Women in Leadership Essay Example

Women in Leadership Essay America has witnessed a remarkable wave in the womens movement that has put forward over the last two decades a bold vision of social radical change and stimulated the global community to react. The altering status of women in American society during the last two decades has been clearly apparent in family life, employment, education, politics and other spheres across the nation. Yet, there is the contention that professional women in the United States are underutilized. â€Å"Sexual static†- the anger and discomfort men feel working with women in new roles – is one of the numerous theories that explains female underutilization in the United States. Research on the underutilization of women in the United States, Britain, Japan, and the European countries suggests that many of Americas global competitors are beginning to realize the value of their professional women in economic, social and political terms (Carroll 2003, p.64).   This paper is designed to help women see the opportunity for upward mobility and success in any sphere that they are qualified to participate in. For organizations that still have not received the wakeup call, this paper may be useful.BodyThe total defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the United States Constitution in 1982 truly disappointed the feminist leaders who had created and led â€Å"womens movement† brought to public notice in the 1960s and 1970s. But this failure should not obscure the fact that the participation of women as leaders in American society has risen considerably within a period of the last two decades. The main cause of this changing position of women, which has made different both their conception of themselves and the way society views them, is their leadership and mass participation in movements that address broad humanistic/nurturing issues such as peace, environmentalism, public education, prison reform, mental health care, and nursing homes. As a result, today there are more op portunities open to women in family life, employment, education, legislation, and politics than at any period in the past. And this liberation and freedom to choose from a number of alternatives has brought with it extreme changes in the way modern Americans, both women and men, can live their lives.From what origin, then, came all of these new opportunities for women and their following rise in status? Because most of these opportunities have traditionally been the prerogative belonging to men, the process of developing the same opportunities for women has included the demand for the state of being equal, a demand expressed by the feminist leaders of what became a movement for womens rights that has undergone spiritual regeneration. It was their movement that caused a profound social change.Many researchers point out womens alleged absence from political and social involvement (Carroll 2003, pp. 36-45). Scholars are now beginning to admit that women are actively involved politica lly in ways that are seldom acknowledged or recorded as political activity or social protest for instance, by taking part through churches, clubs, and other establishments. Besides the womens public elections and liberation movements, considerable numbers of women are involved in nearly all social movements in the United States such as temperance, health reform, peace, progressivism and municipal reform, and civil rights. As a rule, oriented women described these activities as the act of extending of their nurturing and caring in the home. An interesting instance is that of the â€Å"Club Movement† of the late nineteenth century, which, as Sapiro (1994) explains, was â€Å"instrumental in establishing the early framework for public social welfare programs through their work in health, education, poverty relief, and municipal reform† (p. 246). White women leaders attempted to influence legislators pushing local and state governments to accept public position of being r esponsible for social welfare. In much the same way, the national club movement of black female leaders that emerged in the late nineteenth century created new resources and chances for various collective actions to better the lives of black communities in the United States (Griffin 1998, pp. 23-29).Women have also come into view as political protestors out of their historic ties with religious organizations and principles. Fixed and firmly held religious beliefs have stimulated and strengthened protest activities for both black and white women through American history (Giddings 1984, p. 102). Many white Victorian women who participated in social reform movements believed that God had ordered them to move into the public activity to insist upon their public voices on behalf of racial, class, and other unjust acts. In much the same way, black women in the abolitionist, antilynching, civil rights, and welfare rights movements, among others, were encouraged by their religious beliefs a nd claimed that their political roles are right as the orders of their God. Smith-Rosenberg (1986, p. 22) also removes the cover from this â€Å"lost world of female leadership† in womens religiously based activities and puts an end to the myths constructed by men of â€Å"women as passive victims without resources isolated in a world of powerful men† (1986, p. 25). Protest for many women was and is an inventive mode of opposition to what they regard as the unjust consequences of mens rules and domination.In labor struggles, mens predominance helps to explain the lower presented rate of female acts of protest. Despite the fact that working women and wives of working men have actively participated in labor activities, their large contributions have only recently been discussed.Modern feminist movements in which women are collectively and importantly