Why We Need More Women Leaders Today

Women leaders bring about impactful changes wherever they are. In the United Kingdom, women-led business organisations yield better performance results than companies that sit low in gender and ethnic diversity ranks.

However, women in The Financial Stock Exchange 100 occupy only 8 CEO positions, and 38% of directorships. This data indicates that there’s still a lot to be done to get more women into leadership roles. Emma Bartlett, one of many great women leaders in the legal industry, once said that the one thing she has realised in life is how “the need for good role models and mentors is key [to] career progression.” Mentors help you become more confident and set on a vision. If you’re a leader looking to support other women to take up high-ranking positions, this article explains why we need more women leaders today.

Empathetic leadership for workplace equality

Because they themselves have experienced gender issues like prejudice at work, women leaders implement policies that promote equality in the workplace. For instance, London-based designer Molly Goddard informed her company’s policies with her experiences as a mother and, at the same time, a leader of a woman-dominated company. Acknowledging the prejudice mothers in the workforce often face, she emphasises the importance of maternity leave to her staff so that her employees can work without fear of having to stop working during motherhood.

However, empathy is still generally perceived as a weak-minded approach to leading. This is why New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was initially criticised for her empathetic leadership style, but eventually gained admiration for it alongside motherhood-friendly changes she implemented in her workplace. Empathy can be a decisive factor in a woman’s leadership stint, especially when it comes to bringing equality to the office.

Effective mentorship for team development

Leaders are not only expected to transform workplace dynamics and deliver profitable results. As mentors, they are also responsible for the growth of their team. One of the reasons women make great mentors is because of their relentless growth mindset. After all, it’s through their constant pursuit of self-development that they are able to reach their position.

Consequently, this growth mindset applies in their practice as a leader as well. With women found to take more initiative at work, they implement training programs and offer support without being told to do so. They acknowledge gaps in the team as key points for improvement so that they progress together.

Relational adaptability in times of crises

In an ever-changing global landscape, relational leadership and adaptability are key skills of an effective leader. Fortunately, women as leaders involve the community they represent to bring about change. Rather than solving a problem on their own and exerting their control, they encourage collaboration among the staff.

Moreover, women are adaptable leaders because of their experience with having to juggle roles like being a boss and a mother—both of which require being responsive when a situation arises. Such was the experience of Vaccitech UK’s co-founder Professor Sarah Gilbert who explained that she was able to adapt and respond to Covid-19 immediately to her experience of mothering triplets. This adaptability to crises and women’s relational leadership go hand in hand in effectively dealing with any issue that comes up at work.

Involving more women in the workplace may take more than one person to accomplish. But with the value that they inarguably contribute as leaders, giving the helm to women has become a necessity for companies to grow and keep moving forward.