Becoming_a_Better_Leader_

CHAPTER 16 LESSONS TO ENHANCE
WOMEN’S EFFECTIVENESS
IN LEADERSHIP

by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI,
KAREN A. LONGMAN,
and SUSAN R. MADSEN

Faith Wambura Ngunjiri 16 :: LESSONS TO ENHANCE WOMEN’S
EFFECTIVENESS IN LEADERSHIP
is Director of the Lorentzsen Center
for Faith and Work and Associate by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI, KAREN A. LONGMAN,
Professor of ethics and leadership and SUSAN R. MADSEN
at Concordia College (MN)
FROM RESEARCH TO PRACTICE:
Karen A. Longman LESSONS TO ENHANCE WOMEN’S EFFECTIVENESS IN LEADERSHIP

is Program Director and Professor Scholars and practitioners around the world are in agreement that women remain
of Higher Education in the underrepresented in leadership positions, whether in the arena of business, government,
Department of Higher Education education, civil society, or nonprofit organizations (Adler, 2015; Catalyst, 2015; Colorado
at Azusa Pacific University. Women’s College, 2013; Eagly, 2015). In spite of the limited numbers, women can be
found leading every sector, from the heads of nations such as Liberia and South Korea,
Susan R. Madsen to CEOs including PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi and Xerox’s Ursula Burns. Within the United
States, women currently hold 4.6% of the CEO positions in the S&P 500, a stock market
is Orin R. Woodbury Professor of index that represents the leading companies in various U. S. industries (Catalyst, 2015).
Leadership and Ethics in the According to the same Catalyst report, women hold only 19.2% of the board seats, and
Woodbury School of Business at represent only 25.1% of those in the ranks of senior-level officials and management. Yet,
Utah Valley University. they make up 45% of the labor force in the same companies.
Drs. Ngunjiri, Longman, and
Madsen have been collaborating Focusing on the status of women in political leadership around the world, Eagly (2015)
over the past three years on a cites the work of Henricyh, Heine, and Norenzayan (2010) to remind readers that
book series titled “Women and generalizations based on observations about societies labeled “WEIRD” (Western,
Leadership: Research, Theory, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) “can be misleading” (Eagly, 2015, p. x).
and Practice,” sponsored by the In fact, Eagly observes that although more women are serving in leadership roles than
International Leadership in any time in history, only 127 women have served as heads of state in the history of
Association. For information on the world; currently women hold 22% of the seats in national parliaments (International
the series, see Parliamentary Union, 2014, as cited in Eagly, 2015). Within the U. S., the November
http://www.ila-net.org/WLSeries 2014 elections resulted in crossing the threshold of women holding more than 100 of
the available 535 seats in the U. S. Congress, yet an article in Politico Magazine titled
“104 Women in the Congress: Does it Matter?” observed that “there wasn’t all that
much to celebrate, for a number of reasons (Warner, 2015, para. 6). It is one thing to
have women entering positions of leadership, and it is quite another for them to
exercise real influence over the affairs of others.

Notably, research bears witness to the fact that organizations and institutions of all
kinds thrive when both men and women hold management and leadership positions
within them. A recent article Madsen (2015) reviewed a host of research studies that
summarized the benefits of attracting, retaining, promoting, and empowering women
as leaders. Five categories emerged in the findings.

First, studies have reported that some companies have improved their financial
performance when women hold board seats and are in leadership positions (Madsen,
2015). When women (with a critical mass of over 30%) have seats at the table,
researchers have documented the following benefits: better financial results,

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16 :: LESSONS TO ENHANCE WOMEN’S
EFFECTIVENESS IN LEADERSHIP

by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI, KAREN A. LONGMAN,
and SUSAN R. MADSEN

increased profitability, higher operating results, better economic growth, faster debt
reduction, lower risk of insolvency, better business deals, less risky bids, better stock
growth, better corporate oversight and governance, and improved organizational
sustainability. Of course there is no guarantee, but these benefits have been identified
in research cited in Madsen’s compilation of studies to date.

Second, researchers have found that having women in leadership roles can strengthen
organizational climate. This may include such benefits as decreased turnover intentions,
higher employee satisfaction, more women hired for the leadership pipeline, a smaller
gender pay gap, increased employee engagement, increased productivity, higher
customer satisfaction, lower corporate fraud, reduced groupthink, higher team
performance, more considerate team members, and more ethical decisions.

The third benefit category that emerged from a review of the literature is that
organizations have increased corporate social responsibility and reputation when they
have more women as directors and in senior-leadership roles. These benefits may
include an increased sense of corporate social responsibility (CSR), higher-quality
CSR initiatives, greater social responsiveness, better engagement with society,
greater philanthropic responses, improved corporate reputation, and increased
corporate social performance indictors linked to “both internal and external
reputation (e.g., community, corporate governance, diversity, employee relations,
environment, human rights, and product-related social issues)” (Madsen, 2015, p. 4).

