Featured Blog Post from Her Circle Leadership Founder, Leslie Grossman
Why Companies Must Win Back Women to their Management Teams: Research Reveals Women Leaders Rock!
The number of women managers ditching the workplace in 2020-2021 has been dismal. America’s greatest migration is the number of women who have left managerial roles. According to the analysis of the Women’s Law Center, 2.1 million women left their jobs in 2020, primarily due to the childcare crisis. As we move into 2021, the likelihood of women returning at the same rate to equal or higher positions is low. This should be a cause of great concern to companies – large and small.
There’s one important reason: women rock as leaders. This was revealed in the article “Research: Women Are Better Leaders During a Crisis” published in the Harvard Business Review earlier this year. A study by Zenger/Folkman evaluating 60,000 managers came to a definitive conclusion: Women are more effective leaders than men. ‘Women were rated more positively on 13 of the 19 competencies in our assessment that comprise overall leadership effectiveness. Among the 13 competencies on which women were rated higher were “takes initiative”, “inspires and motivates others”, “communicates powerfully and prolifically”. “Men were rated more positively on one competency — technical/professional expertise — but the difference was not statistically significant,” according to Jack Zenger, co-founder of Zenger/Folkman, a strengths-based leadership development firm, which performed the research. Prior to the pandemic, almost half the workforce was made up of women, yet only about one-third held management positions (Catalyst). “Companies need to take advantage of the proven leadership skills of women if they want to grow in the next decade,” according to Leslie Grossman, founder of Circle Leadership, a leadership development company for women leaders, HR professionals and executive coaches. While a recent MetLife survey of 2000 workers showed 2 out of 3 women plan to return to work, women will be returning with raised expectations. Women say they plan to return to companies that give them more flexibility, more opportunities for career advancement, economic incentives, improved benefits and more development programs. “While women excel in leadership skills, most will return to workplaces which continue to be dominated by gender bias, closed networks and male power patterns,” says Grossman. “To attract and retain women leaders companies need to break down silos, recognize and reward women equally, and create sponsorship opportunities. Most important companies must provide coaching and training for women to navigate workplace challenges and for men to become aware of the roadblocks for women and how they can play a role in ensuring change that benefits the organization exponentially.” --Leslie Grossman, Founder, Circle Leadership
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Inner Circle Member Blog Posts
I wanted to take a moment to share a few articles from members of our Inner Circle.
"As we face the Great Resignation, it’s become clear that the leaders who can show through their actions that they care about their workers are going to surge forward
in this new era."
Read more from Inner Circle Member Katharine Manning's piece, Mastering the Art of the Quick Check-in
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"Simmer down, feminists. I’m a feminist too, but I am also capable of critiquing the way some women lure men into their weblike climb to the top, not based on competence or creative ingenuity, but rather on how they make the powerful men around them feel." Read more from Inner Circle Member Christine Merser's piece, Elizabeth Holmes. Praying Mantis?
Featured Podcast
The Power of Networking Interview with Leslie Grossman
Hosted by Inner Circle Members Stephanie Cartin & Courtney Spritzer of the Entreprenista League
