Is Now the Era of Women in Leadership?

During a hugely successful female networking lunch earlier this month, a conversation was sparked about women in leadership and whether it was becoming more common for companies to recognise the talents of their female employees? Around the table were several dedicated and powerful women, some who ran businesses, some who led large teams and, of course, our two co-owners Aideen Hopkins and Marie O’Neill. Given the calibre and capabilities of those gathered, surely this was a sign that a tide was turning? Perhaps ‘slowly, but surely’ would be the best answer, as it was only in 2023 that the number of Fortune 500 companies with female CEOs tipped over the 10% mark (and a quarter of them were only appointed in the preceding 12 months). Clearly women are demonstrating they have something unique to offer, but how quickly organisations act to utilise that is a different matter…..

The Unique Benefits of Female Leadership

Our awareness of workplace functionality has been rapidly overhauled in the last few decades, from a recognition of the value of soft skills, to the benefits of flexibility and even the potential of remote resources. This shift is also bringing to the forefront the reality that women might just be equipped with more appropriate skills to excel in leadership positions. As the American Psychological Association points out, “decades of studies show women leaders help increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire organizational dedication, and improve fairness”. In data gathered by the Harvard Business Review women outperformed men in 17 of the 19 capabilities measured, they “were rated as excelling in taking initiative, acting with resilience, practicing self-development, driving for results, and displaying high integrity and honesty. In fact, they were thought to be more effective in 84% of the competencies that we most frequently measure”. (Though the research also noted how in those under 40, male responses were far likely to be overconfident and female responses where overwhelmingly under confident, preferring to downplay their abilities; which is clearly something else we need to work on!) Since women generally seem to embody specific skills that are proving to be more effective at achieving results in the modern workplace, companies with female leaders have better outcomes. This Forbes piece on women outperforming men on leadership measurements shared that “organizations with at least 30% women in leadership roles are 12x more likely to be in the top 20% for financial performance”. It goes on to note that women consistently score significantly higher than men in all five creative leadership competencies (relating, self-awareness, authenticity, systems awareness and achieving) and are able to build stronger connections that are directed to a ‘play for all to win’ approach.

Women in Leadership Who Inspire

As a female led company EER Middle East is direct evidence of how impactful women in leadership can be. Since taking over the company in 2021 Marie O’Neill and Aideen Hopkins have transformed the organisation, not only in the way it operates, but also by exceeding expectations on its growth with new acquisitions, an expanded range of services and even entering new markets by launching in Saudi Arabia in 2023. Their dynamic approach has seen the organisation grow in a myriad of ways and given the workplace a new atmosphere that is centred around inclusivity, teamwork and employee engagement. To echo their spirit of celebrating the accomplishments of others, we asked Marie and Aideen to share with us who are the women leaders that they think are most effective and who inspire them.

Marie:

The women I admire most are all tenacious and incredibly smart, but they are also not afraid to take a collaborative approach, understanding that through partnership and connection we can collectively achieve more. Instead of being focused on credit or the misnomer that women want to ‘do it all’, they consistently prove their abilities through performing at the highest levels, being open to learning and engaging with others to push boundaries. Three women who embody this concept daily are Sophie Rehberg the President of EuRA, Krysta Fox the CEO of Changeosity and Thenji Moyo Partner at Gateley LLP. I am truly honoured to work with them and they inspire me every day by showing me what is possible.

Aideen:

I feel incredibly lucky to know so many women who have proven themselves to be exceptional leaders. Three in particular stand out to me as awe-inspiring role models. They have achieved so much, often while juggling overwhelming circumstances, and each forged a unique pathway to success. By reflecting the effectiveness of creative and strategic leadership, they are responsible for fostering environments that empower and encourage, and ultimately prosper. They are Amanda Gavin the founder of AMG Consulting Public Relations, Erin O’Neill who is the owner and Chief Imagination Officer of Serindipity Solutions and Nouf Aldakhil who has scaled new heights in the corporate world of Saudi Arabia at the Saudi Esports Federation, blazing a trail for future generations and showing young women that they are capable of greatness.

Building the Future

If we want our companies and ideas to flourish, empowering female leadership is evidently a step in the right direction. For those who want to ensure they are taking advantage of the female skill set in order to grow fully, there are key steps to take that will help encourage more women into leadership positions. Make sure to identify those with the talent to take charge and provide access to mentorship pathways that will foster their innate abilities. The truth is that you never quite know what someone could be capable of and in such a competitive marketplace companies can ill afford to overlook the opportunity to hear from a voice that could be lastingly transformative.

If this is the era of female leadership – you wouldn’t want to miss out, would you?