Leading the Charge

In recent decades, there have been calls for greater gender equality and a greater emphasis on the need to bridge the salary gap between men and women.

While significant progress has been made in this area, we can still see an acute shortage of women in positions of power. To tackle this problem, organizations must create better policies and opportunities for women. On the other hand, women  require assistance in taking steps ahead and overcoming the tendencies that hold them back.

There are endless reasons why we need more women in leadership positions, and in the first blog of our new series 'Leading the Charge' we have outlined five of these: 

1. Women bring fresh perspectives

When women become leaders, they bring talents, new views, alongside structural and cultural diversity to the companies they work for, resulting in more successful solutions. Diverse experiences and viewpoints play a significant role in fostering innovation since varied perspectives lead to better decision-making. As a result, companies with higher degrees of diversity tend to outgrow those with lower diversity percentages.

2. Women lead more effectively

Women executives bring talents, new perspectives, and unique ideas to the table. Still, when these three factors are combined, they help develop new viewpoints that lead to better corporate decision-making. Until the age of 36 to 40, men are thought to be more effective leaders. Women become considerably more effective than men after the age of 40 and continue to do so until they reach the age of 60.

3. Women are more empathic

An empathic leader can accept that everyone perceives the world differently without passing judgment. They can relate to their team and openly interact with them and comprehend when they are having difficulties. In brief, an empathic leader can listen to their team rather than fix, solve, or dictate, thus preparing them for success.

Women are more likely to use this form of leadership than more authoritative leadership, making them more effective at influencing others. Empathy also requires being open-minded and understanding diverse points of view. This facilitates the exchange of ideas and gives a fresh perspective about things. As a result, the identification of an effective solution to problems.

4. Women leaders can help bridge the gender pay gap

The gender wage gap exists in organizations and workplaces despite decades of development. Organizations have been looking for a means to close the gender pay gap for a long time, and offering women leadership in organizations is one possible answer.

The salary discrepancy between men and women is more akin to a gender opportunity gap. When men and women begin their careers from the ground up, men are often given more opportunities that lead to higher-paying leadership positions.

5. Women make amazing mentors

The significance of mentors, particularly for the younger generation, cannot be overstated. Everyone, regardless of gender, requires someone to mentor them as they advance in their jobs. Women leaders are more vital mentors and coaches of emerging potential than men.

Women are more understanding, strong-willed, tactical, and cognizant in comparison to men and this is precisely what makes them terrific mentors. We need more and more women in mentorship programs and we must also focus on women mentoring women for a bright future.

At MCS Group we truly value diversity and are a truly diverse workplace. Our workforce is 59% female. Within our various verticals, females truly lead the way, with four of our Recruitment Managers being female not to mention numerous Specialist Recruitment Consultants specialising in everything from Software Engineering to Financial Accountants to Mechanical Engineers.

Over the next few weeks, we will be profiling and interviewing some of the outstanding female leaders here at MCS, in our new 'leading the Charge' series, so make sure to check out our LinkedIn page and website to hear inspiring thoughts on all things work, leadership and career development.