{"id":1218,"date":"2016-02-02T17:33:09","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T16:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/mba\/?p=1218"},"modified":"2016-04-19T22:48:35","modified_gmt":"2016-04-19T21:48:35","slug":"equality-isnt-a-womens-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/mba\/equality-isnt-a-womens-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Equality Isn\u2019t a Women\u2019s Issue: It\u2019s a Leadership Issue!"},"content":{"rendered":"

On January 27, IESE\u2019s Barcelona hosted the Women in Leadership Conference<\/a>. The event was organized by the MBA\u2019s Women in Business Club, an exceptional team of female students led by Isabel Villamor and Roc\u00edo Orden.\u00a0Under the motto Strides to Success, the conference brought together speakers from several countries, representatives from a wide array of companies, and managers who reflected a broad range of leadership positions.<\/p>\n

Prof. Franz Heukamp opened the event\u00a0with words that echoed the conference\u2019s emblem: \u201cAchieving quality is a leadership issue, not a women\u2019s issue.\u201d Patrick Gaonach, Iberian zone president of Schneider Electric, outlined a new business landscape defined by a VUCA (vulnerability, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) environment. In this context, Mr. Gaonach affirmed that, it\u2019s not a matter of hiring women, it\u2019s a matter of attracting the best talent, which requires special effort. Schneider Electric participates is the HeforShe campaign, a solidarity movement headed by the United Nations that joins together half of human race in support of the other half, for the good of humanity as a whole.<\/p>\n

Experiences Across Diverse Sectors<\/h4>\n

Cristina Badenes (MBA\u201998), partner of Meridia Capital and Cecilia M\u00e9ndez, associate in Morgan Stanley, shared their experiences in the finance industry. Ms. Badenes, a mother of four, stated that, without a doubt, her children and husband are her \u201cabsolute priority.\u201d One of her children is a girl, and she is very aware of the challenge of being a good role model for her. Ms. Badenes explained that, when interviewing for her previous position in London, she requested a part-time schedule. When the interviewer replied that no such positions existed within the organization, she responded, \u201cWell, then create one!\u201d She told the audience, \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to ask your higher-ups for what you want. \u2018Having it all\u2019 is a myth. Whether you have a little or a lot, the important thing is to be happy with what you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Strides<\/p>\n

Ms. M\u00e9ndez observed that the finance industry was aggressive by nature, and both confirmed that proactivity in a woman is often interpreted as aggressiveness. Ms. Badenes clarified that it\u2019s a question of working with the greatest possible intensity. Based on her experience, she upheld that having a family makes women more efficient, although there is a personal price to pay: women with families have to work much more intensely and go without the breaks and rest periods that colleagues without children often enjoy. Both speakers agreed that the amount of hours spent in the office was not synonymous with efficiency.<\/p>\n

For Carlota Pi Amor\u00f3s (EMBA \u201909), founding partner of HolaLuz.com, mainstreaming diversity is a strategy that creates value and retains talent. Her team at HolaLuz.com lives like a family. The selection process is extraordinarily long and thorough because they seek professionals who believe that one\u2019s personal life and professional work are not only compatible, but can share the same physical space. From the very first day, when there was only one baby, their offices near the port of Barcelona were equipped with a daycare center. In staff meetings, it is common to see mothers and fathers holding a baby, and conference tables strewn with cellphones and laptops\u2026as well as toys, baby bottles and pacifiers. Ms. Pi is the mother of three daughters. Following one of her pregnancies, in light of the predominant lack of understanding in the business world, she decided to set up a company that embraced a more humane and inclusive model.<\/p>\n

Ana Alonso, a key account director at Microsoft and mother of two, spoke on the role that women play in the technology industry. Ms. Alonso believes that great strides have been made in the sector to facilitate work\/life balance. She also referred to the divergent leadership styles between men and women, and the greater accessibility to senior management roles for women in a sector where flexibility is key. She added that some women reach leadership positions by imitating a masculine style of management.<\/p>\n

\u201cA bilingual company is not one where English is spoken, but rather one where masculine and feminine vernaculars co-exist\u201d – Carolina Schimdt<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Corporate Bilingualism: Male and Female Languages<\/h4>\n

