily accepted by others for their empathic approach to relationships.
Expert Leaders - Believe knowledge is power and it is better to be right than develop relationships.
The lasting message woven into True North: Discover your Authentic Leadership is that authentic leaders are more effective at realizing superior long-term results than others. This is achieved through a clear understanding of their own moral compass and a commitment to building/developing their organization. The authentic leader can take comfort in the realization that they will get superior performance from their team.
Next…..
Stay tuned for a piece on the unique challenges that women face in their leadership quest!
Considered an ‘academic’ now (professor of management practice at Harvard Business School), George established himself as a management and leadership icon as the chief executive officer and chairman of Medtronic (the world’s leading medical technology company). He engineered an incredible 11 year run; growing Medtronic’s market capitalization from $ 1.1 billion to $ 60 billion, averaging 35 % per year. He continues to serve as a corporate director for a number of notable companies, including Goldman Sachs and ExxonMobil.
George sets out to demonstrate how anyone who follows their internal compass can become an authentic leader. George, supported by colleague Peter Sims, undertook interviewing 125 leaders (ranging in age from 23 to 93) that represent a truly diverse group of women and men from different backgrounds. These leaders (including Andrea Jung of Avon and Howard Schultz of Starbucks) were chosen as a result of their reputations for being authentic and achieving success. Distilling George’s message to its base element, when you are aligned with who you are, you find alignment between the story of your life and your leadership… Authentic Leadership.
The Five Dimensions of an Authentic Leader
• Pursuing purpose with passion. Without a true sense of purpose, leaders are at the mercy of their egos.
• Practicing solid values. Leaders define their values; they are not determined by others. Values are a personal.
• Leading with heart. Truly authentic leaders lead with heart and head.
• Establishing enduring relationships. Authentic leaders develop lasting relationships.
• Demonstrating self-discipline. To produce results authentic leaders understand the need for a consistently high level of self-discipline.
George posits that leadership is not a destination, rather a continual journey that travels through stages until you reach the pinnacle of your leadership. George describes the stages as:
Phase I – Preparing for Leadership. This is the first 30 years, preparing for leadership, character is being developed and people become individual contributors or lead teams for the first time.
Phase II – Leading. The next phase is characterized by the accumulation of leadership experiences and opportunity, reaching a peak in the 50’s.
Phase III – Giving Back. Leaders share experiences with numerous groups, mentoring and coaching new or young leaders.
George shares that on occasion people with excellent potential get derailed. This is often linked to two critical questions - ‘What motivates me to lead?’ and ‘What is the purpose of my leadership?’ If the answer is power, prestige and wealth then the leader will be cornered by external gratification and never reach their full potential. In addition, leaders that avoid risk will not be prepared to manage the many increasing challenges that come with executive level positions.
A critical element of authentic leadership is the transformation from “I” to “We”. This is a shift from the leader attending to personal needs and focusing on the development of others. Only then can the leader provide the motivation to assist people in reaching their maximum potential. This transformation appears to be a critical ‘go’ or ‘no go’ in achieving authentic leadership.
George devotes a great deal of his book to discovering your authentic leadership and, in particular, knowing your authentic self. It only makes sense that you ensure you are clear on the direction (your compass) if you desire to be successful on your journey.
In an effort to know your authentic self it will be critical to become self-aware. It is often difficult to see ourselves as others actually view us. We need to open ourselves to colleagues in order to uncover our blind spots and provide an opportunity to explore new ways of doing things. Knowing and accepting yourself are essential in achieving your personal True North.
The author also highlights the importance of clearly understanding what motivates you to be a leader. There are two types of motivation – extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic are measured by the external world, while intrinsic motivation is derived from a personal sense of the true meaning of your life. Moving away from external validation of your achievements is very difficult. We are used to successive ‘wins’ (as defined by our supervisors or the street) and it takes a real dose of courage to shift to a focus on intrinsic motivation. But there is good news! George found that the leaders that focused on the intrinsic (an example would be turning down a lucrative pay cheque in order to pursue the roles they enjoy) still came out ahead in the end in both compensation and satisfaction.
An aspect of leadership that receives less attention is the support system that a leader needs to establish and maintain in order to effectively maximize your development plan. So what exactly is a support system/team? Essentially, it is a consistent nucleus of resources that can act as a ‘sounding board’ for you. They can be trusted advisors, mentors or a professional support network of peers within and from outside your organization. The key is that we all need that person(s) that we can trust so that our greatest fears and challenges can be discussed without risk of inappropriate disclosure. This kind of real-time feedback is essential to the leader’s development.
Optimizing Leadership Effectiveness
George recommends that every leader be very clear to ensure that their use style and power be consistent with the situation that they are facing. In considering your leadership style and power, consider the following:
• Is your leadership style consistent with your leadership principles and values? Is it ever inconsistent? Believe, your colleagues will be the first to notice!
• How do you adapt your style to the situations that you are addressing and to the specific competencies of your team?
• How do you get the most of your personal power in leading people?
• When you have used your power over others inappropriately how did they respond?
• How do you respond to powerful people who use their power with you?
The author feels that the more power that an individual accumulates the less often it should be used. Powerful leaders use persuasion rather than force to build consensus. In demonstrating the link between leadership style and power, George identifies five different styles that convey your sense of power:
Directive Leaders – Create dependent relationships with their subordinates, who faithfully complete their orders and respond to their demands.
Coaching Leaders - Create interdependent relationships.
Consensus Leaders - Use power in subtle ways to reach agreement without offending others or isolating people with a different perspective on an issue.
Affiliative Leaders – Readily accepted by others for their empathic approach to relationships.
Expert Leaders - Believe knowledge is power and it is better to be right than develop relationships.
The lasting message woven into True North: Discover your Authentic Leadership is that authentic leaders are more effective at realizing superior long-term results than others. This is achieved through a clear understanding of their own moral compass and a commitment to building/developing their organization. The authentic leader can take comfort in the realization that they will get superior performance from their team.
Next…..
Stay tuned for a piece on the unique challenges that women face in their leadership quest!
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