involved can be classified into four major types:Type 1. In the first place, women participate as leaders in planned and c ontrolled struggles on a large scale involving many people to attack problems that directly are a threat to their economic well-being and that of their families and children. Most often, cross-nationally, these women are involved at the local and community levels around day-to-day issues such as obtaining food, financial and other assistance, jobs, housing, and other necessities participating in food rebellions, welfare statements, labor struggles, tenants rights, and similar collective movements.Type 2. Women also organize or take part in social protests that deal with nationalist or racial/ethnic issues. They participate either in movements demanding liberation or equal rights, or in countermovements demanding protection against destruction of the status quo and the threatened deprivation of rights. Historical instances are women who participated in revolutionary movements in Latin American, Asian, African, and European countries, as well as women in right-wing acts to cause to c ontinue apartheid and Pinochet- and Marcos-like social achievements. In addition, one can find women in abolition and civil movements as well as right-wing women in the Ku Klux Klan and anti-busing movements in the United States (Carroll 2003, p. 62).Type 3. Women are leaders in movements that deal with important humanistic/education issues such as support for international peace, environmentalism, public education for all, prison improvement and change, mental health care, and nursing homes. Women have motivation that their collective activities in the public â€Å"male† sphere are a realization of their nurturing responsibilities within the domestic sphere to include entirely national and global â€Å"families† (Carroll 2003, p. 84).Type 4. Probably most substantially, women are agitators regarding their own rights as women and different groups of women (domestic violence, older women, teenage mothers, child brides, and others). These women participate in movements a t both the national and international levels.From 1985 to 2000, the number of women in the legislature grew steadily. Female committee chairs tend to be found for the most part heading human services, family, and health committees. The committees also are composed in considerable proportion by other women.For example, women in Arizona and California politics made history in the 1998 elections. â€Å"Its a Womans World† in Arizona, stated the Los Angeles Times, for women had just been elected to the top five statewide offices—governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruction (Cart 1998). In California, a record number of women, ten, had been chosen to be public officials, pushing the state legislature as a whole above the national typical amount for percentage of women for the first time. Women, † a Los Angeles Times headline announced, will â€Å"play largest role ever in [the] legislature† (Pyle 1998). In 1994, women in Ohio took some of the states most efficient in action political offices speaker, attorney general, lieutenant governor, and main committee chairs. Women are also organizing coalitions and alliances to strengthen their political position.The above-described women-centered political consciousness reflects the transitional stage at which women find themselves today. Their long-term imprint on leadership practices seems has thus far been considerable because of real power.Why then organizations still do not look to women as leaders and why women are still so scarce in top management? Maybe this is the paradox of gender or maybe women lead differently than men? Many researchers made efforts to answer this question. Whicker and Jewell (1998) find that women at all levels of state legislative leadership, more than men, show a consensus style rather than a command and control style (p. 59). Carrolls   (2003, p. 105) examination of leadership styles of state legislative com mittee chairs indicates that women chairs pay more attention than men do on getting the job done and doing it in a team-oriented manner rather than relying on positional authority or raw power. Together, these authors came to conclusion that women who have leadership positions make a difference in the way legislative business is done. The discussion about womens qualities to change the legislative arena generates some dispute, however. Researcher Adair (2002) indicates that women officeholders have a greater tendency than men toward willingness to assist, communication, coalition building, and assisting the progress. Kathlene (1999) gives evidence, however, that womens full inclusion into the process or a change in the process itself may still be hindered by backlash and passivity. She indicates that the intricate interactions of gender, structure, norms, and rules suggest that should women make an effort to alter the process, it will take more than winning increasing numbers in off ice and in leadership.If at least 80 percent of top executive positions are held by men, either there are very few professional women worthy of holding such positions or women having sufficient skills and knowledge are being overlooked. It is clear that it is not the first case, since there is a large number of trained and experienced professional women in the United States. That leaves one with the second assumption: for some reason, the abilities of these women are being underutilized. Possibly the clearest assertion that women represent an underutilized economic resource was made by John Collins, former chairman and chief executive of Shell U.K. In a written statement to employees he wrote, â€Å"For too long macho management has been hailed as the only way to run things, and that has put women at a disadvantage, with their abilities measured