At the esteemed Horasis India Meeting, Ms. Rekha Sethi, Director General of the All-India Management Association (AIMA), shared her profound insights on the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership roles, both in India and globally. With extensive experience in AIMA and on various corporate boards, Ms. Rekha Sethi delved into the complexities surrounding female representation in top management positions.
Women in Leadership: “Based on your experience at AIMA and on various corporate boards, what are the key challenges that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in India and globally?”
The economic and work environment has changed radically in recent decades but the change in gender stereotypes has been slow. The C-suite is still a big boys’ club and women remain a conspicuous minority in top management and boards. It may take a generation or two more to change the mindset enough to make top positions more of a level playing field. The biggest challenge is the family-career conflict for women, who often end up accepting that they cannot have it all. A cultural change is needed to resolve this issue and allow women to give their all in the fight for highly-contested and prized leadership positions.
Mindset Shifts in Corporates and Politics: “What mindset changes do you believe are essential in the corporate world and political arena to improve female representation in leadership?”
The few women leaders who have got the opportunity to lead have produced more than enough evidence of women’s ability to deliver results. Many of them have shown that after-hours schmoozing or bar diplomacy are not necessary to generate team spirit, build networks or negotiate deals. The key mindset change needed is the acceptance that there can be many productive approaches to leadership and that women do not need to mimic the macho stereotype to become leaders and to succeed as leaders.
Strategies at AIMA: “How is AIMA working to promote gender equality in management and leadership roles within India? Are there specific programs or initiatives you can highlight?”
AIMA has had a woman Director General for more than a decade and a half and I have been the longest-serving DG of the organization. AIMA has had a woman President during the past decade and is due to have another woman President after a year. The organization itself is reasonably gender-balanced and it is an equal-opportunity workplace.
To promote gender parity in management and leadership, AIMA has created multiple platforms and programmes. AIMA has created a platform for India’s women entrepreneurs, CEOs, board members and women leaders from other domains. This platform, called “Aspire”, holds programmes in India and overseas to push the agenda for more women in leadership positions. AIMA has been holding a programme, Pragati, for junior to middle-level women executives for many years and it also conducts leadership development programmes for middle-level women executives to help them prepare professionally and psychologically for future leadership roles. All things being equal, there is a conscious push to have more women in AIMA programmes
Unique Qualities of Female Leaders: “Can you discuss the unique qualities and benefits that female leaders bring to organizations, and how should these be factored into recruitment and selection processes?”
Women leaders tend to avoid using brute force to get things done and instead, they rely more on connecting with their teams at an emotional level to drive them forward. Women leaders tend to offer more empathy and understanding at a personal level. They also tend to pay attention to the broader impact of corporate action and are particularly attentive to the financial performance and safety of the organization. The mix of greater attention to detail and caution tends to produce better outcomes. However, the recruitment and selection process must remain merit-based and gender-agnostic.
Overcoming Gender Bias: “In your opinion, is the issue of underrepresentation of women in leadership primarily a male issue, or is it more complex? What strategies can be employed to address it?”
Both men and women are to blame for the under-representation of women in leadership positions. Often, men leaders patronize talented women but do not trust them alone with high-stakes assignments, which tend to open the doors to future leadership positions. Many women too want to be treated differently and are satisfied playing the supporting roles, which does not help their chances for the top positions. The key to women’s greater presence in leadership roles is to take gender out of the leadership equation. If the focus is purely on performance and capabilities, women will do quite well without special treatment.
. Leadership Development for Women: “What specific actions or policies can companies and educational institutions implement to foster and support the development of future female leaders?”
Women professionals require training to go with their natural capacity for leadership. As they come up the ranks, they need to learn the know-how to deal with the new challenges and responsibilities that come with leadership at each succeeding level of hierarchy. That can be done internally, in partnership with business schools, and through exposure to international programmes and assignments. Visiting innovative companies and meeting other talented leaders all over the world is a big help in developing future women leaders.
Role of Diversity in Corporate Success: “How does diversity, particularly gender diversity, contribute to the success and innovation within organizations, based on your experience in various corporate boards?”
Diversity is essential to avoiding potential pitfalls and capitalizing on wider opportunities. Compared to the all-men boards and C-suites, a gender-diverse leadership can have more rounded intelligence about the market and a more balanced perspective on corporate plans, strategy and action. Knowing more helps innovate more and better.
Personal Journey and Insights: “Could you share some insights from your journey to a leadership position? What advice would you give to young women aspiring to leadership roles?”
The basics never change – one has to work hard and be committed to one’s work and organization. Consistently good output is noticed and invites trust. There will always be competition for plum assignments and roles, but often the winners are those who deliver on outcomes and not just on politics. Having self-confidence and faith in one’s ability and continuously learning to remain relevant in changing conditions is essential. Being able to work with other people despite differences is foundational to becoming a leader and having a reciprocity of trust and respect with the team is critical to succeeding as a leader.
Balancing Roles and Responsibilities: “How do you manage the balance between your role at AIMA, positions on various boards, and your commitment to social causes? What lessons have you learned about leadership and multitasking?”
Women are natural multitaskers. They divide time and attention across personal, family, work and social matters and can handle the complexity and stress that comes with it. Technology has come as a huge help for women as it has mostly removed location from the equation. Being able to work from anywhere and often enough at a time of one’s choice enables women leaders to multitask much better.
Vision for Women in Leadership: “What is your vision for the future regarding women in leadership positions both in India and globally? How close are we to achieving gender parity in leadership?”
Gender parity remains a distant dream despite the great social and legal momentum towards it. Politics and law are helping as more and more countries are setting quotas for women on corporate boards, but there are still many corporates that are resisting. Still, with women exceeding men in education in this generation, it is a matter of time before women bid for leadership positions in larger numbers. However, that is contingent on women building their technology chops because work, business and leadership are being transformed by technology. My vision for gender parity in leadership is about not only having equal opportunity but also equal reward.
