At my school, men make up less than 30% of the faculty. This includes the CEO, CFO, COO, Principal, assistant principal and 3 out of 4 grade level chairs (who have significant authority at my school) who are all female. This creates a model of shared responsibility and leading with the whole person in mind. I'm not saying men don't do these things Im just saying women have an innate ability to nurture and consider the needs of other women and families when making decisions. The issue is that problems become emotional, personal and blown out of proportion. Women develop relationships, talk and bond in ways that sometimes make doing business a challenge. I think there are a lot of feelings involved unnecessarily. I guess I'm looking for a way to curb the emotions and think rationally when my team doesn't always get it done without coming off as inconsiderate. I mean I am a woman and I understand the need to take care of family while maintaining a stressful career but how and where do I draw the lines?
Patrice-This is an amazing post about such an important and REAL topic that isn't often discussed. As a researcher, I hesitate to share anecdotal evidence, but I will today :) Unquestionably, the best leader I worked for was a woman. However, her approach wasn't well received well by some, and I would argue that was because she was a woman. Her assertiveness and confidence was offensive to some people. I may get in trouble with my next statement, but I think you can also see this in this presidential campaign. The female candidate is often described in many negative ways because of how she presents herself or comes across with her responses to difficult questions. I've heard both democrats and republicans make these comments in respect to her personality that have nothing to do with her policy.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that you acknowledge these biases exist is important. Confronting and learning with how to navigate them may be more challenging. Although I have certainly witnessed these behaviors, I can't claim to be an expert on the topic. This may be a great topic to have with a mentor (formal or informal) who you respect.
Thank you for your openness! I alluded to the presidential campaigns but you hit the nail on the head. I never thought about seeking out a mentor on this topic but I think that would help me tremendously. I have a couple people in mind. Thanks!
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