Women and leadership - how to become an outstanding leader

International Women’s Day, held on 8 March each year, is an invitation to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women and girls globally. It recognises how far we’ve come towards gender equality and how far there is to go.

In 2022, the IWD theme of #BreakTheBias challenges us to take practical steps to create a world free from stereotypes and discrimination, and make inroads towards gender equality in work and life.

Today, more Australian women are working than ever before. Women make up more than 50% of the workforce but less than 20% of Australian CEOs. Women account for fewer than one in five CEOs or board chairs, and one in three board members.²

Lack of female leadership can mean women are often more likely to be harassed at work,³ that top-level workforces are less diversified, and that female employees’ mental health suffers due to discrimination and lack of advancement opportunities. The lack of female leaders can also lead to a lack of role models to inspire other women in the workforce.

Leadership specialist, consultant, author and LeadershipHQ CEO Sonia McDonald said it was imperative to get more women into leadership roles.

‘‘We need more women sitting at the table, leading teams and changing the world,’’ Ms McDonald said. ‘‘This will take true courage from all of us. We need to call out messages, behaviours and actions that are biased against women.’’

What is leadership?

Leadership in the workplace means different things to different people, and different things in different situations. But, in general, effective leaders:

• Set the tone and culture for the company
• Focus on the strengths of their team, so they feel empowered to do their best work
• Provide service to their team and make sure they are growing in all areas – their profession, knowledge and even their health and wellbeing.

Benefits of female leadership

The advantages of gender balance and diversity in leadership and decision making are many and research shows that companies that have more female leaders made more money and increased market value.⁴

5 tips for becoming a female leader

Ms McDonald said her years of work and experience in the leadership space had helped her develop a strong passion for female empowerment.

‘‘I want to forge the way through my work, leadership and messages to pave the way for women and girls and give them the hope, inspiration and courage to see their inner greatness and leadership,’’ she said.

She shared these five tips for women to develop as an effective leader:

1. Learn about yourself and embrace who you are – start with your strengths, values, passions and preferences.
2. Develop yourself as a leader – read books, enrol into workshops and programs, get a mentor, invest in your leadership development, subscribe to online resources like the Harvard Business Review, perhaps watch TED talks.
3. Surround yourself with people who lift you up and want to see you succeed.
4. See yourself as a leader – it is an attitude, action and choice, not a title or rank.
5. Have the courage and belief in yourself to apply, and put yourself up, for leadership roles.     

Develop courage and authenticity

Ms McDonald is the author of three leadership books and recently released her latest, First Comes Courage, which explores kind and courageous leadership.

‘‘Courage and leadership go hand in hand,’’ Ms McDonald said. ‘’Self-awareness and self-discovery are essential. The more you know yourself and your strengths, talents and fears – the more you understand how to be a courageous and authentic leader.

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1. Australian Tax Office, Median superannuation account balances in 60-64 age group (including nil balances) in 2018-19, ATO Taxation Statistics 2018-19 – Individuals, Chart 12: Individuals – median super balance, by age and sex, accessed 7 March 2022.
2. Workplace Gender Equality, Australia’s Gender Equality Scorecard, accessed 1 March 2022 at www.wgea.gov.au
3. ABC News. Having more female CEOs and stronger laws could help stamp out workplace sexual harassment, accessed 2 March 2022 at www.abc.net.au
4. Gender Equality Insights Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre. Gender Equality Insights 2021: Making it a priority, accessed 3 March 2022 at www.bece.edu.au
This content is provided for information purposes only, and the opinions expressed are theirs alone and should not be taken as financial product advice. You should get professional advice before making an investment decision.