Across the world, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles in our governments, employers and in the community. In recent years, there have definitely been more conversations about the reasons for this, but I remain concerned that these conversations are not translating into changing statistics.
I have been involved in my fair share of (sometimes heated) debates about ‘merit’, ‘ambition’, ‘children’ and ‘experience’, which are often touted as the reasons why there aren’t more women in the top jobs.
We need to have a conversation about the playing field. All of the above excuses for women’s underrepresentation in leadership roles are underpinned by an assumption that we all start from a level playing field. This simply isn’t true.
Australia being a ‘meritocracy’ is part of our national identity – work hard and you will get ahead, do your time and you will be rewarded, excel and you will be noticed – are all commonly held views. Accepting that there are shades of grey when we are talking about merit can be very difficult. I like to think about merit as an equation: Merit = Performance + Potential. Even if I accepted that one can fairly assess performance based on experience, time in the role etc., as soon as we bring in potential – we start talking about a subjectivity. The candidates that I think have the most potential, are going to be entirely different to the candidates that a 55 year old man will identify. Therefore, when promotion boards discuss candidates, their biases play out when they make decisions about who is most ‘meritorious’. Understanding those biases, calling them out and taking steps to address them is critical to improving women’s access to leadership opportunities.
For those of you who believe that women are ‘less ambitious’ than men, I would beg to differ. My organisation and many others are inundated with requests for leadership training and information about leadership opportunities. What is clear to me is that ambition is not a characteristic of women that is rewarded in the workplace. If a man is ambitious, he is described as decisive and a leader; if a woman is ambitious, she is ‘very forthright’ or ‘getting ahead of herself’. As a result, some women attempt to hide their ambition, believing that if they just work hard, they will get rewarded. Understanding these societal perceptions of leadership traits is critical to leveling the playing field.
‘Having children’ is frequently used as a reason why women aren’t in the top jobs. I am always tempted to raise the obvious point, which is that if it was just about children, why haven’t the women who don’t have children, filled the leadership ranks? That aside, women’s access to career advancement and opportunities will always be tempered if women continue to have responsibility for the majority of unpaid care work. If you already have an unpaid full-time role, it is harder to go for promotion and rise through the ranks. Sharing of unpaid care work will be critical for leadership equality.
Gaining ‘experience’ is often used as an excuse. I am told ‘it is a matter of time Julie, once women gain experience they will reach the top jobs’. It simply doesn’t stack up. In professions like law, where women make up the majority of graduates and have done so for more than 15 years, the numbers reaching partnership or being made judges are not changing significantly. Realistically, getting access to the ‘right’ experience seems to be one of the sticking points. Women are less likely to have the opportunities to build their network or undertake formal training. Discussions being had on the golf course or over a few beers (where women may feel less welcome) are still regular occurrences.
In addition to being aware of the ‘myths’ around women’s access to leadership, I also think that we all have a responsibility to sponsor women to take the next step in their careers. Actively promoting opportunities to gain an edge is part of this.
The University of Sydney Business School and UN Women NC Australia have joined forces to support the next generation of female leaders in Australia. From Semester 2, 2014, the Business School will fund a full MBA scholarship for a woman seeking to take the next step in her career. Interested applicants should visit here, noting that they will need to apply for both the MBA program and the scholarship.