Overcoming The Challenges Of Leading In Male-Dominated Industries

If you’re a woman in a male-dominated field, you already know the challenges we face, everything from discrimination to isolation. Yet, women have proven that we are outstanding leaders. The 2020 Catalyst study, The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women’s Representation on Boards, reported that Fortune 500 companies with boards comprised of a significant percentage of women directors achieved greater financial performance than men across three key indicators:

1. Return on equity was 53 percent higher.
2. Return on sales was 42 percent higher.
3. Return on invested capital was 66 percent higher.

An American Psychological Association meta-analysis found that women leaders are more likely than male leaders to adopt transformational leadership styles, enhancing organizational performance and inspiring team and company mission alignment. Furthermore, the study found that team collaboration increases in a direct correlation to the number of women present in the group.

Yes, women can drive company growth, boost sales, and excel in managing people. Women are now recognized as being equally or even more competent than men in leadership roles. Yet we still face biases in our careers. I faced them when I managed my parents’ business while leading a team of men who were ten to twenty years my senior. Although I immersed myself in every facet of the business, was proactive and driven by a relentless pursuit to expand our client base and deliver results, I was doubted and undervalued. In short, I faced what most women do in similar roles, and, in 2015, I founded my own company. In the first year, we hit six figures in sales. Nine years later, our sales soared to seven figures. Here’s what I learned supervising men.

Their conversations tend to center around women, often their spouses. If we want change, conversations at work need to consider all people in the room.

Gender almost always dictates which jobs women are asked to do. Making coffee, ordering lunch, coordinating outings, setting up the technology for the meeting, and taking notes. More often than not, a woman is assigned these jobs. If we want change, both strategic and administrative tasks should be distributed and accepted fairly.

All males around me received respect when they walked in the door. I had to earn respect. If I finished my work faster than my male coworkers and left earlier, I felt that my team expected me to detail my day’s work. That is something I would never expect them to do for me unless I noted issues with their production. The prevailing feeling was that because they were the majority, the men I supervised were collectively honest, transparent, and had each other’s best interests in mind. I, on the other hand, had to prove myself.

If we want change, we must approach each other as equals. If we want change, we must strive for a professional environment where individuals are appreciated primarily for their contributions and where their identity enhances their professional achievements. If we want change, we must advocate for more inclusive workplaces, promoting practices and policies that recognize and harness the unique perspectives and skills of a diverse workforce. It all comes down to this: If we want change, nothing is going to happen until we make it happen.