Women in Leadership Conference - Write up by Professor Ruth Ashford

Chair: Professor Sharon Mavin, Professor of Leadership and Organisation Studies, former Director of Newcastle University Business School, former Dean of Roehampton Business School, University of Roehampton, London and former Dean and Associate Dean Research at Newcastle Business School.

Introduction

This was our third Institute of Professional Development conference, held in Manchester and we are committed to driving and delivering inspirational and empowering diversity, equity, and inclusion events. The latest FTSE Women Leaders report published in February 2024 confirmed that gender balance in leadership roles is in sight. However, more must be done to achieve greater gender diversity. Gender equality is essential for fostering diversity, driving innovation, and achieving better business outcomes while upholding ethical standards and meeting legal requirements, hence our Women in Leadership Conference was designed to discuss these issues and there were over 130 delegates in attendance.

Conference Key Themes

Chair of Conference, Professor Sharon Mavin, proposed four main provocations in her welcome speech as follows:

• Patriarchy and Retrenchment: ‘the wicked problem’; social systems; distribution of power

• Meritocracy: the holding power of rewarding for merit, which often is based on (male) gender, privilege, and an uneven playing field.

•    Criticality of men for challenging and changing gender diversity – male allyship in the workplace: need to defrost the frozen middle within the organisation. 

• Inclusion and belonging: needing to ensure that this is at a strategic not just operational level within organisations.

Conference Sessions:

Session 1 - Empowering Women and Equality

• Keynote: Empowering Women in Leadership: Ann Francke, OBE, CEO - Chartered Management Institute 

• The Business Case for Gender Equality in the Workplace: Professor Ilaria Boncori, Professor in Organisation Behaviour and Human Resources Management, Dean Postgraduate Research Development and Engagement, University of Essex

• The Supernova Effect: Unleash your brilliance for impactful Leadership: Nova Lorraine, Founder of House of Nova & Raine Magazine

Session 1: Key learning points for Empowering Women and Equality

• There is a strong business case for gender balance in leadership: better business results; better ability to attract talent; drives innovation; brings organisations closer to customer
• The ‘broken rung’ hinders balance; for every 100 men who receive their first management promotion only 81 women were promoted or 54 if from ethnic background.
• Gender balance pitfalls: motherhood penalty; backlash to EDI initiatives; the confidence gap; lack of networking and sponsorship.
• Successful rebalancing approaches: 50/50 promotions policy; targets tracked to performance; training managers on inclusive behaviours and engagement; addressing bad behaviour; being a storyteller and role model.
• ‘Walking the Walk?’ CMI paper – September 2024 https://www.managers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Walking-The-Walk-Report.pdf
• 5 Steps for action: keep an achievement log to benchmark pay (gap); negotiate a promotion/rise; know if the gender pay gap of your organisation and choose to challenge closing it; find a sponsor/ be a sponsor; train yourself and your team in management skills
• The support for women in relation to early pregnancy endings is challenging in most workplaces.
• Organisations should adhere to DHSS independent report ‘Pregnancy Loss Review’ to review and update their HR policies and practices. Pregnancy Loss Review - GOV.UK
• Outstanding research on supporting early pregnancy endings in the workplace: https://www.essex.ac.uk/research-projects/supporting-early-pregnancy-endings-in-the-workplace
• Workplace improvement actions: more compassionate organisational culture; demand for an inclusive and compassionate workplace environment; follow-up support for after pregnancy endings policy; providing confidential help or counselling; importance of ongoing support beyond immediate post-event periods.
• Ways to ignite your supernova and improve your confidence: own your own talents; keep track of your ideas; don’t be reality’s fool; acknowledge your brilliance; admit that you are creative; understand creative entrepreneurship.
• Women need to consider their supernova clarity by: considering what you spend your time doing; understanding what are you known for; acknowledging what do you enjoy researching.
• Mindfulness matters using the 5 grounding techniques: identify 5 things you can see; 4 things you can touch; 3 things you can hear; 2 things you can smell; 1 thing you can taste.

Session 2: Strategic Approaches to DE+I: Male Allyship and Breaking Down Barriers

• Strategic Approaches to DE+I and the power of male allyship: Deborah Barnwell, Vice President DEI Partner, Barclays Bank and Mike Binning, Relationship Director, Barclays Bank

• Advancing Gender Equality in the workplace through leadership skills and mentoring: Dr Iris Palmer, Founder, Iris Leadership Insights

• Breaking down barriers in the workplace for women of colour: Tash Koster-Thomas, Founder of KT Consulting 

• Panel: Creating Pathways for Greater Representation of Women from Minority-Ethnic Backgrounds in Senor Leadership Roles: Prof Sharon Mavin, Tash Koster-Thomas, Dr Shobana Partington, Nova Lorraine, Deborah Barnwell.

