Why Women Leaders Can and Should be Authentic
A board member of a major building materials company was explaining to
a networking partner the difficulties the company was having in retaining
women in senior level positions. His colleague, a senior vice president of
marketing and the highest ranking woman in her firm, acknowledged that it
was a complex situation. When asked to share her views on executive women's
leadership, she thought a moment and then explained, "For me, it comes down
to authenticity — when I can bring my values, beliefs and full self as
a woman to how I operate as a leader. It's a combination of what I draw from
within myself and what I extract from my firm to make my experience as a
leader personally fulfilling as well as having a positive impact on the
company."
Authenticity Matters Most
When a woman is operating at her most authentic self, she simultaneously
feels and is viewed as being a more effective leader. She is a catalyst for
meaningful and positive change; a high-performing, confident individual; and
a critical player in the organization's overall success. In a recent study of
highly accomplished women conducted by RHR International, authenticity was
consistently cited as making the greatest positive difference in accelerating
and cascading the achievements of the female leader and her organization.
This finding, along with other results of the study, were used to formulate
The Authentic Leader Model — a tool that shows how the dimensions of an
individual woman leader's psychology and her professional and personal
environment can work together to create leadership excellence. The model is
designed to describe the experience from the female executive's point of view
so that boards and CEOs can gain insights which allow them to retain this
critical talent pool. It highlights the strengths that both the individual
woman leader and the organization can deploy to bring more diverse and
effective leadership into the C-Suite.
The Authentic Leader Model
The Authentic Leader Model was developed to articulate and clarify the
intersections between the woman as an individual and her uniquely-experienced
environmental and organizational influences. It describes how women use their
individual resources to navigate the forces in and outside of work, and how
individual authenticity amplifies success for female executives. The model is
made up of five forces which can create or detract from a woman's leadership
success:
- Women Leader Climate
- Individual Psychology and Interpersonal Resources
- Leader Expectations
- External Commitments
- The Sphere of Authenticity
Women Leader Climate
Every female executive operates within the women leader climate. This
environment consists of the dominant culture and receptivity to women in
leadership positions. What are the norms of the organization and how do
beliefs about women align with these norms? How are women viewed regardless
of role? The answers form the "backdrop" against which all the dimensions of
a woman's individual, professional and personal attributes play out. Women
leaders need to acknowledge and be aware of the climate in order to navigate
it, progress within it, and ultimately shape it.
Women frequently indicate that they shy away from the limelight while
working in environments that are not overtly friendly to female leaders. They
hesitate to be the first to define the parameters for that organization. They
report a lower tolerance for mistakes made by female leaders. "I feel like
a rock star, everything I do is watched," said one female general
counsel.
A lukewarm women leader climate can also inhibit the supportive and
mentoring behavior of men. They can be reluctant for reasons that include:
being afraid that honest feedback will hurt women's feelings, they don't
know how women will take feedback, and even fear of creating an "HR issue."
Sophisticated organizations understand that it is a business imperative to
positively impact the women leader climate. While there is no cookie cutter
solution that will enhance every situation and help advance every woman
leader, programs such as succession planning reviews that create
intentional and systematic culture change can increase the presence
and impact of women at the top. A critical component is a tailored approach
that aims to understand and advance the woman as an individual and as a
leader.
Individual Psychology and Interpersonal Resources
For executive women, individual psychological resources are typically the
most developed and powerful assets at their disposal. They consist of her
emotional, cognitive and motivational traits, as well as the skills, knowledge
and experience that she brings to bear on the position. However, they may also
include female attributes such as emotional intelligence, an ability to be
highly collaborative, and the strengths derived from managing complex,
co-existing identities of executive, partner, mother and daughter.
"A lot of women tend to be more tentative about who they are at work
and end up acting a little out of character," said one senior vice president
of a major corporation. "I was lucky enough to be in an environment where I
was given the license to be who I was and so I used it. For example, I can be
as direct as the best of them, but I am also able to quickly get a sense of
the people I'm dealing with. I listen actively and get into their space
quickly, and I think that is because of my gender."
A successful woman leader also has a complex set of systems support created
by both her and the organization — her interpersonal resources. These are
important relationships that she brings to the position: champions, mentors,
informal networks, women networks, and supportive partners and husbands.
A highly successful managing director in an investment bank, Tonya decided
to move from marketing to institutional sales. This was a risky move because
she was established and doing very well in her current position. But she
reasoned that the power and money were in sales, and if she could be
productive, she would be objectively compensated. Tonya's boss became a
pivotal mentor; he gave her selling tactics, advocated for her, and paired
her with the most experienced trader on the floor.
Tonya's drive and willingness to take this risk, combined with her boss's
coaching and his — and by extension her — interpersonal
resources, accelerated her success.
The executive woman's individual psychology and her interpersonal resources
are at the core of the Authentic Leader Model. They are the reservoir of
capabilities she accesses to interact with her environment and from which
authenticity can grow.
Leader Expectations
Leader expectations are the organization's tacit ideas of what people in
leadership positions should look like. It is a composite of style, experience,
skills and even personal appearance. Depending on the industry, function,
company or culture, the leader expectations may not even include a female
component. However, gender discerning leader expectations can interact with
authenticity to create a surprising, powerfully positive leadership
experience.
Allison was looking for a new opportunity in her manufacturing company
when her boss made a request. A well-respected executive in one of the most
industrial, male-dominated units of the business had recently died. Could
Allison take his place? After discussing it with her boss and mentor at
length, she agreed. Spending a large amount of time "on the line" with her
male subordinates, Allison learned the business quickly. She helped the unit
recover from the loss of its former leader and brought innovations to the
firm. Her success in this role earned another promotion. While proud of her
business accomplishments, one of the most meaningful events of the assignment
was a farewell-note from a male subordinate who acknowledged how her
contributions and leadership had won him over.
