Women changing the status quo in leadership

"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman."
—Margaret Thatcher

Research indicates that while women make up 43.9% of the South African workforce, they constitute only 21.4% of all executive managers and only 17.1% of all directors in South Africa. Less than 10% of South African CEOs and Board Chairpersons (9.7%) are women.

This is the 21st century and most women want to have it all. Be the super mother, have a significant other, and climb the corporate ladder all at the same time. However, if we look at the stats, women leaders are still a step behind their male counterparts.

Holding a position in leadership doesn't make someone a good leader, male or female. A truly great leader understands the many different factors that come with leading others and strives to help others reach their goals. They constantly work at developing themselves and have a vision for their organization. Do women make better leaders?

Developing others
She has to fight harder against the status quo, which requires her to be more focused and determined. Not only do women know that in order for them to advance their careers, they have to learn new skills and develop themselves, but women can also tap into developing, inspiring, and motivating others, relationship building, collaboration, and teamwork.

Communication
Because women are more empathetic, they always try to build more personal and honest communication relationships with people around them. Having this interpersonal skill helps nurture a healthy and strong understanding within her team/company.

Females believe in building transformational and mutually beneficial inclusive relationships, rather than having shallow networks.

Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) means being smarter with feelings. And it will come as no surprise that women are more "tuned in" with their feelings than men are. This plays a major part and ties into the decision-making process in business, improved leadership, and effectiveness.

The bottom line is that as the value of emotional intelligence continues to be recognized, females have an important opportunity for creating added value and building workplaces where people thrive. Research shows that there is a clear link between the level of female board representation and market performance. This is most marked where women have a strong presence across all levels of leadership.

So, do women make better leaders? It's not about who's the better leader but it's about a diverse workforce working together to make the organization successful.

To all our women leaders, the world is your oyster so go out there, grab opportunities, and shine. Continue putting up a fierce battle in the boardroom!

Do you have what it takes to be a great leader? 

We are on the lookout for competitive, self-motivated branch managers, team leaders, and recruitment consultants to grow with our company.

If you feel recruitment is the right job for you, check out our website and apply today.

Or if you are in the market for Finance jobs, IT jobs, Engineering jobs, Freight jobs, or Supply Chain jobs, then get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants to get your career search off the ground.