Women leaders face unique challenges in the workplace, often stemming from systemic gender biases and societal norms. Leadership coaching tailored for women can be a powerful tool to support women, fostering personal and professional growth while promoting organisational change.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion enablers
Women's leadership coaching should be integrated into an overall Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. Many of the barriers to women's progress are linked to structural problems. Here are examples of policies and practices by organisations moving the needle on DEI. Our women's leadership coaching program can be part of an overall strategy to increase current and future potential female leadership talent.
Challenges faced by women leaders
According to a research study, women in senior leadership roles often experience a lack of legitimacy due to male-dominated workplace cultures and gender bias. This "psychological glass ceiling" can hinder their leadership potential.
DDI statistics show that 29% of companies in the top 10% for financial performance have women leaders, compared to only 23% in underperforming companies.
McKinsey reports on the 'broken rung' in the career ladder for women. For every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, only 87 women are promoted. This leads to a situation where men occupy 60% of manager-level positions in most companies, leaving women with just 40%. Consequently, the pool of women eligible for promotion to director roles diminishes, resulting in a decline in the number of women at each successive level.
The Authority Gap is a measure of how much more seriously we take men than we take women. We assume men know what they are talking about until they prove otherwise; women are interrupted and criticised significantly more than male counterparts.
Women in Leadership Benefit Everyone
Team collaboration is significantly improved by having women in the group.
Highly diverse companies are currently more inclined to surpass less diverse competitors in terms of profitability. According to McKinsey's 2019 study, businesses in the highest quartile for gender diversity within their executive teams had a 25 per cent higher chance of achieving above-average profitability than those in the lowest quartile.
The Economist and McKinsey Global Institute report that "if the gender gaps in participation, hours worked, and productivity were all bridged, the world economy would be $28.4 trillion (or 26%) richer".
With women making up half the world's population and a significant consumer base, having more women leaders helps organisations better understand and represent the needs, preferences, and perspectives of this key stakeholder group - for example, Nike women's football boots.
Increased fairness and ethical behaviours. More women in leadership roles are linked to more ethical and fair organizational practices, including reduced instances of fraud, bribery, and other corporate misconduct that can damage reputations and bottom lines.
Leadership Development for Women
Traditional leadership training programs have been a longstanding component of leadership development initiatives. Despite their continued presence, they frequently fail to effectively instigate significant behavioural transformations. Dig into our analysis of leadership development and the top leadership development statistics.
Leadership Coaching
Through group coaching, individual coaching sessions, and a supportive community, women leaders can gain clarity, inspiration, and empowerment to take decisive action toward their goals.
Increased awareness of systemic and individual biases
We share resources for reflecting on the range of biases and systemic barriers. Women often feel they need to fix themselves to fit in better. We flip the narrative and provide insights into systemic issues that work against women in the workplace, and group sharing to help empower women to deal with challenging scenarios.
Increased self-awareness and confidence
Coaching helps women leaders gain deeper self-awareness about their strengths both overuse and underuse. This heightened self-awareness and guidance on embracing their authentic leadership styles boosts confidence and help increase self-belief.
Improved relationship building and influence
Through coaching, women leaders develop skills to build stronger relationships, communicate more effectively, and increase their organisational influence. This includes strategies for self-promotion, making their voices heard, and articulating their values and career aspirations.
Career advancement
Coaches work with women leaders to define realistic and achievable goals aligned with their values, interests, and leadership purpose. This clarity empowers women to take control of their career trajectories and identify pathways for advancement within the organisation.
Leadership styles
Leaders often possess multiple leadership styles, which coaching can further enhance. These include skills like active listening, empathy, and the ability to inspire and empower others, which can foster a supportive, positive, and productive workplace culture.
In Summary
By investing in leadership coaching tailored to women's unique journeys, challenges, and strengths, organizations can empower their leaders to recognize systemic barriers, deal with microaggressions, find supporters, and realize their full leadership potential.