Many CEOs who make gender diversity a
priority—by setting aspirational goals for the proportion of women in
leadership roles, insisting on diverse slates of candidates for senior
positions, and developing mentoring and training programs—are
frustrated. They and their companies spend time, money, and good
intentions on efforts to build a more robust pipeline of upwardly mobile
women, and then not much happens.
The
problem with these leaders’ approaches is that they don’t address the
often fragile process of coming to see oneself, and to be seen by
others, as a leader. Becoming a leader involves much more than being put
in a leadership role, acquiring new skills, and adapting one’s style to
the requirements of that role. It involves a fundamental identity
shift. Organizations inadvertently undermine this process when they
advise women to proactively seek leadership roles without also
addressing policies and practices that communicate a mismatch between
how women are seen and the qualities and experiences people tend to
associate with leaders.
A
significant body of research (see “Further Reading”) shows that for
women, the subtle gender bias that persists in organizations and in
society disrupts the learning cycle at the heart of becoming a leader.
This research also points to some steps that companies can take in order
to rectify the situation. It’s not enough to identify and instill the
“right” skills and competencies as if in a social vacuum. The context
must support a woman’s motivation to lead and also increase the
likelihood that others will recognize and encourage her efforts—even
when she doesn’t look or behave like the current generation of senior
executives.
The
solutions to the pipeline problem are very different from what
companies currently employ. Traditional high-potential, mentoring, and
leadership education programs are necessary but not sufficient. Our
research, teaching, and consulting reveal three additional actions
companies can take to improve the chances that women will gain a sense
of themselves as leaders, be recognized as such, and ultimately succeed.
(This article expands on our paper “Taking Gender into Account: Theory
and Design for Women’s Leadership Development Programs,” Academy of Management Learning & Education, September 2011.)
Becoming a Leader People become leaders by internalizing a leadership identity and developing a sense of purpose.
Internalizing a sense of oneself as a leader is an iterative process. A
person asserts leadership by taking purposeful action—such as convening
a meeting to revive a dormant project. Others affirm or resist the
action, thus encouraging or discouraging subsequent assertions. These
interactions inform the person’s sense of self as a leader and
communicate how others view his or her fitness for the role.
As
a person’s leadership capabilities grow and opportunities to
demonstrate them expand, high-profile, challenging assignments and other
organizational endorsements become more likely. Such affirmation gives
the person the fortitude to step outside a comfort zone and experiment
with unfamiliar behaviors and new ways of exercising leadership. An
absence of affirmation, however, diminishes self-confidence and
discourages him or her from seeking developmental opportunities or
experimenting. Leadership identity, which begins as a tentative,
peripheral aspect of the self, eventually withers away, along with
opportunities to grow through new assignments and real achievements.
Over time, an aspiring leader acquires a reputation as having—or not
having—high potential.
The story
of an investment banker we’ll call Amanda is illustrative. Amanda’s
career stalled when she was in her thirties. Her problem, she was told,
was that she lacked “presence” with clients (who were mostly older men)
and was not sufficiently outspoken in meetings. Her career prospects
looked bleak. But both her reputation and her confidence grew when she
was assigned to work with two clients whose CFOs happened to be women.
These women appreciated Amanda’s smarts and the skillful way she handled
their needs and concerns. Each in her own way started taking the
initiative to raise Amanda’s profile. One demanded that she be present
at all key meetings, and the other refused to speak to anyone but Amanda
when she called—actions that enhanced Amanda’s credibility within her
firm. “In our industry,” Amanda explains, “having the key client
relationship is everything.” Her peers and supervisors began to see her
not just as a competent project manager but as a trusted client
adviser—an important prerequisite for promotion. These relationships,
both internal and external, gave Amanda the confidence boost she needed
to generate ideas and express them forthrightly, whether to colleagues
or to clients. Her supervisors happily concluded that Amanda had finally
shed her “meek and mild-mannered” former self and “stepped up” to
leadership.
Effective leaders
develop a sense of purpose by pursuing goals that align with their
personal values and advance the collective good. This allows them to
look beyond the status quo to what is possible
and gives them a compelling reason to take action despite personal
fears and insecurities. Such leaders are seen as authentic and
trustworthy because they are willing to take risks in the service of
shared goals. By connecting others to a larger purpose, they inspire
commitment, boost resolve, and help colleagues find deeper meaning in
their work.
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