against criteria set by men. This has been a tremendous waste of talent something that business can no longer afford† (Carroll 2003 , p. 201).Despite the new assessment of the true value of the interactive leadership style and the increasing emphasis on the significance of human resource utilization, the paradox of gender prevents modern companies from seeing the extremely large not yet used pool of women leaders that can contribute to economic competitiveness. Companies that refuse to notice the competitive advantage women represent do so at their own peril. A few companies are beginning to link the gender dispute with economic competitive ability. It is obvious that as more women become lawyers, doctors, CPAs, and principal teachers, they represent an important market for all kinds of good and services. Not any more can Cadillac and Lexus dealers think they will be making and selling their cars only to men. Notwithstanding, female sales managers are still occurring seldom in the automobile business.As female preferences become larger factors that influence consumer behavior, companies recognize that women exec utives must be given a leading role in determining how goods and services should be made and produced for sale. No longer can law and CPA companies suppose that their customers will be male or that only men will determine what company should represent their organization in court or deal with their taxes. No longer can advertising organizations think that it will be only men who will determine what ad campaign to consider good. No longer can specialists suppose that it will be only men who will decide who gets an agreement. Therefore, soon more and more organizations will accept the fact that they need the decision-making abilities of women not only as a necessary tool for succeeding in the womens market but as a way to make themselves more competitive in today’s economy.Female talent is a resource unique to America. No other nation in the world has a worthy of comparison supply of professional women waiting to be leaders. Women are â€Å"doing† leadership in two ways. First, women in general specialize in what organizational psychologist Arlie Hochschild (1995, p. 105) calls â€Å"emotional labor.† Women have a talent to manage feeling and produce a proper state of mind in other people. The modern service industry, rather than being based on physical labor, is based chiefly on emotion management. For example, services in large part are purchased and evaluated based on the feelings and sensations they evoke. Therefore, women have more opportunities than men in jobs calling for emotional labor.ConclusionToday womens activism for social and political change throughout the world is widely documented. Women as a group come jointly at a time of economic or political trouble to break down anything that prevents them from getting the fundamental needs for survival. Historically, the major problem for women, taking into account their traditional role within the family and social life, has been to find ways to provide food, shelter, and clothe to th eir families within patriarchal, racist, and classism repressions. Women shifted boundaries in all organizations. The political sphere, as feminists have redefined it, becomes increasingly gender-integrated. National political and business conditions are increasingly encouraging. Modern organizations are no longer hierarchical pyramids with most of the real regulation at the top. They are systems interrelated webs in which control is loose, power is distributed, and centers of decision are composed of more than one person. It seems clear that companies that are composed of alliances and networks would hire managers who are comfortable sharing information. It seems clear that companies operating in global context would hire managers who appreciate cultural and gender diversity. Since these are the leadership characteristics that women display, it seems clear that such companies would turn to women leaders. Women have attributes of the interactive leadership style that is in particul ar effective in flexible, nonhierarchical companies of the kind that perform best in a climate of rapid change of modern world.ReferencesAdair, John. (2002). Inspiring Leadership: Learning from Great Leaders. Thorogood: London.Arlie Hochschild, Ideals of Care: Traditional, Postmodern, Cold-Modern and Warm-Mod- ern, Social Politics (Fall 1995).Carroll, Susan J. (2003). Women and American Politics: New Questions, New Directions. Oxford University Press: Oxford.Cart, Julie. (1998). When It Comes to Arizona Officeholders, Its a Womans World. † Los Angeles Times (17 December): A-5.Giddings, Paula. (1984). When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America. New York: Morrow.Griffin, Farah Jasmine. (1998). Layin On of Hands: Organizational Efforts Among Black American Women, 1790-1930. Sage, Student Supplement.Kathlene, Lyn. (1999). â€Å"Uncovering the Political Impact of Gender: An Exploratory Study.† Western Political Quarterly 42.Pyle, Amy. (1998) . Women to Play Largest Role Ever in Legislature. † Los Angeles Times (23 November): A3, A11.Sapiro, Virginia. (1994). The Political Integration of Women: Roles, Socialization and Politics. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.Smith-Rosenberg, Carroll. (1986). Disorderly Conduct: Visions of Gender in Victorian America. New York: Oxford University Press.Whicker, Marcia, and Malcolm Jewell. (1998). â€Å"The Feminization of Leadership in State Legislatures.