Formidable Females BAWP October 2011 Performance is born in the mind TM Mind Associates Ltd Mary Keightley

70 years to achieve gender- balanced boardrooms in the UK’s largest 100 companies Equality and Human Rights Commission (2008) 70 %— say they don’t have a strategy for developing women leaders, Mercer. Picture courtesy of Thad Zajdowicz

Where we are Heads of State Seats in Parliament around the world. Corporate jobs USA Full professors USA 9 are women 13% women % women ? STILL 15% 24% women

Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australia She is a lawyer, and the 27th PM of Australia. President Mary McAleese, Ireland She is Ireland's second female president. She is the country's first president to come from Belfast. McAleese is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, "an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development." President Tarja Halonen, Finland She is the country's 11th president and first female to hold this office. Throughout her political career, Halonen has described herself as supporter of international solidarity Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany She is the first female Chancellor of Germany. In 2007 she became the second woman to chair the G8, after Margaret Thatcher. From 2006 to 2009, Forbes Magazine has named her the most powerful woman in the world President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia She is the first and currently the only elected female head of state in Africa. In 2010, Newsweek listed her as one of the ten best leaders in the world, while Time counted her among the top ten female leaders. President Pratibha Patil, India She is the 12th and current President of the Republic of India as well as the first woman to hold the office. She was sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2007 President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina She is Argentina's first elected female president. She is an advocate for human rights, poverty awareness and health improvement. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Bangladesh She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981 and is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir, Iceland After divorcing her husband, she joined in a civil union with Jónína Leósdóttir in In 2010, when same-sex marriage was legalized in Iceland, Jóhanna and Jónína changed their civil union into a marriage, thus becoming one of the first same- sex married couples in Iceland. In 2009, Forbes listed her among the 100 Most Powerful Women in the world

And the Mercer Survey Says... 43% NO ACTIVITIES 23% SOME ACTIVITIES 19% TRACK AND MONITOR ONLY 5% ROBUST PROGRAMME 4% PLAN TO ADD IN FUTURE

What is the Problem? Top three factors “preventing women in their organizations’ leadership talent pools from advancing to the next level.” The leading response, from among 13 choices, 1. Lack of an executive sponsor (43 percent), 2. Insufficient breadth of experience (36 percent) 3. Work-life balance (21 percent).

Question 1: Can you change? Question 2: Do you want to change? Question 3: How quickly can you change Leading the Change...

Affluence, Technology, Globilization Agricultural Age farmers Industrial Age Factory workers Information Age Knowledge workers Conceptual Age Creators and Empathizers 18 th Century 19 th Century20 th Century21 st Century

“The peril is that our world moves at a furious pace. Computers and networks grow faster and more interconnected each day. China and India are becoming economic behemoths. Material abundance in the advanced world continues to grow. That means that the greatest rewards go to those that move fast. The first group of people who develop a whole new mind, who master high- concept and high touch abilities, will do extremely well. The rest-those who move slowly or not at all- may miss out or worse suffer” Dan Pink

Ask Yourself are you committed to making change or just interested in talking about change?

MUST HAVES High tolerance for change 2.Desire to Lead 3.Talent

“Dinnertime was touch-point at the end of each day. Perhaps it was at the dinner table that Michelle honed her undeniable talent for discussing and debating and ultimately persuading others to move to her side of an argument” It was this powerful skill that led her husband to nickname her “the closer” on the campaign trail. When asked “how does your husband get ready for important TV debates?” her reply “he hangs out with me, that’s how he gets ready” extract from the First Lady of Hope, Elizabeth Lightfoot.

So what are you brilliant at?

Male BehaviourFemale BehaviourCritical Question Use I more....Use we more....Do you camouflage your achievements? Let problems happen then set out to solve them. Prevent them from happening Does you boss know your worth? Will not openly admit that they don’t know giving the ritual appearance of competence Will openly admit they don’t know and ask a question giving the ritual appearance of incompetence Are you communicating an appearance of incompetence? MAKING SURE THEY KNOW YOUR GOOD!! Critical Question? What do you do to make sure you are recognised?

The Formidable Female....  Know who they are, what they value and they make decisions accordingly  They know their core strengths and they turn them into capabilities.  They do their homework, take their time and are prepared so they can seize opportunity when it happens.

What were you thinking? I am alone I feel scared I feel isolated/Outnumbered I feel uncomfortable I feel anxiety I wish I was white I am different I feel excited I am unique I feel comfortable I feel excited They wish they were pink! Delphic Oracle gave the advice to “know thyself” thousands of years ago Formidable Females must have high levels of Self Awareness which means having a deep understanding of one’s emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs and drives.

3 key promotion criteria 1. High Level of Competence 2. Decisiveness 3. Ability to Lead If it is men or mostly men making the decision about promotion they may misinterpret women’s way of talking as showing indecisiveness, inability to assume authority and even incompetence.

ACTION: You ask the opinions of others around you before making a decision REASON You want to preserve and protect relationships Do not want to appear bossy and arrogant. INTERPRETATION: Your male boss or male colleague You don’t know what to do. You are trying to get others to make the decision for you Your not smart enough. Be careful how you make decisions. How you see it isn’t how they (males) see it!

“I am still surprised that there are people who make decisions because they’re afraid of what might not work” “My mother raised us not to make decisions on what could go wrong or we’d never go forward”. “Growing up, my mother always taught me to work hard to achieve my dreams and to never let anyone tell me that I couldn’t do something. It’s definitely the most valuable lesson I’ve learned” “The challenge for us is to ask, “What are we ready for?” This one is on us see-, we like to talk about change, but we don’t really like change, we want easy change, we want change that will make us feel comfortable, but that’s not how change happens, its not something that’s just going to come to you passively.