In the words of Carolina Schmidt, the former director of Chile\u2019s National Women\u2019s Service, \u201cA bilingual company is not one where English is spoken, but rather one where masculine and feminine vernaculars co-exist.\u201d Ms. Schmidt underlined the astonishing lack of women on executive boards in most countries, illustrating her argument through a wealth of data points and statistics. In many organizations, not only in Chile but in Europe and the United States as well, the presence of women on corporate boards is purely decorative. She stressed the loss of value and talent that companies face when they remain rooted in the \u201cgood old days,\u201d characterized by male dominance in leadership positions and corporate boards that are off limits to women. Many senior managers really don\u2019t believe in the value of female talent, and think that finding qualified women is either impossible or unimportant. They believe that women don\u2019t have leadership abilities because of our \u201csofter and sweeter\u201d manner of speaking. Moreover, they bristle at the notion of the effect women would have on traditionally male-dominated spaces, where the language used\u2014oftentimes blunt or insulting\u2014is typically \u201cmannish.\u201d One need only think of bars and men\u2019s clubs where business deals are made.<\/p>\n

\"Strides<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Ms. Schmidt pointed out other challenges that women face: two full-time positions (a job outside the home plus taking care of the family); the pressure to be permanently on call; the lack of work\/life balance policies in the workplace; low self-esteem (women often consider themselves unqualified for positions of greater responsibility); accusations that they lack ambition because they aren\u2019t willing to relinquish their family life to dedicate themselves exclusively to their professional lives; the absence of positive role models and references (women who adopt a masculine style of leadership who are neither friendly nor pleasant to work with).<\/p>\n

It is urgent that steps be taken to ensure that companies don\u2019t squander this wealth of talent. Steps that can be taken, among others: inform and shed a light on the situation; measure and propose quantifiable objectives (you can\u2019t manage what you can\u2019t measure); and work\/life balance policies, a greater prevalence of women, work schedules with greater flexibility, work evaluations based on objectives\u2026<\/p>\n

A lack of innovation is causing many companies to miss out on this pool of talent. The workplace is in urgent need of change, because human capital is crucial\u2014and women are crucial. Eghosa Oriaikhi\u00a0(GEMBA \u201913), director at Baker Hughes for Europe, Africa and Russia, talked about how to include men in the equal-opportunity conversation. Numerous expressions have been coined to refer to this discussion: gender equality, equal opportunity, gender diversity\u2026<\/p>\n

What is the crux of this discussion? We still live in an era clearly dominated by men: women still earn less for the same position, fewer leadership positions are open to women, the belief still exists that women will never reach their full professional development. A series of obstacles have contributed to the current state of affairs: they are structural, institutional and political barriers and conscious or unconscious prejudices.<\/p>\n

\"Strides<\/p>\n

On the question, \u201cHow can men positively impact this situation?\u201d, Ms. Oriaikhi stated that is was a matter of understanding the problem; doing something about it (for instance, being a model for change); being a moral voice since impassive silence is highly detrimental; widening the circle and bringing men into the discussion; breaking the silence (\u201cSpeak up: don\u2019t let it happen in front of your eyes\u201d), and seeking help.<\/p>\n

She wondered whether \u201cdiscrimination\u201d was the correct term, because she prefers to speak of \u201cbarriers.\u201d It is obvious that there are differences among women, which is why generalizations aren\u2019t helpful. That said, education is the linchpin to responding to questions like \u201cWhy are so many sectors so incredibly male-dominated\u201d? She used her own experience as an example. There has never been a man in her current role; none has ever travelled the path that led her to the executive position that she currently holds, and she suspects that she might be confronting a glass ceiling. She got there by not thinking that she was different.<\/p>\n

We still live in an era clearly dominated by men: women still earn less for the same position, fewer leadership positions are open to women, the belief still exists that women will never reach their full professional development<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I concluded the conference by reminding the audience that barriers are often personal (cement ceilings): self-esteem issues, fear of failure, problems delegating, difficulties negotiating, different networking styles, and the wrong order of priorities, as well as a reminder on the differences between the male and female brain deriving from the XX or XY genetic make-up.<\/p>\n

Finally, I invited Harvard Business School Prof. Kathleen McGinn to speak on how we can go about changing our behavior. Prof. McGinn said first, using the right negotiation style and not imitating men. Second, following solid models that promote personal growth, many of which abound among millennials. Lastly, addressing the challenges that equality poses: let it become a topic of discussion in every forum, in every debate and in every type of decision-making process.<\/p>\n

The matter of equality is continually evolving, and one that periodically spurs cycles of action and analysis. As long as these cycles consider all points of view, we will be make giant strides in the right direction. Let\u2019s keep the conversation alive!!!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On January 27, IESE\u2019s Barcelona hosted the Women in Leadership Conference. The event was organized by the MBA\u2019s Women in Business Club, an exceptional team of female students led by Isabel Villamor and Roc\u00edo Orden.\u00a0Under the motto Strides to Success, the conference brought together speakers from several countries, representatives from a wide array of companies,… <\/p>\n

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