Women in charge (NZ workforce census 2010)

Every two years the Human Rights Commission carries out a voluntary survey of the top companies and executives and governance bodies across New Zealand. There were a number of interesting points to arise out of the data. Here are a few items that I found interesting -

• Thirteen companies out of 100 have two or more board members who are women. 
• Only 43 of the top 100 companies have any female directors.
• Two women hold the top jobs as chief executives among the top 100 NZSX companies.

Unfortunately the numbers don't lie. The statistics speak for themselves.

 

So what does this say about women and governance/leadership?

 

Male dominated areas of governance in New Zealand continue unabated.

Review: How I did it... Anne Mulcahy

Anne Mulcahy is a person whom I had never heard of before until earlier this year.  Since then I have been excited, encouraged and enthused by her and what she has achieved in the world of business.  Being the CEO of Xerox is no easy task and one that has plenty of opportunities as well as pitfalls.

In the October 2010 edition of the Harvard Business Review Anne outlines in an article the whys and how’s of both succession planning and handover.  The story and the article are very honest and very little is hidden.  There are quite a few lessons and stories shared that have a lot of wisdom about them.

I enjoyed the honesty of the situation and the way the entire process was handled.  Another interesting part to this story is the fact that not only was one woman in charge of Xerox but she handed over the controls to another woman.  The fact that both Anne and her successor were able to garner the confidence and support of the board and directors is phenomenal.

If you were to only read one article or story about business this year - this would be the one that I recommend.

 

Making real change happen

Here is a quick overview of three areas that I think are the cornerstones of a healthy and sustainable community.  Here they are -

1. Female empowerment.  There can never be enough females empowered to make decisions for themselves.  This is especially true in countries where there is repression and lack of opportunities for advancement.  Respect rules.
2. Education.  There is no substitute or ceiling that can be enforced when a person is educated.  Education sets the mind free to explore the possibilities of life and self achievement. 
3. Micro finance.  Lending $25US to a person who lives in a country where the average GDP is less than $1,000US per year doesn't make much difference to my bank account but it can make a radical change in someone else's life.

This leads me to the question - what are your key drivers in life?  What are the three big ideals that drive you forward and excite you.  What is it in life that makes you feel that you are making a contribution and are fulfilling your life's mission?

Check out this website - http://www.worlded.org/WEIInternet/gwe/index.cfm which tells you more.

The Female Vision

It is my opinion that in business the ladies do not get as much credit as they deserve.  I know many women who are strong and courageous yet never seem to reach the same heights as the gents.  Well not nearly as quickly anyway.

Today I was notified that a manifesto entitled "The Female Vision: Defining Womens Strategic Strengths" published on the changethis.com website.  Written by Sally Helgesen & Julie Johnson the manifesto assess the strengths that ladies bring and acknowledges the differences that these strengths bring and how they need to be embraced within the modern organisation.

So here are a few of my observations about ladies in organisations 0

1.  In my experience women tend to be a bit more hesitant than the men to make a decision.  Is this a bad thing?  Absolutely not.  The problem is that because business is dominated by men who want quick actions, responses and answers - there is little time to contemplate or to be viewed as being hesitant.

2.  Also in my experience ladies tend to not work to talk about or impress others with their skills and results.  I think women assume someone is going to notice their good work and reward them accordingly.  I think there is still a great deal of sexism that needs to be overcome on this point.  Men (generally) notice other men's work before they notice the results being produced by a lady.

3.  Women require closer social links and relationships than men.  The higher one gets in an organisation the less and less opportunities there are to relate to and interact with other females at the same level.  There is an old adage that "It's lonely at the top".  This is true for men and even more true for women.  In my view I think ladies find being at the top an incredibly place to be at without having the emotional support and interaction with others.

The CE f my organisation recognises that ladies bring different skills and attributes to the job.  And we have almost a 50/50 split at the very top level.  If only other organisations could work in the same way...

(Images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/saad/2203516616/)

Women - Unsung Heroines

"Where knowledge is shared, when confidence is confided, then empowerment equals possibilities."

The ladies in this preview video have real lives with real stories.  The reason I hve shared the video is to challenge you to reconsider your place in the world.  What potential lies locked up within you - that is dormant or bursting to get out?  And what will you do with it?

For more info on the video see here - http://www.abantuvisions.com/category/projects/unsung-heroines/

CEO Interview - Laura Alber

Here is an excellent example of what anyone (male or female) can accomplish if they put their mind to it.

In this video Laura Alber reflects on her career and shares her thoughts on how to succeed in business.  There's also a whole lot of thoughts on how to be the boss and retain your own style and personality.

Try this video and see what you think -



Awesome!  The world needs more women at the helm.