Five Dimensions of Centred Leadership FRAMING Self-awareness Learning Optimism Moving on Adaptability CONNECTING Inclusiveness Reciprocity Network Design Sponsorship MEANING Happiness Core Strengths Purpose ENERGISING Sources and Uses Recovery Flow ENGAGING Voice Ownership Opportunities, risks and..Fears Your personal and professional...context Pre- Conditions Talent Desire to Lead Tolerance for Change Outcomes Impact Renewal Joy Breakthrough Model How Remarkable Women Lead Joanna Barsh, Susie Cranston, Geoffrey Lewis, McKinsey and Co

1. Meaning is the motivation in your life, profound belief in what you are doing, feeds commitment and gives you the courage no matter what the odds. 2. Know who they are, what they value and they make decisions accordingly 3. They know their core strengths and they turn them into capabilities. Meaning Happiness Core Strengths Purpose A defining trait among leaders

1. Positive Framing gives you a strength and clarity to keep moving ahead no matter what obstacles. 2. Optimism correlates with success 3. Women who have positive frames also have flexible mindsets, they believe they can control their futures and that they can influence the outcome 4. Pessimists will always assume the worst and take it personally, Optimists look for solutions and laugh Framing Self-awareness Learned Optimism Moving on Adaptability Male or Female, all leaders must be optimists

1. In a team or group the person who is first to report the findings will get most of the credit for the ideas. 2. The one who eats lunch with the boss may be doing more to get ahead than the one who sits in the office working! 3. Do you work on high profile projects that may make you visible to people in power. 4. Does anyone know you do a brilliant job... Connecting Inclusiveness Reciprocity Network Design Sponsorship Influence flows along the lines of Affiliation and contact!

Male BehaviourFemale BehaviourCritical Question Men will eat lunch with the highest ranking individual they can find. Women tend to eat lunch with their friends How are you increasing your visibility? LADIES WHO LUNCH..... CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS..!

GET YOURSELF A MENTOR..... PAY ATTENTION TO THE DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IT IS DANGEROUS TO COPY MALE TACTICS IN THE WORKPLACE, OBSERVE THEM BUT UNDERSTAND THE RULES FOR WOMEN DIFFER AND UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT IS VITAL. THIS IS PRECISELY WHY A MALE ROLE MODEL MAY NOT WORK IN A MENTORING ROLE FOR AN ASPIRING FEMALE LEADER.

1. Leading ladies have clarity and confidence in their own capabilities which mitigates risk. 2. The ability to intellectually assassinate is comforting when in difficult conversations. 3. Stand up, Speak up. Leading Ladies have presence. 4. Leading ladies have courage 5. They are good at listening as well as talking Engaging Voice Ownership Opportunities, risks and fears Formidable Females have Verbal Charisma

Female BehaviourInterpretation.Critical Question Saying sorry when you are not. You are putting yourself down, You are taking the blame, You are trying to restore balance to a conversation Funeral is ok Do men ever say to you to stop apologising or your always apologising. BEHAVIOURAL RITUALS Important if.... You apologise a lot and if others don’t. You are the only female in a meeting You will create an impression of low confidence You weaken your power Research even shows you may even reduce your chances of promotion!

“We judge others not only on how they speak, but also by how they are spoken to” We must manage how we are perceived...

1. Know what makes you Stop and Go 2. Physical: How much energy do you have right now? 3. Cognitive: How easy is it for you to stay focused? 4. Psychological: What sparks anxiety? What makes you want to dance? 5. Social: Who drains you? Who lifts you? Energising Sources and Uses Recovery Flow To keep the lamp burning you must put oil in it. Mother Theresa

A woman's presence on a company board might make meetings "prettier and more colorful" (this comment sent his personal stock plummeting) Deutsche Bank boss Josef Ackermann "The financial crisis may have turned out differently if there had been more Lehman sisters instead of brothers," EU Justice Commissioner Reding. The Women on Boards debate will continue....

"In these difficult economic times, the case for getting more women on company boards has never been stronger. We need to use all human capital available to restore Europe's competitiveness at a global level. We cannot afford to leave out 50% of our population.“ Women on boards Report Feb 2011, Lord Davies of Abersoch, CBE final thoughts.... The Reality....

Women almost never make one decision to leave the workforce. It doesn't happen that way. They make small little decisions along the way that eventually lead them there. Maybe it's the last year of med school when they say, I'll take a slightly less interesting specialty because I'm going to want more balance one day. Maybe it's the fifth year in a law firm when they say, I'm not even sure I should go for partner, because I know I'm going to want kids eventually. These women don't even have relationships, and already they're finding balance, balance for responsibilities they don't yet have. And from that moment, they start quietly leaning back... So, my heartfelt message to all of you is, and start thinking about this now, Do not leave before you leave. Do not lean back; lean in. Put your foot on that gas pedal and keep it there until the day you have to make a decision, and then make a decision. That's the only way, when that day comes, you'll even have a decision to make. Sheryl Sandberg

“Every woman in public Life needs to develop skin as tough as rhinoceros hide” Eleanor Roosevelt

70 or should that be 7 years to achieve gender-balanced boardrooms in the UK’s largest 100 companies? 70 or should that be 7 %— say they don’t have a strategy for developing women leaders? Be careful what you accept