Commentators have suddenly become fascinated by the relative successes of female political leaders against their male counterparts.
The facts are extraordinary. Inevitably, there are sceptics who argue that countries with women leaders are more likely to be in more established, trusted regimes but the statistics point to something much more profound.
The most likely explanation for the dramatic reduction in casualties in countries with a female leader appears to be very straightforward.
Effective leadership.
In every case, from Taiwan to Finland, Norway to Germany and New Zealand to Denmark, the similarities are clear. Tough on decisions, kind on people. The authentic, caring, personal delivery is what has resonated and created the trust needed to succeed in this new environment. More so than in any previous conflict, this current challenge requires decisiveness, togetherness and kindness.
Parallels can be drawn with the modern era in business. The characteristics of today’s successful leaders include openness, authenticity and collaboration – all traits that women excel in. That’s not to say that men don’t, by the way, or that all women do. Thankfully, most male leaders don’t resemble Trump but many of the qualities that create successful conditions are ‘feminine’ behaviours that not all men are comfortable with. How many male political leaders would be happy to address their nation’s children?
Five years ago, I wrote about this subject in Campaign, snappily titled ‘Business should focus on feminine values, not quotas’. It described the conditions needed to create a healthy business, where senior female (and male) talent could thrive. When I wrote this, there were only seven female FTSE 100 CEOs. Today there are just six.
Conker launched in January 2019 as an Executive Search company with a unique understanding of the importance of diversity and modern leadership skills. We have challenged businesses to value EQ as highly as IQ and it’s helped to transform their fortunes.
No-one knows when or how this situation will resolve and most people we speak to are struggling to comprehend what business might look like in the months and years ahead. Some things will undoubtedly snap straight back to the way they were but we believe the organisations who will emerge the fastest and strongest will be those led by strong individuals who are tough on decisions and kind on people.
