Unleashing the Power From Within

The saying ìitís a manís worldî hardly seems relevant in contemporary society.

Even twenty years ago a female running for the presidency of a large developed nation would have seemed near implausible, but the current American elections are a perfect example of how far we have come in terms of equal opportunities and dispelling gender stereotypes. Certainly when it comes to positions of leadership, more and more often we see women acting as crucial driving forces across a variety of industries and sectors.

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But does leading the way as a woman necessarily mean rejecting your natural female instincts? Should women who want to lead be embracing traits and acting in a manner which is perhaps more traditionally envisaged as ìmaleî or masculine? And what unique abilities might women bring to leadership that are less known and not yet researched? Frances Baldwin, a leadership consultant with The Chaos Game, a company which delivers a variety of development programmes for organisational leaders, says that times are certainly changing and these are some of the questions that are being asked and answered as women become more visible on the leadership landscape.

Frances explains: ìNumerous studies have shown specifically how men and women act and react differently to situations in a corporate setting. There are common themes and findings across the research that is helpful to both women and men as leaders and followers. One of the most comprehensive studies of gender differences in leadership behaviour was completed in 1998 by The Management Research Group based in Germany and the U.S.î

The results of the research showed that while men and women were ranked equally effective overall (by bosses, peers and direct reports) the following differences were clear:

Women

Were more task and results focused ó organised work in a structured way, followed-up up to ensure objectives were met and pushed for results.

Developed closer working relationships ó demonstrated more concern for others; were more candid and sincere.

Men

Took a strategic approach to the leadership role ó planning, visioning, and risk-taking, and giving thoughtful consideration to past lessons and viability of opportunities for change in the future.

ìEven though these results reflect a familiar pattern we are certainly witnessing a shift in thinking when it comes to methods of working within organisations,î explains Frances. ìWe can see a trend in management literature developing where aspects such as interpersonal and communicating skills are being given more value and precedence within companies. Obviously men and women can learn from each othersí natural instincts in order to be the most well-rounded and reliably effective leaders. Women can augment their task and people skills with some of the more recognised business and strategic skills and men can enhance their tendency toward business skills with better people skills including such things as sensitivity and listening.î

Frances continues: ìIn addition to these well-studied areas women harbour an array of unique qualities and instincts which can be seen in the fresh approaches that they are bringing to some of the more complex and enduring problems of corporate and societal leadership. Women tend not to recognise their own unique abilities and in our zeal to meet and exceed performance expectations in high pressured, fast paced and results driven business settings, these more subtle gems of wisdom can be dismissed and lost.î

Frances has worked closely with leaders of both genders for over thirty years and has observed that the most effective women seem to tap into a different source of wisdom that leads them to unique behaviours such as:

Presence and attentiveness

Beyond communicating freely and including their employees in decisions, these women are deep listeners. The quality of attention that they give to individuals, their ideas and their needs on a daily and routine basis engenders a type of trust and loyalty that is invaluable for teams and partnerships when they face tough challenges and the need for innovation and change.

Compartmentalising

Women who can consistently shift their focus from one task or situation to another across time and situational boundaries are much more effective and resilient. This ability to compartmentalise may be connected to the experience of multi-tasking that is essential to the traditional demands of balancing personal and work life.

Willingness to ask and act upon penetrating questions

When situations seem stuck in age-old dilemmas women who trust their own wisdom know that they must step back and ask dismantling questions in order to open up new options. Questions that begin with ìwhat ifî, ìwhat elseî and ìwhat would it take.î This requires stepping into what is not known in order to create something new. The results can be seen in unique organisational designs and stronger cross-functional relationships that serve real purpose. Women who are willing to ìnot knowî tap into the collective intelligence and creative solutions to be found in the workforce.

Frances suggests that in order to begin to comprehend the value of their best qualities, women must also get in touch with their inner wisdom, she continues:

ìBy inner wisdom we refer to concepts and habits that have been repeatedly tested and evaluated for their usefulness and reliability and then translated into life principles that work for you. It is personal knowledge that becomes embodied behaviour. Once you develop wisdom, it allows you to assess and discern situations with greater confidence. Wisdom, by this definition, helps women make the best judgment and choices in a wide range of both positive and challenging situations. The source of this wisdom may be a combination of concepts learned in a university, observation over time and your own thoughts that began with a quiet voice that simply spoke from somewhere in your mind. The challenge is develop and learn how to tap into this wisdom.

Frances concludes: ìA leadership challenge for women is to ensure that their styles and behaviours include the more strategic business skills that research attributes to men, the task and people skills attributed to women, as well as their own unique qualities and inner wisdom. Understanding how this broader repertoire of leader options can be used appropriately and drawn upon instinctively is a learning edge. Once these natural and instinctive qualities become part of your behaviour, this can help you to differentiate yourself as a leader within your organisation.î

Frances Baldwin will conduct ìWhen Women Lead From Withinî, a two-day development programme for women leaders in Edinburgh in September. For further information on this course, visit www.thechaosgame.com or call 01224 734337.