When Women Lead: The Benefits of Leadership Development for Women
Have you seen the power suits with oversized shoulder pads that were the fashion trend for women in the 1980s? Perhaps this was an attempt to earn a seat at the table by taking cues from men in roles of authority. Women were trying to build credibility and fit in by emulating the norm. The subtext was that women could get ahead only by being less of who they are. Yet we know that inauthentic leaders can’t gain trust, or realistically uphold a false image over time. What a bind. Thankfully, women are no longer expected to lead by fitting a mold, (and can make their own fashion choices too!). Instead, women are getting clear on their own unique strengths to build a personal brand for greater influence and leadership presence.
Ultimately, the success of a company is related to its human capital. Research suggests companies who invest in leadership development perform better than those that don’t do it. What’s more, according to McKinsey, the most gender-diverse companies are 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability.* Having both women and men in leadership roles helps organizations reflect the customers they serve, giving the perspective needed to increase sales and fuel growth. And a report by MSCI shows that having women on the board of a company boosts productivity.
Organizations that confront the gender gap and make efforts to appeal to and retain female talent will be better prepared to take advantage of a larger pool of emerging leaders. There are many benefits of leadership development for men and women. Still, when creating female-specific leadership development programs for companies, specific topics tend to be especially relevant and useful for women. Even today, the reality is there are different challenges in a woman’s path to leadership, including lack of role models, faltering confidence, limited access as well as our own ability to hold ourselves back.
At Strengths Now, we use a tool called the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment in leadership development to help women zero-in on their personal brand. CliftonStrengths presents one’s unique strengths and talents and showcases what you do with brilliance.
Our belief is that women advance by being more of who they are. And nothing drives retention like being valued. Reason enough to use strengths as a development tool? We think so.
Investing in leadership development programs offers many benefits, including these top three:
- Skills Development: Equip leaders with the skills needed to meet the challenges of advanced leadership roles with maximum impact.
- Competitive Edge: Adopt innovative management practices to outperform the competition by embracing diverse perspectives.
- Attract and Retain Employees: Create a sustainable environment for women’s career progression that ensures women can reach top-level management positions, which in turn fuels the cycle to continue to attract and retain employees.
Our goal is to create healthy and thriving workplaces where both men and women can excel. In our coaching, training, and leadership development, we use proven strengths-based strategies to develop talent, build trust, reach performance goals, and maximize the inherent talent found in every team. And we know that bringing out the best in your female employees will bring out the best in your organization.
To learn more about our leadership development to your organization, learn more here – or please visit https://strengthsnow.com/workshops/strengths-finder-workshops-overview