† In Women and Elective Office: Past, Present, and Future, ed. Sue Thomas and Clyde Wilcox. New York: Oxford University Press. Women in Leadership Essay Example Women in Leadership Essay For the longest time, women have been perceived as weak citizens who can only follow what is demanded of them. They have been called different names, oppressed beyond recognition. However, women have reached the bottom, and are now raising themselves to positions that were not initially designed for them. This is to be affirmed by the different institutions that are campaigning for women leadership today. It was discovered out through their organizational websites that women in leadership do not only refer to female leaders but also to how women leaders help other female individuals in becoming leaders as well. Introduction In the past, women were not allowed to even speak out in society. They were expected to stay at home, to bear children, and to also be ready when her husband is struck with the mood. She was expected to marry as soon as she becomes fertile. She cannot speak out beyond a respectable whisper. Her role is to stand by her husbands side through all he decisions he will make. She is a mere follower. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Leadership specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Leadership specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Women in Leadership specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Today, tables have somewhat turned. The women, through the years, were able to raise themselves from the judgmental and patriarchal society. They fought back when she thought that the men were already stepping all over their lives with selfish ideologies, and they succeeded. She surpassed the concept that women can only follow because they cannot think for themselves. She made a leader out of herself. With this in mind, this research paper aims to find how women in leadership are evident through the use of exploring different organizations with this specialization. From their respective organizational websites, their ideas and programs will be discussed, as well as their history. This is to find out the establishment of women in leadership of current times. The primary objective of this strategy is to also help alleviate the different traditional assumptions about women. With the help of the information to be discussed below, the objects and ideologies of women will also be shared. This is to give a sort of clarity to the ongoing question about the role of women in society. The institutions included in this paper are the following: (1) Institute of Womens Leadership, (2) Women in Leadership Foundation, (3) The Center of Womens Leadership at Babson College, and (4) Rutgers Institute for Womens Leadership. To further emphasize their silent campaigns, established leading women will also be discussed in this paper. All of these are for the formation of a contemporary view of women as leaders. Discussion Institute of Womens Leadership According to their website, the Institute was found 1991 by a woman named Rayona Sharpnack. Their organization is all about delivering leadership programs that will guide individuals about the necessary things to know and do for them to be at their most effective. As part of their objective is to also help in creating change that would last for a very long time. Their ideology about extraordinary leaders lies more on who these individuals are, and how well they are able to harness the wide array of resources present in their environment. Those are the points where they concentrate. As part of their training, they will examine the underlying context of their decisions related to business. This aims to help these individuals in discovering and practicing the idea that when they change the context of how they do business, they are making a breakthrough as well as a whole new exciting reality. The reason behind their choice to change and develop women as leaders lies on their belief that these kinds of changes in organizations will promote the increase of their collaboration, performance, as well as innovation in the organization. It will help the total efficiency, not just of the organization, but also in their respective communities. It will also help these individuals in a personal level. One of their programs is called Women Leading Change. They designed the program to be highly interactive with regards to leadership development. They also included the application of projects that are real-time and real-life. This means that the scenarios used in the programs are highly relevant to their respective situations. Furthermore, to maximize the objectives of the program, the members of this organization made use of coaches who are internationally recognized. The logic behind this is that these individuals have had years of experience, and they will be the best teachers in this field. The alumni community will also be involved in this three-day program. Another program by this institution is called Partners Leading Change. This program, on the other hand, is a co-educational approach. Similar to the previous program, this is also highly interactive as it involves co-ed teams. To sustain more than satisfying results, participants are put under one-on-one coaching. They do not also use hypothetical case studies. They train by always involving the realities in the business world. They are also provided with coaches who are internationally recognized in their respective fields. They will guide their participants through individual and team training for leadership. Furthermore, the participants are exposed to a broad set of alumni, as well as successful professional partners. Women in Leadership Foundation Women in Leadership (WIL) is a non-profit organization that stretches on a national scope. According to their website, they have a dedication towards the advancement of women in attaining leadership roles. They aim to accomplish this through delivering inspirational programs all over Canada. This is in light with their current and succeeding leaders. This year, they are entering their 6th year of providing programs