Leadership Features and Disparity Which Vary Men and Women - Term Paper Example

Women Leadership AFFILIATION: Obstacles to women’s leadership and ways of removing them In order to solve the problem from its foundation, it is imperative that the right tools are used for understanding the factors that contributed to the dilemma. This notion is true for the dearth in number of women’s leaders worldwide. Although people with intellecutual personalities are trying to resolve the issues but they have have misapprehended the warning signs; as a result, the resolutions developed by the administrators are not producing the desired results. In spite of growing trend of women employees in the business world, there is scarcity of their numbers when compared to men. Lets take the example of Fortune 500 companies, most of the people employed at the top positions such as Chairperson, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer are men. However, there were only 6% women employees on these top positions and 15% were also present in the Board of Directors of these companies (Wagadu, 2008). Such disparity in business world is evident in every country especially in the developed nations worldwide. In the European Union, out of fifty nations that are operating as the trading organisations, women were found 11% on senior positions and only 4% as Chief Executive Officers (Women’s Media, 2009). In 1986, two individuals from the Wall Street Journal suggested an anwer for such disparity for top position employees in organisations. They believed that women managed to get to the senior rankings with immense difficulty as there are various blockages in the paths destined for these positions. The exclusive group appeared within their hold, however they just couldn’t smash through the so called ‘glass ceiling’. This situation captured the association of aggravation among women and demonstrated reverberation regarding those high aims which are visible, but someway unachievable (Grogan, 2010).   There was a period in which there were many obstacles for women. For instance, in the 80s, it was difficult to assume a woman getting to the senior position. This viewpoint was further embedded by Richard Nixon, the President of USA, which was recorded in the White House and published in the form of Freedom of Information Act. He stated that no woman is suitable for managing the positions in government bodies; the main reason emphasised by him was that women lack consistency and they are highly emotional. Moreover, according to the President, women keep on changing their attitudes towards work and are simply unable to comprehend with responsibility and seriousness towards the job. However, he also said that most men are also emotional and variable and still they are better performers in comparison to the women. In such a setting and stereotypical thoughts about women holding higher positions in the state or any organisation, it makes it virtually impossible for women to dream about leadership status (Eagly & Carli, 2007). The beauty of time is that it keeps changing. Although there are still metaphors of glass ceiling present but they have been considered as invalid symbols As a single thought, it expresses a complete ban at a particular level in the profession. On the other side, the reality is that some women have been successful in acquiring top positions such as Chief Executive Officers, Deans of academinc insitutions and even Presidents of some nations; all of these examples are evidences of the false image created about women leadership. In fact, some hurdles are definitely present but they can be encountered by following a well-thought strategy. There are some forces that try to discourage women in coming forward and give a tough competition to men but they need to be handled appropriately so that the blocks can be effectively eliminated (Eagly & Carli, 2007). In reality, women are forced to leave the jobs in middle of the path before they reach the top level positions. Since some people believe that there is a glass ceiling present, particular forms of interferences are highlighted such as higher standards of networking, prejudices for different applicants in terms of profiles, objection to prejudices on the basis of some biasness and enhanced experience requirement for making them member in the Board of Directors. In order to avoid such obstacles, it is better to confront the situation rather than avoid it (Eagly & Carli, 2007). An improved signal for what encounter women in their career efforts can be linked to the maze. It is a representation with a lengthy and diversified account in ancient Greece, India, native North and South America, Nepal, Europe and other places. As a traditional icon, it expresses the notion of a difficult trip towards the final aim which has huge amount of worth. Although the way through a maze is not easy or straight but it needs patience, knowledge about one’s prospects for growth, and a cautious examination of the mazes that have yet to be explored. The only technique required to reach the final goal is an enhanced and clear communication (Grogan, 2010; Mcsweeney, 2010). For ladies who want to achieve higher leading positions, they have to remember that the ways are loaded with unexpected turns and bends and these twists are both certain and uncertain. Since all mazes have a practical way to the hub, it is fathomed that aims are achievable. The signal admits hurdles but is not finally daunting. If we can fathom the numerous obstacles that create up this warren, and how some women explore their routes around them, we can increase our efforts to get the situation in our favour. What are the hurdles that cause women to step back from the aim of achieving top positions? The financial experts and sociologists have developed many theories to understand the factors that are affecting women but still they have been successful in identifying the right answer for this question that is the challenges and setbacks that have being faced by women who want to attain elite positions that they desire to hold in their career. Although the experts believe that these hurdles have been eradicated but still there metaphors are present in various organisations. Some misconceptions prevailing in the business world are that women possess less administration skills; they are not competent to develop casual associations; women lack skills required for performing the senior jobs; and there can be collapse of higher leadership as women cannot accept higher level responsibilities and they find difficulty in keeping a balance between work and personal lives (Grogan, 2010; Mcsweeney, 2010). It is crucial to be aware about these major obstacles that are contributing in ceasing the growth of women. For instance, presumptions about stereotypical attitude about women can sometime cause them to get excluded from associations required in jobs like teaching and networking. Such exclusions can impact the verdicts related to their jobs which require extensive amount of exposure. It has been found that women are made reluctant in obtaining higher level positions and only few will attain such designations, the false presumptions about dearth of women at top positions will get more intensified. But what can be done for reducing this stereotypical attitude towards women’s