1. Women in Leadership
Dr. Hema A. Krishnan
July, 2014
Coimbatore
Portions of this talk were presented at GRGS in July 2011 and
Proctor & Gamble, U.S.A in 2014
4. Agenda
1. The famous and not-so-famous women leaders
2. Common traits shared by women leaders
3. Challenges faced by women
4. Leadership lessons
5. Next steps
5. The famous women leaders
Born and raised in Chennai
Middle-class family
MBA from IIM-C and MPA from Yale
Worked in J&J, BCG, Motorola
19 years in a Fortune 100 company; CEO
Married; mother to two daughters
6. The famous women leaders
Born and raised in Rajasthan
Middle-class family
ICWAI and MBA from Jamanlal Bajaj
Over 28 years in a leading Indian bank
Currently, CEO and MD
Married; one son and a daughter
7. The famous women leaders
Born and raised in Illinois
Middle-class family
Law degree from Yale
Former Senator from New York and
Secretary of State of the U.S.A.
Married; one daughter
8. The unsung women leaders
Born and raised in New York
African American
Early life: of poverty, raised by a single mother
Master’s in Elec Engg from Columbia
Over 32 years in a tech, Fortune 500 company
Currently, CEO
Married; two sons
9. The unsung women leaders
Born and raised in Michigan
52 years old
Early life: father worked in auto industry
Education- UG in elec engr, MBA
Started at General Motors at age 18
Married; two children
11. Common Traits of women
leaders
Executive Orientation: Strong family backing,
solid education, strong technical skills,
self confidence, good social network,
high EQ (emotional quotient) and SQ
(spiritual quotient), patience (long tenure in
their organizations), empathy, had great
mentors, extraordinary work ethic, integrity,
fairness, voracious readers, courage,
openness, humility
12. Challenges faced by women
A Balancing Act
Work front: Stereotyping, old-boys network,
leadership and management style, power
plays, compensation, few role models, few
mentors, time management
Home front: Challenges of raising a family,
cultural and social stereotypes
Personal front: Time management, stress
management, the 40s-50s syndrome
14. Challenges faced by women
These challenges are channeled into:
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Seizing opportunities with rival firms
15. Challenges faced by women
U.S. women versus Indian women
Indian women leaders face challenges on
multiple fronts:
Social factors
Economic factors
Legal factors
But, are willing to put up with much nonsense; therein
lies their success (unfortunately, at the expense of their
health)
17. Lessons from women leaders
Communicate & Collaborate: Learn to listen!!
Humility: Aspire for level 5 leadership
Attitude: Be positive, encouraging, upbeat
Respect: all your constituencies, especially
those in the lower levels of the firm
Instincts: Learn to trust them
Support: Your team personally, professionally
Message: Have a consistent message
Act! To correct injustice
Thank yous: say them often, send notes
Innovation: Be entrepreneurial, flexible
Company and constituencies: Do what is right
18. 18
LEVEL 5 LEADERS (Jim Collins)
Level 5
leaders
Build greatness through
combination of will and humility
Level 4 leaders
Can lead a group to superior
levels of performance
Level 3 leaders
Organize people resources to
accomplish predetermined
objectives
Level 2 leaders
Work effectively with others as a
member of a team to achieve group
objectives
Level 1 leaders
Make individual contributions
through talent and work ethic
Capabilities
19. Recent Lessons I have
learned
Watch out for mental/emotional issues in your
employees
Be fair and transparent
Be accessible, unpretentious and friendly
Do not take things personally
Read, Read, and Read even more………
Manage your stress: pick up a hobby, set limits
20. Next Steps for women leaders
1. Entrepreneurial, be open to others’ ideas
2. Be a mentor, continue to be mentored
3. Improve your EQ
4. Do not be a micro manager; Empower
5. Think long-term
6. Action oriented
Women and the bottom-line of organizations:
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