Allison embraced this opportunity from the authentic part of herself. This
was recognized initially by her boss and then her subordinates. It helped to
accelerate her success in the position. But, in addition, she also changed
the leader expectations within that business unit. In the future, it is
unlikely that any employee there will question whether a woman, per se, is
right for the job.
External Commitments
External commitments are the impact of outside activities on a woman's
leadership abilities and her capacity to contribute to the organization. The
woman executive can experience individual gains or losses from involvement in
activities or responsibilities outside of work: caring for children or elders,
involvement in charitable organizations or social groups, and membership on
boards. External commitments are important forces acting on the experience of
the executive woman because these responsibilities tend be more expected of
and/or more cherished intrinsically by women than men.
When examining the influence of external commitments on the woman's
leadership capabilities, it is essential to consciously throw away assumptions
and stereotypes. More responsibilities outside of work don't always lead to a
desire for fewer duties within the professional sphere. Many women indicate
that as their personal lives and external commitments became more robust, so
did their career. Often, these forces played off one another in a positive
and fruitful way.
Although external commitments are often seen by organizations as
competition for a woman's attention, intellect and emotional energy, they
can be used strategically to strengthen her abilities. Opportunities to
develop leadership skills may arise more quickly through charitable work or
professional associations. Giving time to women to participate in these
activities, as well as being respectful of more personal responsibilities,
builds loyalty to the organization and strongly reinforces authenticity.
The Sphere of Authenticity
Women make it into the C-level suite for many of the same reasons men do:
talent, performance, skill sets and some amount of luck. However, being
authentic is essential for optimizing a woman's ability as a senior executive.
The larger this sphere of authenticity — the more broadly it grows from
her individual psychological and interpersonal resources and spreads across
the leadership expectations and external commitments — the greater the
potential for leadership impact. A hospitable women leader climate enhances
the potential for a positive interaction between these individual resources
and the external forces, leading to high levels of job satisfaction.
The key to gaining alignment among the elements of the Authentic Leader
Model is to address the internal experience created by the confluence
of environmental forces and the attributes of the individual executive
woman.
During a period in her career, Suzanne became the dean of a U.S. service
academy. At this time, hazing was a common practice for first-year cadets.
To Suzanne, this demeaning behavior was contrary to her strong value of
respect for others. She believed that if these budding officers engaged in
and were subjected to this belittling behavior, they would fail to become
successful leaders.
Instead of rushing to change this long-held tradition as soon as she
took office, Suzanne observed, collected data, prepared a brief and ran it by
several trusted advisors before proposing eradication of the practice.
Ultimately, she pushed through this very unpopular change and made a
fundamental, positive cultural impact on the academy.
Suzanne demonstrated the power of fully embraced authenticity. The
successful interaction of her individual resources (i.e., courage,
perceptiveness to organizational norms, influencing capabilities, mentor
influences) with the leader expectations enabled her to create a policy
revision. In addition, the power of the change was amplified by
her authentic leadership.
In the short term, it is easier, quicker, cheaper and more immediately
gratifying to the organization if the woman adapts or if there is a "quick
fix." But in the long run, it is forward thinking, transformational and
beneficial to the enterprise if both the woman and the organization assess
and adapt to the complexity involved in promoting executive women
leadership.
Catalyst for Change: Finding Authenticity
Successful executive women authentically lead big, bold change, pushing the
envelope of institutional norms with power and credibility. They not only
shape the culture, but broaden the strength and capability of the
organization itself by creating a diversity of leadership.
The Authentic Leader Model can open non-judgmental dialogue that was
previously taboo for the female executive, her mentor, her boss or even her
industry. Use of this tool to map a woman's experience opens doors to
personal and organizational success and taps into vital underutilized
human resources.
ABOUT RHR INTERNATIONAL
RHR International is a firm of management psychologists and consultants who work closely
with top management to accelerate individual, team and business performance. We focus on
five key areas of client need - CEO Succession, Executive Selection and Integration,
Accelerated Executive Effectiveness, Senior Team Effectiveness, and Management Due
Diligence. We have been proven difference-makers for more than 65 years, unique in our
combination of top management focus, psychologists' perspective and high-level business
acumen.
RHR International
We see what others don't.
Success Factor #5: Accelerated Learning
"I may not be aware of every gap in my knowledge, but I have
a plan to learn what I think I need to know. The rest I will figure
out as I go along."
Whereas for external hires the key challenge is to integrate into a
new organization, internal hires face two challenges: to integrate
into a new role and to develop the knowledge and skills required
to operate at a different level or in an unfamiliar function. Leaders,
again, tend to overestimate how prepared they are to take on
a new role. Over time, gaps in skills and capabilities required to
be successful emerge.
Post-Transition Support
"When I first started I underestimated the amount I had to learn
and the scope of information I would need to stay on top of."
About RHR International
We are a firm of management psychologists and consultants who work closely with top management to accelerate individual, team
and business performance. We focus on five key areas of client need – Executive Selection and Integration, Accelerated Executive
Effectiveness, Senior Team Effectiveness, Management Due Diligence and CEO Succession. We have been proven difference-makers
for more than 65 years, unique in our combination of top management focus, psychologists' perspective and high-level business
acumen. RHR International has offices in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom and
United States. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
For more information, please visit us at:
www.rhrinternational.com
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