Executive Education

Women and Leadership: Five Key Strengths Every Organization Needs

By Rita Webster

The time is right for organizations to fully tap the strengths that women leaders bring. Are the women in your organization stepping up to their next level? Does your organization know how to create an environment that encourages the highest level of contribution among women?

Most organizations were designed around the traditional model of power and control. However, that model’s life cycle is now coming to an end. Today organizations are facing rapid change. Leaders need to build relationships quickly, get varied groups of people to work well together, and work effectively in matrix environments.

Women are well-suited for the needs of organizations today. As leaders, women tend to encourage participation, share power, and communicate information, making people feel energized and valued.

Let’s look at five key strengths of women leaders.

1. Relationship Builders
Women are cultured to put relationships first. As a result, they become masters at relationship building. In companies where people are working in matrix environments, strong relationships are critical to success.

Women are likely to get subordinates to transform their own self-interests into the broader goal that the group is trying to achieve. This results in a greater sense of teamwork and commitment to achieving the outcome.

2. Connect with Women Buyers
Research tells us that 50 to 80 percent of buying decisions are made by women. Yet, many senior level executives are men. Women automatically understand the perspectives of other women and the motivations behind the purchases they make. They know intimately what will be most appealing to female buyers.

This presents a solid business case for having women move up the ranks and lead in senior level roles. It is a competitive advantage to have women leading projects that directly touch the female customer.

3. Intuitively Read Political Dynamics and Emotions
Women have a well-developed ability to read the emotions of people. They have a heightened awareness to subtleties and nuances. Paying attention to this data can help women have the competitive edge because they tap into the feelings of others. This allows them to be “ahead of the curve” in understanding when people are happy or discontented and why. They also know who to influence and who has the power to get things done.

4. Ask Questions
Women have the courage to ask the seemingly “dumb” questions. They know that asking questions uncovers the true feelings and perspectives around the table.

They have an ability to ask questions in a way that draws people out and builds trust. The gentle nature that many women naturally have creates an inviting environment of safety and interest. It is easier for employees to speak their point of view when they know it is wanted and valued.

5.  Collaborative Approach
For women, it is important to be inclusive. They know that collaboration is about working together effectively, sharing ideas and information, and integrating the best ideas possible.

They work hard to make people feel part of the organization. They appreciate people and let them know their efforts and their work matters. They encourage others to voice their opinions in as many aspects of their work as possible, including setting performance goals and determining strategy.

While women bring these powerful strengths to their organizations, they also face challenges. Most high-level leaders have been and continue to be men. Women have fewer female role models to emulate.

Power and control present a challenge to women as well. In the minds of most people, assertion and control are traits associated with effective leadership. Unfortunately, when women display those traits they are not well-received.

When women decide to step into leadership roles, they find themselves in a double bind. They must find ways to project authority but cannot be autocratic because people find autocratic behaviors in women jarring. If a woman chooses to be assertive and forceful, she is giving up on being a “good woman.” If she chooses to be compassionate, she does not have “the right stuff” for a powerful job.

The question for many organizations and their leaders is how to fully take advantage of the potential women leaders possess. One way is to give women demanding developmental job experiences that train them for leadership positions.

Another way is to create opportunities for women leaders to come together in cohort-style leadership development programs. These programs give women a platform to develop and practice their own authentic style of leadership over time while providing them with support. If we are truly going to tap the natural strengths of women, they need to learn how to integrate both authority and compassion.

Research tells us that women’s approaches to leadership are incredibly effective. Their leadership style is more transformational than transactional. Yet women often do not claim the full impact of their leadership style. Accurate feedback from women and men is useful in helping women build the confidence needed to own the strength of their leadership style.

In my experience leading cohort leadership development programs for women, I have found that when women come together consistently over time, they begin to articulate the challenges they face, build a community of support, and define a clear picture of who they are as successful women leaders. Together, they test approaches to power, find their authentic voice, and articulate visions that are important to them and their companies.

They experience greater confidence. They grow and learn from each other. Through peer mentoring and coaching they develop and refine their own leadership style. They celebrate successes and learn from failure. They think more strategically and learn how to command a position of authority that works and is accepted. As a result, they receive promotions, take on bigger projects, and ask for more of what they want.

In the long run, they successfully lead bigger initiatives, improve their visibility, manage up more effectively, and make significant changes. One woman leader saved her company more than $500,000 because she had the courage to stand up and change a system that was not cost effective.

Coaching and mentoring are also powerful tools for women to develop their leadership strengths. Coaching and mentoring offer the intimacy of a one-on-one relationship where women can share experiences with people who can help them get to their next level. Both men and women mentors can help open doors for women leaders by sharing their experiences, insights, and networks.

As we continue to support women and deliberately offer opportunities for advancement and learning, both women leaders and our organizations will reap the benefits.

About the Author

Rita Webster is president of WiseLeader, a leadership consulting firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She works with talented managers who need to get to their next level of leadership and with teams implementing new strategies. She teaches the Life Leadership Circles for Women Managers* program as an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas. She is a founding mother for Awesome Women, a nonprofit women’s leadership development organization dedicated to strengthening women’s voices. Rita created and leads the WiseLeader Women’s leadership program. She can be reached at Rita@WiseLeader.net or at www.WiseLeader.net.

*The next cohort of Life Leadership Circles for Women Managers begins June 10, 2008. Register today!