Enhancing the participation of women in leadership

ENHANCING WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP

By Jerry William Chaba

In a 2011 study published by the Harvard Business Review, in which 7,280 business leaders were polled, 16 leadership skills or ‘competencies’ were considered. (namely, taking initiative, self development, integrity and honesty, ability to stretch goals, building quality relationships, collaboration and teamwork, drive for results, development of others, inspiration and motivation, championing change, solving problems and analyzing issues, prolific and powerful communication, connects the group to the outside world, being innovative, technical and professional expertise, developing strategic perspective. Sources: Zenger, J and Folkman, J.)¹. The poll shows women outperforming their male counterparts in all but 2 of the listed skills, including those which were considered traditional male strengths, like taking initiative and driving for results. Men outscored women only in one skill, i.e. developing strategic perspective.

While it is refreshing to see women get the credit they thoroughly deserve, these figures, however, must be approached with caution. Opinion polls are heavily influenced by personal tastes, biases and beliefs, and while this makes little difference in behavioral studies and operational analysis, anecdotal evidence is not pure science. Also 7,280 respondents represent a small sample size when compared to the number of business leaders available worldwide. What the poll does tell us is that women are capable of high office and responsibility based on the opinions of their peers, and can perform admirably when compared with male colleagues and counterparts.

Translating belief into concrete gains on the ground, however involves continuous education and mentoring programs for promising girls and young women. Policies like KIND’s KUDRA program must continue apace, along with programs that link bright and talented young women with positive role models who will replicate female success stories across all facets of our national experience and provide them with practical hands-on knowledge. As always, it is critical to engage young people in their formative, malleable years, when positive ideals can make meaningful impact. Hence the importance of targeting primary and post-primary school aged girl children.

Employing political leverage and ensuring female representation within the national political process will also enable women with the political clout to engage issues of broad interest. KIND currently pursues an admirable ‘30 x 15’ goal, which targets a 30% representative figure of politically active women leaders within the Nigerian natural political process by the year 2015. Cognizant with the view that political influence alone is far from enough, the European Union currently seeks a 40% quota for women on supervisory boards for all European companies. This quota is expected to be in place by 2020, and failure to comply would attract fines, exclusion from government tenders and even a ban on public subsidies.²  While such policies are indeed laudable, effective monitoring and evaluation is necessary if efficacy must be guaranteed. KIND (along with other well-intentioned bodies) must remain vigilant and courageous enough to continually advocate that the quantity as well as the quality of women leadership does not in any way depreciate. Quotas are a double edged sword, and left unhindered may descend into tokenism and inefficacy.

Women leadership can also be enhanced by ensuring that small and medium-scale businesses owned by women receive access to much needed financial support through linkages with micro-finance institutions (or even conventional banks). Funding remains a huge challenge to women who are driven and talented, but lack the finances to grow their businesses. Micro-finance institutions have begun to bridge the gap, but there remains a large number of unbanked female entrepreneurs, eager to contribute their part to their families and to the nation at large. Historically, loans by female borrowers are less likely to turn problematic, as most women are usually risk-averse when compared to their male counterparts. 97% of the borrowers from the world-famous Grameen Bank are women, and surprisingly, while there is no ‘legal instrument’ between the borrower and the lender, the bank never has to switch to ‘punishment mode’ to deal with any defaulters. Largely because the bank believes that women are more entrenched in their host societies and are very reliable borrowers.³  Programs like this would empower women with the means to determine their own fates and take bolder decisions for the benefit of themselves and their families.    

The link between non-governmental organizations and the public and private sectors of the nation must be continually strengthened to ensure the smooth flow of ideas. Brilliant ideas may end up in stasis or even remain unimplemented because communication channels are poor (or even non-existent). Funds meant for quality grassroots programs might be misplaced or misused because information meant for certain people was never received, or was probably never sent in the first place. Committed young women could be discouraged from assuming responsibility because of the wrong influences. There is too much at stake for politicians and agencies to get distracted with fiefdoms and powerbases. If the goal is enhancing the quality and caliber of women leaders as well as their participation, then there is no nobler reason for pulling together for a common cause. Women after all, are worth it.

SOURCES

1.   Zenger, J. and Folkman, J. Are women better leaders than men?  Harvard Business Review, March 2012

 http://bobmorris.biz/are-women-better-leaders-than-men?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bobmorris%2FISWw+%28Bob+Morris%29

2.   Okechukwu Nnodim, EU seeks 40% quota for women on boards The Punch, September 5 2012 p30

3.   Randall, B. When it comes to small business loans, women are preferred , May 28^th 2010 www.gradyjournal.com/?p=4880