Session 2: Key learning points for Strategic Approaches for DEI and Breaking Barriers

• Barclay’s approach to DEI: workforce diversity; inclusive and equitable culture; leadership accountability; data transparency.
• Barclay’s run a range of Employee resource groups designed to strategically support approaches to DEI and break barriers:
  • Gender (Win, the Gender resource group and male allies);
  • Multicultural (Asian professional resource group; Military resource group; black professionals resource group; Latin professionals resource group; multicultural and faith resource group);
  • Multigenerational (Emerge, the emerging talent resource group; Evolve, the midlife progressional resource group; Working families resource group)
  • LGBT+ (Spectrum, the BGBT+ resource Group)
  • Disability (Reach, the Disability, mental health and neurodiversity resource group)
  • Socio-economic (Inspire, the Social mobility resource group)
• Importance of the male ally: because of privilege, culture; performance
• Need to promote active male allyship in the workplace: educate males; embed and improve culture; support women in their careers; recruit others and support each other.
• Practical strategies for developing effective allyship in organisations: training; safety; data use; incentivise; mentor; celebrate
• Iris Leadership Insights offered data and practical support for women’s leadership
• Need to understand the barriers: invisible workload; getting a foot in the door; progression; mental health; face not fitting; self-employment
• Women of colour experience more barriers and racism: mispronunciation of name; ‘banter’ relate to religion, culture or ethnicity; surprise at ability to speak English fluently
• 35% of women of colour change how they present themselves to be seen as an acceptable leader.
• 75% of women of colour report that they experience racism in the workplace and this has had an impact on their well-being, confidence at work, job satisfaction and ability or desire to stay in their role
• Broken Ladders: The myth of meritocracy for women of colour in the workplace (see Broken Ladders report)
• The cost of inaction is high: lost innovation; talent drain; missed leadership; damaged reputation
• Organisations need to: value visibility and elevate the ideas and contributions of women of colour; redefine leadership; shift to sponsorship as advocacy matters more than advice. Sponsorship opens doors, ensuring women of colour have access to opportunities.

Session 3: Rethinking Women’s Leadership

• Rethinking Women’s Leadership: Navigating Patriarchy with Authenticity: Vanessa Pozzali, Psychologist and Co-Founder - Synthosys and Dr Tarek Jomaa, Co-Founder – Synthosys

• Navigating a Male-Dominated Industry: Victoria Grayson, Executive Director Cadent CMO’s - North West & East Mids at Network Plus

• Prioritising Leadership Development: Dr Victoria Smith-Collins, Managing Director of Smith-Collins International and coach.

• Panel: Patriarchy, Feeling like an Imposter: Prof Sharon Mavin, Dr Victoria Smith-Collins, Vanessa Pozzali and Dr Tarek Jomaa.  

Session 3: Key learning points: Rethinking Women’s Leadership

• The gap in leadership positions held by women is still a concern: 58% of women in workforce but only 35% in Senior Leadership ( Deloitte Women @ Work 2024: A Global Outlook).
• Overboading: Many women serve on multiple boards
• Gender salary gap is still prevalent
• Issues to consider: 50% of partnered women take primary childcare responsibility
• Increased stress: 50% of women report higher stress than a year ago
• Health challenges; 27% women face issues related to menstruation, menopause or fertility
• Adult care: 60% of caregiving women assume primary responsibility, up from 44% in 2023
• Female leaders are not benefitting women as expected because of ineffective superficial efforts such as tokenism and surface level changes
• Need to understand the issues: Queen Bee Effect
  • personal level: implicit bias; self-fulfilling prophecy; self-limiting beliefs
  • group level: role incongruity; peer women judgement; stereotype threat
  • systems: motherhood; assumptions; navigating the patriarchy
• RECAP: Reality; Outcome; Gap; Understanding; Effectiveness
• Storytelling is powerful: women in leadership in construction/utilities where examples are particularly interesting.
• 70% of organisations do not invest in management and leadership development so more training is required
• INPD Women in Leadership training programme was discussed as resource available for organisations
• Key Drivers: current situation; unpack situation; building strategy for success
• Need a relentless focus on genuine inclusion is central to a better economic and social future. New type of plan is required
• Need to consider the Dunning-Kruger Effect (cognitive bias: perceived ability vs actual ability or imposter syndrome)
• Authentic/Values based leadership: The ‘say’ – ‘do’ gap : authenticity is when you say and do the things you actually believe
• Consider psychological safety: comfort zone ; learning zone; apathy zone; anxiety zone 2/2 matrix (see The Fearless Organisation by Amy Edmondson (2018)
• Need to consider the wheel of power/privilege
• CMI Key Pledges: Embrace flexible working; Put together a plan and track your progress; ask yourself challenging questions; be a story-teller and role model; recognise the central role of all manager not just EDI specialists.

Conference Summary

There were also excellent opportunities for more lively discussion and debate at the three panel sessions, where delegates engaged with the speakers.

The conferenced allowed delegates to:

• examine the barriers currently facing women leaders as well as the challenges to future leaders, and learn how to overcome them
• gain a deeper understanding of the skills, qualities and attributes needed to be a successful leader of gender diversity
• hear the lived experiences and successes of senior women and from the men allies leading on gender diversity
• actively inspire and initiate change and practical action
• develop and strengthen professional networks and connections

In conclusion, the conference offered practical advice, inspiration, and insight into driving change within organisations. It afforded powerful opportunities to network and empower leaders and advocates to actively champion the development and progression of women from diverse backgrounds.

R Ashford (November 2024)