across the major cities of the country. The primary objective, as written in their website, is to promote the women in gaining the leadership role. The second most important objective is to make profiles of the successful women, and use these as role models for their respective fields. As part of their campaign, they will also be the ones who will facilitate the development of these women in becoming leaders. Most importantly, they aim to be able to deliver programs that are innovative. They target connection, information and inspiration. Their website also mentioned that they will support the growth of these women through non-traditional activities. It is important that they are strengthened to raise their potentials in their respective careers at their highest levels. The programs by WIL are designed to expose hopeful women to other women who have been through the same endeavors. With the help of these role models, they are also able to expand a network for the next generation of members. Furthermore, with the help of these partners in the same community, as well as in the industry, they are able to develop a group that will progress through collaboration. Important aspects of the organization will also be given just attention in its development since there members who are more inclined to work because of the design of their institution. With the idea of expansion, programs by this organization are aimed to reach out to the employees of their partners as well. The Center of Womens Leadership at Babson College This organization, on the other hand, has a dedication towards the accomplishment of assisting women through the different stages of their careers. According to their website, they are also after the advantages of in raising the talents and power of women in different organization. The center is about the different executive and educational programs that are aimed to support the different professional development of women being leaders and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, through extensive research, and faculty of experts, the organization claim that they are the best institute designed to help women in their respective professional fields, as well as to help achieve their personal goals. The school made it a point that their female students undergo this center. They have been recognized as the top college for girls. In addition, their MBA program â€Å"Opportunities for Women† was also recognized by Princeton Review. Their programs welcome women and men alike. But their spotlight lies on women in business as entrepreneurs and leaders. This is also a means of changing the face of role models to expand different points of view, as well as aspirations and expectations. Furthermore, they make use of educational events as a means of reaching out to its participants. This is through including successful women, who are entrepreneurs in different companies. Some of these companies are Palm and New Century Brewing Company, as well as Reebok, Aetna, Fidelity, Dell Inc., and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The institute also has a commitment towards the women who felt the impact of the diversity of demographics and students in the campus. One of their programs, Women’s Leadership Awards, is aimed to offer financial support to selected women students for them to experience an easier enrollment. Today, the institute also has a regular program that is open to the entire campus. A number of 150 students attend panel events, and 535 at their recent annual conference for women’s leadership. From the year 2000, the Center brought more than 250 women executives and entrepreneurs, who are the best in their respective fields, into the school campus. According to their website, they took this as a means of raising the aspirations of the women who attends these programs. It is all about providing different role models closer to their reach. It is also important for the attendees to get close with these role models, to know their lives and stories, as a form of inspiration. The Center also provides the Women’s Leadership Program. This program is called to be co-curricular program as it provides the knowledge and skills in the different opportunities in developing, networking and mentoring opportunities for undergraduate and graduate female students. Their website also mentioned that the career of a woman is not always as good as many assume. Although it was found out that women take almost half of the managerial positions in the US, the problems with gender-based challenges are still high, and it hinders them from progressing further. They recognize the need to understand the different organizational and individual elements of these challenges to find solutions. Through a collaborative deliberation, they do not find the problem that difficult. This is for the empowerment of women in the different aspects in the competitive arena. Rutgers: Institute for Womens Leadership This institute under the State University of New Jersey comprises of six units. Together with its members, the center is at the Douglass College campus. They conduct research, as well as develop and sponsor programs, and other initiative for public service. They are engaged in preparing women of difference ages, races and ethnic backgrounds, for them to play constructive and active roles in the public. The institute is dedicated to examine different issues about leadership and women’s advancement in leadership. They also involve the decisions made in different arenas. This kind of interaction among the participants is a form of encouraging explorations, both scholarly and practical, of how institutions that are formed by race, gender, and ethnicity can be introduced to understanding the concept women’s leadership. According to their website, New Jersey is one of the states ever