Fourth, research has shown that women tend to exhibit different leadership
characteristics and attributes than do men (Helgesen & Johnson, 2010; Kezar, 2014;
Ngunjiri & Madsen, 2015; Turner, 2012). Adding the strengths and gifts of women into
groups and entities can help organizations better leverage talent. A host of studies
cited in Madsen’s (2015) summary have found that women tend to: think more
holistically; seek win-win solutions; ask different questions; bring difference
experiences; and be more nurturing and process-oriented. Women are often more
sensitive to nonverbal cues and more comfortable with ambiguity, and they focus on
teams, cooperation, and inclusiveness. Some studies have also found that women
focus more on development (self and developing others), have higher integrity, and
tend to make more ethical choices than do men.

Finally, research findings as summarized by Madsen (2015) confirm that more diverse
and inclusive leadership teams actually produce more creative and innovative results,
which enhances organizational innovation and collective intelligence. Other related
benefits include better team decision making, greater team problem solving, better

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16 :: LESSONS TO ENHANCE WOMEN’S
EFFECTIVENESS IN LEADERSHIP

by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI, KAREN A. LONGMAN,
and SUSAN R. MADSEN

team performance on highly complex tasks, increased knowledge formation and
patents, and higher collective intelligence and social sensitivity (Madsen, 2015).

Overall, these findings set forth a compelling case that gender should be an
important consideration in crafting the composition of management and leadership
within groups, organizations, and other social entities. Yet researchers have
repeatedly documented that women aspiring to and entering leadership face multi-
faceted challenges. As noted in a chapter authored by Ely and Rhode (2010) titled
“Women and Leadership: Defining the Challenges,” the barriers to women’s
leadership advancement range from structural and attitudinal barriers to issues
related to identity and the development of leadership skills. What will be required for
women around the world to become better leaders? The five strategies summarized
in the sections that follow draw from recent research to guide women in becoming
more successful and effective in their areas of responsibility, even while recognizing
the need for changing social and organizational cultures and structures to make
them more amenable for women as leaders.

1. TAKE CONFIDENCE THAT WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SKILLS HAVE VALUE

As women move into leadership roles in male-normed organizational cultures,
their values and perspectives often cause them to feel like square pegs in round
holes. In fact, a review of 20 years of business and psychology literature related to
women’s careers by O’Neil, Hopkins, and Bilimoria (2008) noted that the practices
of organizations have been (and continue to be) largely male-normed and thus
inconsistent with the leadership approaches that women tend to bring. It is important
for women to have confidence that their contributions, as part of diversifying
perspectives on senior-leadership teams, are valuable to creating healthy
organizational cultures. As one example of research that lends credence to the value
of women’s perspectives and contributions, an international survey by Gerzema and
D’Antonio (2013) involving 64,000 participants from 13 countries found that two thirds
of those surveyed—including 63% of the male respondents—indicated their perception
that “the world would be a better place if men thought more like women” (p. 8).

2. RECOGNIZE THAT LEADERSHIP IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IS A PROCESS

Numerous books and research articles in recent years have presented important
fresh thinking about how individuals adopt and live into the identity of being a leader.
For example, the September 2013 cover story of Harvard Business Review by Ibarra,
Ely, and Kolb (2013) addressed this topic head-on, with a particular focus on the
challenges of women to model leadership. The opening paragraph of this article

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EFFECTIVENESS IN LEADERSHIP

by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI, KAREN A. LONGMAN,
and SUSAN R. MADSEN

titled “Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers” describes how companies invest “time,
money, and good intentions on efforts to build a more robust pipeline of upwardly
mobile women” (p. 62), but “they don’t address the often fragile process of coming to
see oneself, and to be seen by others, as a leader” (p. 62). Avolio and Luthans (2006)
worked with doctoral students to analyze the extent to which leadership development
programs influence participants. In reviewing the related research over the past
century, these researchers concluded that approximately two-thirds of leadership
capacity can be learned; the other third is genetically driven (e.g., energy level,
charisma). Books and resources are available to help emerging leaders expand their
sense of self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism, all components of what Avolio
and Luthans identify as the “psychological capital” required of effective leaders.

