Women in Leadership Meaning, Importance, Characteristics, Benefits, Barriers and India Inc's most powerful women leaders.

1. WOMEN LEADERSHIP
By
Dr. H.S. ABZAL BASHA, M.B.A., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Management Studies,
G. Pullaiah College of Engineering & Technology,
Kurnool.

2. Introduction
 Women are gradually making their leadership presence
felt in entrepreneurship, administration, education,
engineering, health, etc. at regional, national, and global
levels. Women are now resolved to break the traditional
glass ceiling that barred them from entering leadership
positions even if they possessed requisite skills and
talent to occupy them.
 Women are constantly evolving and reaching new
milestones across a wide spectrum of human activities in
modern times. The world has witnessed the advent of
women leaders such as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Indra
Nooyi, Oprah Winfrey, Theresa May, Christine Lagarde,
to name a few.

3. Women in Leadership ─ Importance
 Any institution, whether it is society or organization, in the present century
cannot function effectively without women’s equal participation in leadership
activities. Women create a perspective that brings to competition and
collaboration to organizations and teams.
 In today’s world, organizations that are led by inclusive leadership teams
make effective decisions that deliver better result. In the twenty-first century,
the essential qualities required to lead include the ability to collaborate,
connect, empathize and communicate. All these qualities are feminine in
nature and can help build a more sustainable future.
 Many statistics show that companies led by women have better financial
results. Leadership by women is vital to increase the pace of societal
transformation at home and in the workplace. Women leaders are likely to
provide an integrated view of work and family, resulting in an engaged and
promising personal and professional future.
 Gender parity in leadership is important because true progress cannot
happen without a diversity of perspective in leadership roles.

4. The Power Of Women Leaders
Women are powerful agents
of change, and the far-
reaching benefits of diversity
and gender parity in
leadership and decision-
making are increasingly
recognized in all spheres.
Still, women continue to be
vastly under-represented in
decision-making in politics,
businesses and communities.

5. Characteristics of Women Leadership
In this section, we have highlighted some of the common
characteristic features of women leaders:
1.Transformational Leadership Style
2.Task-Focused
3.Prefer to Work in Collegial Atmosphere
4.Promote Cooperation and Collaboration
5.Communication Style
6.Self-Branding

6. Women in Leadership - Benefits
 A study carried out by Pew Research Center on women and
leadership suggests that there is little difference between men
and women in key leadership traits such as the ability to
innovate and intelligence, while many observe that they are
even better than men when it comes to being compassionate
and organized.
 Benefits of women leadership in different sectors are
I. Women Unify Diverse Groups
II. Women Improve Interpersonal Relationships
III.Women Value Accountability
IV.Women Embrace Collaboration

7. Women in Leadership - Barriers
The Glass Ceiling
Professional Competency
Gender Disparity
i. Discriminating Social Structure
ii. Low Representation in Leadership Positions
iii.Political Apathy
 Maintaining Work-Life Balance

8. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
REPORT 2012
1. The Quota that is being implemented by the European Union
expects an increase of the number of women in the senior
management roles.
2. However, Grant Thornton, one of the world’s leading
organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory,
provides a report that shows that there was no progress since
2004:
Percentage of Women in management positions globally:
2004 - 19% 2007 - 24%
2009 - 24% 2011 - 20%
2012 - 21% 2020 - 39% (19% India)

9. Amazing CEO Statistics
 29% of senior management is female.
 33 Fortune 500 companies are led by female CEOs.
 31% of senior roles are held by women in the U.S.
 12.5% of American women are employed as Chief Financial
Officers in Fortune 500 Companies.
 Female CEOs are more likely to be fired than male CEOs.
 Denise Coates, CEO of Bet365, earned $277 Million in 2019.
 Male vs female CEO statistics show a big gap in individual
salaries paid.

10. A 2020 analysis by Mercer of over 1,100 organizations
across the world found a leaky pipeline for women in
leadership:
• Executives: 23%
• Senior managers: 29%
• Managers: 37%
• Professionals: 42%
• Support staff: 47%

11. Women in Business

12. Womens Path From Classroom to
Boardroom

13. Change the World
Some of the most powerful women
leaders of today and in history:

14. INDIRA GANDHI
INDIA'S PRIMEMINISTER FROM 1966 - 1977 AND 1980 - 1984

15. QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
QUEEN OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH FOR 56 YEARS

18. India Inc's most powerful women leaders
Chanda Kochhar, ICICI Bank.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, BIOCON.
Naina Lal Kidwai, HSBC.
Preetha Reddy, Apollo Hospitals.
Renu Sud Karnad, HDFC.
Shikha Sharma, AXIS Bank.
Mallika Srinivasan, TAFE.
Vinita Bali, Britannia.
Shobhana Bhartia, Hindustan
Times Group

20. https://www.tutorialspoint.com/women_in_leadership/index.htm