Women's Leadership: Making a Career in Any Industry

Like conventional leadership, women's leadership is, first and foremost, a type of thinking that allows you to see opportunities where no one sees them and overcome obstacles most effectively regarding risks and resources. It is also the ability to unite people, make decisions, lead a whole group, and resolve crises. A common misconception, is that women occupy mostly subordinate roles in management and departments, yet statistics show otherwise: in 2023 – for the first time in history – as many as 10% of Fortune 500 companies were led by women. Moreover, this percentage is increasing every year. In countries such as Iceland, Norway, France, and Germany, there is a quota for women's participation in the board of directors, from 20 to 44%. Many other positive figures suggest that women in leadership positions can be, but even should!

Introduction

We've put together some statistics to make it easier for women to believe in themselves on their way to success!
According to the Conference Board's <a href="https://www.meetingsnet.com/professional-development/new-research-supports-women-who-want-lead">study</a> “Ready Leaders Now,” companies with women in at least 30% of leadership positions are 12 times more likely to be at the top and demonstrate 20% higher financial performance. The Leadership Circle <a href="https://www.wvma.com/press/wvma-news/4365-are-women-better-leaders-by-greg-kozera-shale-crescent">study</a> surveyed over 84,000 executives and 1.5 million colleagues, employees, and bosses. It found that women are more effective in the field than men in all niches and age categories. Women are best at soft skills, particularly communication skills, and they often become even "stronger" leaders than men.
Another<a href="https://hiring.careerone.com.au/content/hiring-advice/women-make-better-managers-study-says/"> study</a> was based on a sample of 1,800 executives, amongst whom women scored higher in strategic thinking, risk management, innovation, communication with people, and altruism (although whether the latter is a good thing is a bit debatable). Interestingly, women showed the same level of emotional stability as men in stressful situations, contrary to stereotypes, and were also more focused on business expansion outcomes. In contrast, men are more focused on making a profit. It may also be influenced by the fact that men and women in leadership positions have different motivations: the former is usually driven by financial goals—conversely, the latter focuses on growth prospects.
Male leaders also prefer a primarily authoritarian leadership style, while women prefer a liberal one. As one of the teams' surveys showed, employees prefer democratic management. This does not substantially impact the results, but it strongly impacts the relationship with the team.

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