When it comes to successfully running a business and managing employees, women clearly lead the way – Women Leaders Matter! A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that most Americans see women as stronger than or equal to men when it comes to key leadership traits. From being honest and treating employees fairly to mentoring staff, women executives and managers come out ahead.
That’s great news because recognition of the many attributes women bring to leadership roles further reinforce the positive impact women have in today’s business world. Add to this the fact that, according to new research from Expert Market, the number of women-owned businesses has nearly doubled in the last 20 years, it’s easy to see how women leaders are leading the way.
Here are more reasons why women leaders matter:
Shake It Up!
Let’s face it, women leaders shake things up! Men have inhabited corner offices and board rooms – not to mention seats in Congress – far too long. Having more women in leadership roles in business, as well as a stronger presence in local and national politics, helps maintain the balance and keeps the playing fields even.
Create Awareness
As women executives take on more and more significant roles in business, it helps create an awareness of the value professional women bring to a company. Whenever we read about the successes of a top CEO such as Yahoo Inc.’s Marissa Meyer or cheer on a woman who has left another crack in the proverbial glass ceiling, we feel empowered and impassioned to continually strive for our own professional goals.
Encourage Workplace Diversity
As part of a diverse group, women business owners, managers and executives are aware of the many roadblocks they may encounter on the way to success. For those reasons, women leaders are in the perfect position to pave the way for others by fostering diversity in their companies. And, although a recent study found that women bosses are often penalized for hiring and promoting other women and minorities, we must continue to move forward. “Continue to recruit diverse talent to meet diversity quotas and build an environment of color, creativity and culture,” says Star Jones, President. “Make workplace diversity and inclusion a corporate priority.”
Inspire the Next Generation
Perhaps the most important reason why women leaders matter more than ever is the excitement they ignite in the next generation of young women. Having role models to look up to, seeing real-life examples of women with successful careers and powerful positions, especially in more traditional male-dominated fields such as STEM, is key to helping girls reach for goals once thought unattainable. When a professional woman takes on the added role of mentor, advisor or advocate, her actions inspire the next generation to pick up the torch and lead the way!
Join us for eChapter on March 4 and hear from an amazing panel of women about the challenges women face in leadership, and how more women can make it to the top of the corporate ladder. Learn more here.
We want to hear from you! Why do you think it matters to have more women in leadership roles? What women leaders have inspired you professionally and personally?
Diversity is key, plain and simple. I know there’s no accounting for taste, but I feel that fusions are the best of everything. A boring pop song can come alive with a dash or more of traditional Spanish flair, and an Irish folksong can resonate with a broader audience when fused with a style more often associated with German opera. I’m not saying that any single ingredient can’t be awesome on its own, but they have the potential to become something more when introduced to something different. The combination creates something new. Marginalize any of these elements, and the craft loses an opportunity to evolve. I think sci-fi bibliophiles can all agree that modern science fiction would be quite different if Anne McCaffrey never penned “The Dragonriders of Pern”. We’d have lost something very special, I dare say transcendent, if she’d been overlooked simply because she was born female.