Gender and Leadership

Name: Gender and Leadership
Author: Florence Hardy

These lessons explore how women’s roles in leadership positions have evolved up to the present day. They discuss the importance of weighing perception versus…

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Women's roles in the workplace have changed dramatically in the last few decades. And considering the fast, evolving roles of women in leadership positions, it's important to look at perception versus reality, including expectations for men and women, gender bias, entrenched attitudes, and overall capabilities. Historically, men have dominated executive leadership. This has been field by antiquated, societal views that men are better suited for executive positions and more capable than women, with the result being fewer leadership opportunities for women. But the view from the top is changing rapidly. According to 2018 research by the Center for American Progress or CAP, women now make up 57% of the total U.S. job market, and 52% of all management roles and professional occupations, including physicians and attorneys. They represent 57% of all bachelor's degrees earned at U.S. universities, 60% of all master's degrees, 49% of all law degrees, and 48% of all medical degrees. Driven by these numbers in the increased recognition of and demand for top professional skills, regardless of gender, opportunities for women in leadership have increased dramatically. For example, in the once male-centric, financial industry, women now make up 20% of executive committee members within financial services firms. Consider Jane Fraser who began her career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in the late 1980s. And later became a partner at top consultancy, McKinsey & Company, before moving on to Citigroup, where she worked her way up to become chief executive officer in March of 2021. At the time she started her career, there were few, if any, women CEOs at any major companies, let alone a global financial firm. Just two months later, Sally Busby was named the first ever top editor at The Washington Post in May, 2021. As of the first quarter of 2021, 41 women headed fortune 500 companies according to Fortune Magazine. Well, that's still just 8.2%. The trendline is moving in the right direction, up from 33 in 2019 and 24 in 2018. While there's more to be done, women are making significant progress in gaining leadership roles, including in the C-suite. Perhaps more importantly, the pace of that progress is accelerating. As Fortune reports, just 20 years ago, only two of its top 500 companies were led by women.

Advanced Provider : Florence Hardy 3 Lessons · 7m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

These lessons explore how women’s roles in leadership positions have evolved up to the present day. They discuss the importance of weighing perception versus reality when considering women’s leadership capabilities and opportunities. They also cover the contrasting expectations for male leaders and female leaders in the light of gender bias and entrenched attitudes. Finally, they discuss how these established expectations, biases, and attitudes adversely affect women’s advancement to leadership.

What You'll Learn

Understand how women's leadership roles have evolved up to the present day
Distinguish between capabilities and opportunities in a leadership context
Navigate institutional and individual mindsets that affect women's advancement
Examine leadership in the 21st-century workplace
Recognize gender bias and the contrasting expectations placed on male and female leaders

Key Takeaways

Women's roles in leadership positions have evolved up to the present day.
Weighing perception versus reality is important when considering women's leadership capabilities and opportunities.
Male leaders and female leaders face contrasting expectations shaped by gender bias and entrenched attitudes.
Established expectations, biases, and attitudes adversely affect women's advancement to leadership.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this course cover?

It explores how women's roles in leadership positions have evolved, the importance of weighing perception versus reality regarding women's leadership capabilities and opportunities, the contrasting expectations for male and female leaders in light of gender bias and entrenched attitudes, and how these expectations, biases, and attitudes adversely affect women's advancement to leadership.

What lessons are included in this course?

The course includes three lessons: Leadership in the 21st-century Workplace; Capabilities vs. Opportunities in Leadership; and Gender Bias and Perceptions.

What will I be able to do after completing this course?

You will understand how women's leadership roles have evolved, know how to distinguish capabilities and opportunities in a leadership context, and learn how to navigate institutional and individual mindsets.