Wow! I didn’t think that I would struggle to complete the Gender Leader Implicit Association Test (Northouse, 2019, pp 421-423) in a quick and timely fashion. I was fighting a battle in my head, debating logically that words such as ambitious, dynamic, understanding or leader could just as easily apply to male/supporter or female/leader. It didn’t seem fair that there wasn’t a ‘both’ column. I discovered that I too am guilty of succumbing to stereotypes as I quickly assigned words like sympathy and compassion to being more likely to be female traits than male. What does this say about me and my ability to have an open mind about gender inequality in the workplace? Do I as a member of the female persuasion actually help contribute to the exclusion of my own gender by my own stereotypical assumptions?
I openly admit that I am not an in your face feminist, hear me roar type of person. I strongly believe (perhaps naively)that positions in companies and promotions should be offered to those who have the best qualifications, the best skills (people, technical, critical thinking and creative), the best education and/or experience to do the job well regardless of gender, race or culture. I believe this because by doing so it is doing what is best for the organization as a whole and not the individuals involved. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the reality and oftentimes there is discrimination against women when it comes to leadership roles.
I believe in inclusion and equality and because I believe in inclusion and equality I also choose as much as possible to not be a bystander when exclusion is taking place. When we don’t speak up, and we don’t try to take action, we are as guilty as those who are doing the excluding. I am grateful for those who have gone before me and fought for women to have the right to vote, to drive, to attend school and get an education work, and work outside the home. There is still much to be done to promote inclusion in our work places. We need to be willing to be role models in order for our voices to be acknowledged and our actions to be contagious.
Image courtesy of www.fullinclusionforcatholicschools.com
It is hard to speak up, especially if you are a woman vying for a spot in a competitive male dominated world. No female wants to draw unfavourable attention and face the consequences of a potential fall-out as a result. A woman I know from another school district, requested a follow-up meeting with a member of that district’s senior leadership team to inquire as to why she wasn’t accepted into the hiring pool for Vice-Principals despite her many credentials, qualifications and years of experience. She felt that she had done well at the interview and wanted to know what she could do differently the next time and the areas that she could improve upon. The response she received shocked her as she was questioned about her aspirations to become a school administrator due to her also being a mom. She was reminded repeatedly by this individual of the long hours and the toll it would take on her family life and her small children. It’s sad to see, in an organization that is known for strongly promoting inclusion in the classroom that people in management positions are still being exclusive. We all know the reality, that if she had been a man, the person asking the questions would never have questioned how a man’s dual role of Dad and school professional would affect his ability to do the job and try to persuade him not to apply. It was hard for her to speak up, because she didn’t want to ironically risk ‘offending’ the person and further face the possibility of being blacklisted for future opportunities. I wonder how many women reading this, would have had the guts to speak up and question the validity of the comments and how they not only didn’t foster the inclusiveness that the school district was supposed to be promoting, but they also had nothing to do with her abilities and skills to do the job.
So, how do we foster recognition and a sense of belonging for females in a male dominated leadership organization? ‘Do’ being the operative word, that constitutes actively seeking ways we can consciously be role models and provide daily examples of how we wish everyone to be treated. Men and women both need to “pay attention to whose voices are being heard, whose opinions are being validated, and who is being ignored or dismissed during meetings” (Nugent, Pollack & Travis, 2016, p. 10) and then “actively seek feedback from people who don’t usually contribute” and “role model the inclusive behaviour that diverse opinions have value by repeating them and building on them as the discussion evolves” (Nugent, Pollack & Travis, 2016, p.10).
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I personally have found it to be extremely helpful whenever I am attending a male dominated meeting, to have one of my male colleagues from my school reaffirm a point or a suggestion that I make. It’s sad that we sometimes still need to do that in order to give credibility to a female voice, however, I am grateful for the support and acknowledgement of my peers. It is also important to acknowledge and provide credit to the rightful owner of innovative ideas and suggestions, male or female (Nugent, Pollack & Travis, 2016, p.10). I have found that when we support each other by acknowledging contributions, ideas and providing the opportunity for everyone to have a voice, we are helping to build an inclusive community. Men and women both need to be role models for what is acceptable behaviour and treatment for everyone regardless of gender. I loved the idea behind the ‘BS’ sign as shared by a Canadian woman in Nugent, Pollack & Travis’ article (2016, p.12) where everyone present at a company function had the opportunity to openly question or discuss issues further that they disagreed with simply by holding up the ‘BS’ sign. Everyone needs to own their part and take responsibility for the change that they wish to see take place.
I know that I still have a ways to go to not only speak up for myself but to be a more active role model and example for others so that I can be a part of a team that helps to build an inclusive environment that acknowledges everyone’s voice and gives credit where credit is due. I have a responsibility for my daughter, my son and for our future generations to take ownership of my part and to DO what is right.
References
Northouse, P.G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice. (8th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Nugent, J., Pollack A. & D. Travis (2016). The day to day experiences of workplace inclusion and exclusion. Retrieved from www.catalyst.org/system/files/the_day_to_day_experiences_of_workplace_inclusion_and_exclusion.pdf
What a powerful analysis of inclusion/exclusion in the workplace. The story you share is powerful because the leader was forthright about the reasons for not offering the position to the candidate — often discrimination is masked as something else and certainly not discussed so openly (since this type of admission could lead to a discrimination complaint with a union). Certainly gender roles play a significant (although often more subtle) role in limiting full participation of women in leadership.
I’m struck by how this is such a strong illustration of the Richler quote you include . Not only is there an assumption that the role of motherhood is less compatible with leadership than fatherhood, but there is an assumption that long hours are the only road forward — the only way of accomplishing the key components of this role. In fact, much research shows that a more sustainable work/life balance is effective for both women and men in leadership. Perhaps there is a need not just for more egalitarian thinking with regard to leadership, but also an understanding that structures may need to change to become more inclusive (of both women and men in leadership AND parenting roles).
— Leadership Prof