EVENT

Elevate the System: Women Leaders Changing the World With Heart & Grit

Date: Thu., October 17, 2024

Time: 03:00 PM

Duration: 3 hours

Register Now
CCL Event: Women Leaders Changing the World

Date: Thu., October 17, 2024

Time: 03:00 PM

Duration: 3 hours

Event Begins

days
:
hours
:
minutes

Date: Thu., October 17, 2024

Time: 03:00 PM

Duration: 3 hours

A Preview of Our Forthcoming New Research Report on Women Leaders

Over the last 50 years, female leaders have tended to be associated with “heart,” while male leaders have been associated with “grit,” causing many women in the modern era to try adopting male characteristics in order to be perceived as successful.

Fortunately, some of the gender stereotypes are now changing, which will help to widen the pool of leaders that the world desperately needs — leaders who can take on humanity’s biggest challenges — more women and more men at all levels who can strike the right balance between heart and grit.

Research Findings in 3 Key Areas

CCL APAC has spearheaded new women’s leadership research, which will be released in June 2024. In this latest research, spanning across 5 countries, we’re exploring a few of the dynamics that can help or hinder female leaders, with a focus on these 3 areas:

1. Are gaps in perception closing or getting bigger?

In 2020, we conducted a study to understand differences in perception of male and female leaders in Asia. The study revealed notable gaps in areas such as pay and equal opportunity in the workplace. Among the survey responses, 59% of men but only 37% of women reported that men and women have equal opportunity in the workplace — a 22% gap.

In order to “mind the gap” and then take action, we need to first raise awareness that these significant gaps in perception still exist. The early findings of our new report show that the gap continues to be at similar levels, contributing to women leaders’ experience of psychological and systemic challenges in their career growth.

2. How is the rise of dual-career households shaping today’s leadership dynamics?

An emerging global trend, particularly evident in Asia, is the prevalence of dual-career households, where both partners are in full-time employment. The shift has also led to a growing inclination among women to adopt a “double-flex” approach.

Women leaders are expected to embody qualities like care and empathy, contrasting with leadership preferences for assertiveness and decisiveness. This divergence, termed the “double flex” or “superwoman syndrome,” could lead to burnout and forced exits.

To address this challenge, reframing the conversation is crucial, focusing on the skills essential for female leaders especially in dual-career households:

  1. Self-Awareness: This helps define their identities amid dual responsibilities.
  2. Communication & Influencing Skills: Building partnerships to lead at work and home effectively.
  3. Learning Agility: Cultivating confidence to handle diverse tasks and situations, fostering a sense of control for decision-making.

By integrating these skills into discussions, we could help rectify the misalignment and better align leadership expectations with the evolving dynamics of dual-career households, fostering a more forward-thinking mindset.

3. Are female leadership “superpowers” helping women get ahead, or getting in their way?

Organizational citizenship describes employees’ willingness to go that extra mile at work, helping their company organization and team beyond their outlined duties, even though if such actions are not explicitly required.</p

Research suggests that some common strengths exhibited by women in leadership roles include championing positive change, fostering collaboration, and contributing to long-term organizational success — all good organizational citizenship behaviors. As a result, the expectations for women to display such behaviors are higher, and women may actually face costs for displaying these helping behaviors, as they’re generally not rewarded, but often taken for granted or overlooked.

The question remains: If women more than men are expected to, and actually do, more of citizenship behaviors, do women and men reap the same benefits of citizenship behaviors?

Learn More About Elevating the System to Advance & Support Women Leaders

To find out more and for our latest research-based insights on what it will take to elevate the system in ways that will help more women step into senior leadership roles and men also move into balancing grit and heart, join us for the research launch coming in June 2024.

Samantha Matlin
Samantha Matlin, PhD
Lisa Cavanaugh
Lisa Cavanaugh, MS
Chief Strategy Officer

Get Notified of Our Report Release

Yes, please follow up with me when Elevate the System: Women Leaders Changing the World With Heart & Grit is released, to invite me to the virtual event sharing findings and / or send me a copy of the research.

Event Begins

days
:
hours
:
minutes

Related Topics

Sign Up for Newsletters

Don't miss a single insight! Get our latest cutting-edge, research-based leadership content sent directly to your inbox.

What to Explore Next

10 Leadership Resolutions for a Successful New Year
Article
10 Leadership Resolutions for a Successful New Year

We can’t predict what will happen next year, but it’s a safe bet that leadership will be critical for success. Consider making these 10 leadership resolutions for the coming year.

Essential Communication Skills for Leaders
Article
Essential Communication Skills for Leaders

Do you know how and why communication is so important for leaders? Get our top research-based tips for more effective leadership communication.

Article
The Importance of Empathy in the Workplace

Empathetic leaders have been shown to be more successful. Learn why empathy in the workplace matters and how leaders and organizations can demonstrate and foster more empathy.

Article
Better Culture Starts With Compassionate Leadership

Compassionate leaders are more effective leaders, because they’re able to build trust and collaboration on their teams. Learn how showing compassion — to yourself and others — is the key.

Article
Purpose in Leadership: Why & How

Purpose-driven leadership is a critical factor for individual and organizational success. Learn how and why purpose is key to increased employee engagement and satisfaction.