The Basics:

Much of what defines “leadership” has been determined by men, with the result that ’non-male’ leadership is often seen as ‘inferior’ or ‘inappropriate’ – in spite of the fact that it is at least equally as effective.  The effects of this are that women are often not appointed to leadership positions because the decision-makers are (consciously or unconsciously) uncomfortable with their way of leading.  Women are often expected to act in a way that is not authentic to them if they want to grow to senior positions and this can lead to stress, and low confidence in their own leadership abilities.

Why is this a problem for businesses?

Because women are often excluded from senior and executive positions, companies lose out on a potential talent pool of people that can add great value to the organisation’s effectiveness and profitability. Isn’t it therefore in any company’s interest to create an environment where female leaders can thrive? Yes, it is!

In order to do this, companies firstly need to be aware of male/female differences in leadership, and to create an environment that makes it possible for female leaders to be authentic and effective leaders. Fastfwd’s experienced team can assist you in this process.

Authentic leadership - Research has shown that successful leaders:

• know who they are
• what their values are
• what they stand for
• what their weaknesses and strengths are.
• They  are authentic (real), have high emotional intelligence and most importantly, successful leaders never stop learning.