Celebrating female leadership

On International Women's Day, I'd like to take a moment to celebrate the positive impact of female leadership.

While every individual is made up of their own values, experiences and personality traits, there’s a common theme that numerous studies have uncovered. That is, having more female leaders in the workplace is undoubtedly beneficial to business. Why? Because women bring something different, and difference brings more diverse thinking and behaviours, resulting in greater balance and improved outcomes.

So, what exactly have these studies found?

· Female leaders enhance organisational performance

A study carried out by The Peterson Institute for International Economics found that organisations which initially had no women in leadership, but later increased this to 30%, saw an increase of 15% in their net revenue margin. It was also found that Fortune 500 companies with higher numbers of women in leadership positions performed better on average in return on sales, return on equity and return on the investment.

· Female leaders enhance innovation & problem solving

Diversity undeniably improves innovation and problem-solving. One study on female representation in senior leadership found that companies which focused on innovation saw greater financial gains when women were part of their top leadership teams.

· Female leaders excel in emotional and social skills

A study carried out by Hay Group showed that women bring a natural advantage when it comes to soft skills, such as networking, critical thinking, self-motivation, empathy, resilience, positive work ethics, and communication skills.

· Female leaders enhance collaboration & teamwork

The Hay Group study also showed that women perform best when it comes to collaboration and teamwork. Their approach is naturally more nurturing and supportive,, and they demonstrate greater readiness to compromise in order to achieve success for all.

Significantly, these findings highlight the qualities organisations and teams have draw upon more than ever during the pandemic to navigate the commercial, mental, and emotional challenges it has caused.

Too often, women fail to see their true value and hold themselves back from leadership positions because they don't feel they are good enough, or that, in order to succeed, they need to be more masculine in their approach. Yet the very opposite is true. Women, as their natural feminine selves, bring something different, and highly valuable, to leadership roles. , And this is something we should celebrate more.

So, today, I salute all the brilliant women making a positive impact in their work.