Developing Women Leaders: A Guide for Men and Women in Organizations

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part I: Historical and Current Contexts for Women’s Leadership

1. Introduction

How This Book Is Organized

How to Use This Book Most Effectively

Your Role in Developing Women’s Leadership

2. Why Women’s Leadership Today Invites Questions and Requires Answers

Recent History

Key Historical Events from the 1920s to the 1960s

Present Realities

Metaphors through Time: From Concrete Wall to Glass Ceiling to Labyrinth

Driving Forces Behind Organizational Change

More Women in the Workforce than Ever Before

Women’s Educational Attainment

Women as Corporate Officers: The Current Situation

Women Leaders Are a Driving Force for Powering Business

Generations in the Workforce

Work–life Integration – Shared by Both Genders

Summary

3. What Women and Men Need To Know About Leadership and Its Development
What Does Leadership Research Reveal About the Behavior of Effective Leaders?

 Leadership Competencies

Why Use Leadership Competencies?

Personality Traits Associated with Leadership

Ethics

Leadership Styles

Transformational and Transactional Leadership

 Women as Transformational Leaders

What Are Some Effective Leadership Development Practices?

Challenging Job Assignments

Coaching

Mentoring

Leadership Development Programs

Summary

Part II: Practical Suggestions for Organizations, Managers, and Women

4. CEOs and Human Resource Executives Can Develop Talented Women

Diversity and Inclusion and the Creation of Wealth

What CEOs and HR Executives Can Do

Fairness Issues

Leadership Development

Career Design

Summary

5. What Managers Can Do To Develop Talented Women

Social-Relational Contexts at Work

Best Practices in Talent Management

Stereotypical Perceptions

Gender Stereotypes

Stereotypes about Men and Women

Why Is It Critical for Managers to Understand Gender Stereotypes?

What the Research Tells Us

The Double Bind for Women

The Double Standard

Women’s Competence Questioned

Resistance to Women’s Leadership

Both Men and Women Internalize Gender Stereotypes

What Can Managers Do?

Ensuring Fair Performance Evaluations

Women’s Networks

Mentoring

Coaching

Dual-Gender Actions

Become More Aware of How Gender Biases Influence Your Decisions

Help Female Managers Develop Their Networks

Endorse the Authority of Female Leaders

Send Talented Women to Both Internal and External Training Programs

Give Women Challenging Job Assignments with Sufficient Support

Steer Clear of the Glass Cliff

Balance the Numbers of Men and Women on Teams

Actions by Men

Ask Questions to Understand the Perspective of Women

Overcome the Reluctance to Provide Women with Feedback About Their

Performance

Champion Women’s Leadership Development

Actions by Women

Share Experiences with Other Women

Recognize the Wide Range of Diversity among Women

Provide Realistic Feedback

Summary

6. What Women Can Do To Develop Themselves

The Importance of Seeking Feedback

The Importance of Reflection

What Can Women Do?

Join a Women’s Network

Ask For What You Want

Enhance Your Influence by Combining Competence with Warmth

Seek High Visibility and Line Assignments

Find Mentors

Seek External Stretch Assignments

Ask for an Executive Coach

Attend Both Internal and External Development Programs

Summary

Part III: Present and Future Leadership

7. In the Words of Some of Today’s Leaders

8. What Does the Future Hold?

Changes at the Individual, Organizational and Societal Levels

Change at the Individual Level

Change at the Organizational Level

Change at the Societal Level

Questions for Practitioners and Researchers

What Makes the Present Different from the Past?

Notes

References and Further Readings

Index