to have elected a governor who is a woman. On the other hand, despite this fact, their overall record of women electing for public office is relatively low. The state is part of the bottom ten among all the states in relation to the women in its legislature. Their program Ready to Run is an opportunity for the female potential candidates to listen to the elected officials, as well as party officials and campaign consultants on how one should be able to position themselves in the appointed offices. This does not necessarily mean the political offices, but also in their respective organizations. The program is a one-day event. It began in 1998, a joint effort with the Center for American Women and Politics. Another program by the institution is called CLASP, which is a hands-on training for female students. It is a five-week internship with the organization called New Brunswick. They attend three days a week. It also includes a weekly seminar, as well as $500 for the food and transportation expenses. Students will be able to complete 3 course credits upon completing the program. CLASP, according to their website, is a service-based learning program. It offers their female students first hand experiences in an organization local to Central New Jersey. The internship includes activities that are focused on empowering the youth, eduction on art, and prevention of domestic violence. In addition, these activities are also for the promotion of public health and literacy. The students are taught how to address the concerns of the community in regards to their social, economic and political difference. With their weekly commitments, students are given the opportunity to confront issues, like social justice, immigration and poverty. This way, they are guided to reach the idea of undergoing social change. The Women in Leadership Across Time Another website used for this research listed some of the landmarks of history. They aimed to declare to the women of today of who their foremothers are. This is a mere hint of the female rulers who made a big difference in the progress of man. They began with saying that the Egyptians Queens are believed to have begun their reign 3000 BCE. The first of these women was named Ku-baba. She ruled over the Mesopotamian City-State during the 2500 BCE. It was not after the First World War that the women became part of the revolutionary governments in Hungary, Russia, Ukraine and Ireland. Nina Bang was the first female minister elected democratically in a parliamentary government. It was a slow development. According to the website, it was not close to the end of the 20th century that these female ministers ended becoming unusual. The first female President and Prime Minister is named Sirivamo Bandaranaike. It was in 1960 at Sri Lanka where the worlds first female elected Prime Minister. In 1974, a woman of Argentina named Isabel Peron became the worlds first female president. Today, only two countries remain to not have had a female representative in the government. These countries are Monaco and Saudi Arabia. According to their site, Vatican had a female Assistant Vice-Minister. Sweden, on the other hand, became the first country to have had more female than male minister. Last year, the Finish government comprised of women by 60%. Today, in the United Nations, there are 192 female members, with 2 external independent states. In addition are the a couple of self declared independent states, and self ruling countries. Simultaneously, there are 19 female leaders. In countries of monarchies, Queens rule over 3 countries: United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Denmark. The first is represented by Governor Generals who are also female. There are 6 female presidents across the globe as well. These countries are Philippines, Liberia, Ireland, India, Finland, Chile, and Argentina. Subsequently, there are 7 female Prime Ministers in countries: Germany, Moldavia, New Zealand, Mozambique, Ukraine, Netherlands Antilles, and The Ã…land Islands Conclusion After all the institutions have been laid out, it is evident from their nature and programs that their pursuit is to raise the women higher from where she already is. They are training these women to target entrepreneurship, and well established positions in businesses. They are teaching the women to reach farther from where they are expected to stand. With the women of broad experiences as their role models and guides, they have cleared a path for them to take. Their goal is to go further, to not stop from raising their aspirations. They are given the opportunities to succeed, and the tools to guide them. The objective of this paper is to find what women and leadership today means, and these institutions helped establish a certain definition. It is all about empowering women, opening their eyes to the reality that women can raise themselves from stereotypes and biases. That, in itself, is leadership. There are unsung women who fought through history, and lead women and men alike in different scenarios. They might be overpowered by the achievements of others. But the idea is not to lift their own names. Women leaders are also inclined to raise their fellow women. References (1995). The center for womens leadership. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www3.babson.edu/cwl/. (2004). Women in leadership foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from   Ã‚   http://www.womeninleadership.ca/. (2006). Rutgers Institute of womens leadership. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from   Ã‚   http://iwl.rutgers.edu/. (2008). Institute for womens leadership. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from   Ã‚   http://www.womensleadership.com/. (2008). Worldwide guide to women and leadership. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/.