3. BE AUTHENTIC, BUT CARRY YOURSELF WITH GRAVITAS

Bill George’s (2015) recently updated book titled Discover Your True North joins a
chorus of other publications (e.g., Saint-Michel & Petit, 2014) in promoting the value
of “authentic” leadership. Leaders who are seen as being honest, acting with
integrity, and engaging in genuine relationships (i.e., by being socially and
emotionally intelligent; Breithaupt, 2014) are more likely to be perceived as authentic.
While the calls for authenticity in leadership have merit, “being yourself” can be
challenging for women who work in male-normed cultures (Ely & Rhode, 2010). In
fact, leadership typically involves individuals assuming a “professional role” that fits
the duties of that role. Within the context of higher education leadership, for example,
Gunsalus (2006) has emphasized the importance of assuming a mantle of leadership
when advancing into more senior roles: “The one nonnegotiable element for success
is that you bring a sense of professionalism to the role, an understanding that you are
taking on a new relationship to the institution and to your colleagues” (p. 8).
Specifically, it is important for women to carry themselves with “executive presence”
(Hewlett, 2014) and gravitas, which is characterized by “confidence, grace under fire,
decisiveness,… integrity, speaking truth to power and emotional intelligence” (p. 16).
All of these can be learned behaviors, which means that women leaders can become
better at being authentic by cultivating their social and emotional intelligence and by
engaging honestly with colleagues and subordinates.

4. ENGAGE IN MENTORING AND SPONSORSHIP

Mentoring, broadly speaking, can open doors for emerging leaders in ways that are
critical to professional success. A mentor can tell you what you need to know about
your competency and skill set, and what you need to do to cover any gaps. Although

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16 :: LESSONS TO ENHANCE WOMEN’S
EFFECTIVENESS IN LEADERSHIP

by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI, KAREN A. LONGMAN,
and SUSAN R. MADSEN

mentoring traditionally has been viewed as involving a more senior person serving as a
guide and support, the concept now includes peer mentoring another other types of
“collateral” mentoring that encourage professional learning from a variety of sources
and directions. Sandberg’s (2013) Lean In makes the point that because those targeted
to serve as mentors are typically very busy, explicitly asking someone to be a mentor
can be awkward for both sides; “chasing or forcing [a mentoring] connection rarely
works, and yet I see women attempt this all the time” (p. 64). As a complement to
mentoring, Hewlett’s 2013 book titled (Forget a Mentor), Get a Sponsor advocates for
mutually beneficial professional relationships, wherein “sponsor” provides guidance,
advocacy, and “air cover” (p. 21) while expecting a stellar (above-and-beyond
expectations) performance and loyalty from the individual being sponsored in ways that
also advance the sponsor’s performance and career. Both mentors and sponsors can
help emerging leaders be more self-aware, receive feedback on ideas and plans, be
supported in the midst of challenges, and even point out when it is time to move on to
the next level (Hewlett, 2013, Ngunjiri, 2015; Tolar, 2012; Whiting & de Janasz, 2004).

5. KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS, PASSIONS, AND CALLING

When facing challenging organizational dynamics, women can find greater
confidence in their leadership when they recognize and embrace their strengths and
calling. Interestingly, researchers have found that women’s aspirations for leadership
are not typically motivated by higher salaries or status (Helgesen & Johnson, 2010;
Keohane, 2014) but rather are based in advancing meaning and purpose through that
leadership (Ibarra, Ely, & Kolb, 2013). Finding meaning in one’s work or leadership
often comes from alignment with giftedness and calling. Therefore, using web-based
instruments such as the Clifton StrengthsFinder (Rath & Conchie, 2008) can provide
greater confidence to individuals based on affirmation of their natural talent pattern.
Whether individuals come from a religious or non-religious perspective, guiding
individuals in identifying, developing, and applying their strengths can sharpen their
awareness of their calling, with beneficial influence on performance at the personal
and organizational level (Hall & Chandler, 2005).

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Leadership can be learned, a point that is important for women aspiring to leadership
or moving into higher levels of leadership. One dimension of the recent literature that
has relevance to women’s experiences in leadership is the dual nature of the barriers
that hold women back—both internal (Sandberg, 2013) and external (Ibarra, Ely, and
Kolb, 2013; Helgesen & Johnson, 2010). Yet advancing more women into leadership is

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EFFECTIVENESS IN LEADERSHIP

by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI, KAREN A. LONGMAN,
and SUSAN R. MADSEN

critical for many reasons, as outlined above. Both boys and girls need role models of
women and men who are leading effectively. Our cities and countries need to benefit
from a variety of perspectives on difficult issues, resulting in better decision-making.
And our world, which continues to be torn by inhumane conditions and strife, needs
the approaches to leadership that women often bring. As Gerzema and D’Antonio
(2013) summarize on the cover of The Athena Doctrine, “The sentiment was the same
across the planet: we’ve had enough of the winner-takes-all, masculine approach to
getting things done. It’s time for something better.”

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and SUSAN R. MADSEN

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by FAITH WAMBURA NGUNJIRI, KAREN A. LONGMAN,
and SUSAN R. MADSEN

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