The Case for Women in Leadership

 

Let’s face facts.  Men have been at the helm of both business and politics for eons.  Where has it really brought us as a worldwide society?

-        We are facing a global catastrophe associated with climate change.  Scientists have been telling us for decades that we need to change our habits. But special interest groups in business and spineless politicians have done virtually nothing to address the issues.

-        Governments around the world are increasingly becoming more authoritarian and restrictive of the rights of others, particularly women and immigrants, as they consolidate power.  The attack on democratic institutions such as the courts and the press is a clear sign of their intentions. Where once we associated this type of behaviour with dictatorships, we now see it creeping into democratic environments leading to predictable outcomes.

-        Institutions such as the United Nations were established 75 years ago to promote and advance the notion of peace around the world.  However the advance of state sponsored terrorism and radicalization has consistently undermined that dream.

-        Wealth has grown exponentially around the world.  But so too has the consolidation of that wealth.  Estimates are that in the US the top 1% of income earners own about 43% of the wealth and that number only widened during the pandemic. Only about 10% of the wealthiest are women.

There are copious other examples but you get my point.  A society that is led by men has not brought us to a sustainable position. Rather, men have, by and large, been the architects of a failing and self-serving community which has, with premeditation and malice aforethought, brought us to the edge of disaster.

IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE! And the sooner the better…

Let me offer an example of effective female leadership, Angela Merkel of Germany.  Raised in Communist controlled East Germany, she first excelled in with a PHD in quantum chemistry. She entered politics in the 1990’s and rose to become the Chancellor of Germany in 2005.  Her accomplishments are highlighted by an outstanding economy; a focus on renewable energy and on the integration of over 1 million refugees. Her vision was always towards improving both her country and our world.  How refreshing is that!

What are the qualities that women bring that make them so utterly better suited than most men?  Here are just a few.

1.   On balance, the women are more intelligent.  That is not a slight on many very capable men, but the reality is that for a woman to rise to the highest levels of responsibility – in business or in politics – they must demonstrate a degree of intellectual superiority that cannot be denied or ignored.  There is no ‘old boys club’ that is greases the skids for less competent individuals.

2.   Women are natural team builders and have much less ‘pride of ownership’.  That’s because their egos are more satisfied by accomplishment than by acknowledgement.  Consequently they make more informed decisions with ultimately better results.

3.   Women are naturally more empathetic.  Part of their genetic code includes nurturing.  This contributes to their team building success, above.

4.   Women are better negotiators.  They have had to be because of the road blocks that men have traditionally imposed.  In this world that is increasingly diverse and complex, this skill is of critical importance.

Mothers do not quickly send sons and daughters to war.  They know that negotiation brings better results.  But do not make the mistake that women are soft.  You have no doubt heard of the wrath of a mother bear!

5.   Women have a persistence that few men can match.  One only has to remember that it was just in the 20^th century that some women received the right to vote and hold office.  (In many cultures they are still disenfranchised.) They knocked until the door broke down despite the time it took to knock sense into the male ego.

Again, this has only scratched the surface of the qualities and competencies that women bring to leadership.  To paraphrase a quote from G. K. Chesterton ‘…it is not that women in leadership has not been tried and found wanting; rather it has been found unsettling for men and thus left untried…’

It is well past time for women to assume the roles for which they are naturally well suited and which a world in distress so desperately needs.  We can only hope and pray that the changes come before we are beyond the abyss.