Women should inspire change at work

Traditionally leaders have always been expected to have ‘Superman’ like masculine qualities. This style of leadership demands leaders to be assertive and authoritative and most companies and individuals still see this as the most effective form of leadership. With the coming of women, however, these notions have been challenged.

According to a recent survey conducted by Aspire, over 40% women feel that they lead in a more collaborative manner as opposed to the masculine Superman style of leading. The same survey stated that 60% of the women believed they as leaders they were democratic, nurturing, calm and egoless.

An interesting finding in the survey also revealed that 75% of the women were considering leaving their current place of work because they don’t feel appreciated and aren’t encouraged to lead with their innate traits. This of course, prevents a lot of women from rising up the ranks.   The Guardian reports that the post-recession business world is much less forgiving and looks for diversity and alternative leadership styles. In a situation like this, there are ample opportunities for women who feel underappreciated at their workplaces.

Betty Kincaid>

Dr. Sam Collins (CEO and Founder of Aspire) feels there are three options for women who are not happy with their work because of the reasons mentioned above: they can either continue to lead on in their authentic way, they can leave for another job that provides them a more suitable environment, or they can work towards bringing change for themselves and others.   As a start women to should start building a network of like-minded people. This would motivate them and others to do their bit in addressing the problem.

The next important step would be contacting the HR department. Dr. Collins suggests that since most department heads in Human Resources are women, there is a good chance that your point of view would be understood.  One should also be sure to present it as a business issue and not just a women’s issue. Standing up for yourself and others would not only help change the work environment but also present you as an effective and confident leader.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2014/sep/16/leadership-styles-how-to-be-a-good-leader