Last Sunday, 8 March, was International Women's Day, a great day to reflect on the challenges women face.
Many women leaders combine ambition, responsibility and a busy private life, yet they have to prove themselves again and again. They work just that little bit harder for the same recognition. And even with an impressive CV, sometimes there is still that question: "Am I good enough?"
Many women leaders recognise it: to gain support and achieve goals, they are constantly balancing between:
- being visible - but not too present
- being decisive - but not too tough
- showing ambition - but remaining sympathetic
Paying attention to female leadershipis important for several reasons. Not only from an equality perspective, but it is also better for the organisation and society as a whole, because when different perspectives and qualities come together, stronger, more human and future-proof leadership emerges. Research shows that teams with different perspectives make better trade-offs, are more creative and can handle more complex issues better.
Women leaders often want to know how to make the most impact without losing themselves. This is often a combination of having goals and motivations in focus, choosing helpful beliefs and making the best use of their own style and strengths in context. Sounds complicated, perhaps. But in our Female Leadership programme, it is especially fun to explore and inspiring to grow in it.