successful management of top positions? This important question needs to have a practical answer in order to be certain regarding prospects of many professional women (Heilman, 2001). There have been many studies that depict that women desire to achieve the peak. Out of the women who have occupied higher positions, majority of them still seek to achieve the top position and some 20% have even ruled it out of their career path (Grogan, 2010; Mcsweeney, 2010). According to Sage Pub (2012), about 15% of the elite positions of management show that the women have less competent skills and expertise required at higher positions and only 2% are able to handle the hurdles encountered for their development. Similarly, only 15% of Board of Directors recognise that the women lack spirit of achieving higher positions which is the major hurdle in women. In the top management roles, women are required to undertake long-term planning so that they can competently encounter the obstacles. There are various factors that can be considered for assisting a woman in sustaining her growth and they have proved to be beneficial for the long-term success. The foremost thing that is mandated by women is to focus on enhancing their performance which should always exceed the anticipations expected by them. The second element required by women is that they should polish their management and administration skills so that they can demonstrate their capabiltieis on these positions. Another crucuial step required by them is adapting a professional attitude so that men can see that women have a high level of confidence. The women need to sharpen their skills in their respective fields so that they can foster growth and flourish at a fast pace in their industry. Finally, all women have to strengthen their abilities of coping with the difficult and highly prominent tasks required for their jobs (Growe & Monotgomery, 2012). Other than these important dynamics of empowering women to reach their desired professional degrees, there are some more recommendations that can work as a mechanism to yield successful and strong control within women. Most of these mechanisms have found to be supportive for the women who have been making their careers in different professions; they have proven to help them in excelling in their fields. In various studies, it has been found that the women especially at top level positions have to understand the factors that make effective contribution to their growth. The women have to demonstrate their dedications to the job by getting engaged in activities that will show that they are willing to acquire leading positions. Even the top management has to understand that women can accept these demanding jobs, enhance their personality to be compatible with the requirements of the position and they can help in influencing professional occasions. In addition to all these factors, there should be a clarity of communication about the growth of employees and plans that will foster excellence in their jobs (Growe & Monotgomery, 2012). In the end, it can be concluded from the learnings that women in the management of business are serving as a label for enhanced performance of the management and organisations. It has been found in many surveys and researches that giving just an explanation that the daydreaming is the main cause of such slow growth in the women’s leading position is not justified. All the corporate leaders have to defy these obstacles and ensure that they hire, sustain and promote those women who have strong desire for growth in their respective business areas (Growe & Monotgomery, 2012). In every organisation, there are various disparities that are impacting the role of women in management and even in leadership statuses. Most of the studies have given extensive information about the data about the gender discrimination; what are the factors that are being overlooked by the orgnaisations and will the present generation be an effective alternate? The answer to these questions is still unclear and much more information is required about them. It can be said that more evidence is required about the leadership methods that should be identified which vary among men and women and the organisations have to accept this disparity. In order to boost the leadership skills in women, the companies have to assist them in polishing these skills by organsing various training sessions (Michigan State University, 2010). All the women managers and prospect leaders have to undertake various efforts to change the perception held by people and community so that the attitudes of men in the management positions get changed. The women have to get aggressive and be determined in propagating the message and aniticiapting the ways of keeping a balance between their home and work life. The notion that needs to be encouraged is that women are leaders who want to do their job and fulfil the responsibility that they are assigned with much more effectiveness (Michigan State University, 2010). In this way, these barriers that every woman faces in her entire professional growth, can be minimized, if not abolished entirely. There is always a sign of hope in unfavourable circumstances that can empower the person to act and think in a positive manner and sustain preservance in the path of dream achievement. Moreover, by implementing the suggestions and ideas elaborated above, the organisation can get supreme quality of the workforce which cannot only deliver much more than expected, but also is highly capable in managing toughest of situations. These workforce can be bequeathed in the form of women. (Women’s Media, 2009). References Eagly, A.H. and Carli, L.L., 2007. Women And The Labyrinth Of Leadership. Harvard Business Review. [Online] Available at: http://citt.hccfl.edu/Newsletters/NewsletterID1.pdf [Accessed 8 March 2013]. Grogan, M., 2010. Women and Educational Leadership. San Fransisco: Jossy Bass Leadership Library in Education. 34-56. Growe, R. and Monotgomery, P., 2012. Women and the leadership paradigm: Bridging the gender ga. [Online] Available at: http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Growe,%20Roslin%20Women%20and%20the%20Leadership%20Paradigm%20Bridging%20the%20Gender%20Gap.pdf [Accessed 7 March 2013]. Heilman, M.E., 2001. Description and Prescription: How Gender Stereotypes Prevent Womenʼs Ascent Up the Organisational Ladder. Journal of Social Issues, 57(4), p.657-674. Mcsweeney, R., 2010.  Women in leadership: Strategies for change. Western Australia: Curtin University. Michigan State Univerity, 2010. Union leadership and gender: obstacles for women. [Online] Available at: http://hrlr.msu.edu/faculty/documents/union_leadership_gender_kaminski_pauly.pdf [Accessed 8 March 2013]. Sage Pub, 2012. Barriers to Women Leadership. [Online] Available at: http://www.sagepub.com/northouse6e/study/materials/reference/reference14.3.pdf [Accessed 8 March 2013]. Wagadu, 2008. Women and Leadership Positions: Social and Cultural Barriers to Success. [Online] Available at: http://appweb.cortland.edu/ojs/index.php/Wagadu/article/viewArticle/352/668 [Accessed 8 March 2013]. Women’s Media, 2009. What Keeps Women from Reaching the Top? [Online] Available at: http://www.womensmedia.com/lead/89-what-keeps-women-from-reaching-the-top.html [Accessed 8 March 2013]. Read More