What’s the business case for focusing specifically on attracting, retaining, and professionally developing women for leadership?
Workplaces that consciously cultivate female talent win in the short run and in the long run. Evidence continues to build that women help drive stronger financial performance because they tend to give investments a bit more time to play out, instead of chasing fast returns through quickly purchasing and selling. For example, a study released in March 2015 of the very male-dominated British mining industry found that earnings per share were 13 times higher for the companies that had women on their corporate boards. In the long run, women tend to be strong at leading through collaboration and consensus — a preference more in sync with today’s workforce than the traditional male model of command and control. Finally, no industry can afford to ignore half the talent pool — not if it wants to both grow and replace retiring baby boomers.
Answers provided by Joanne Cleaver, president of Wilson-Taylor Associates, a consulting firm focused on advancing women in business. Cleaver designed and manages MOVE Projects, which help industries understand how well they are advancing women and how they can do better. See current MOVE Project reports at www.wilson-taylorassoc.com.
This Ask An Expert segment is a continuation of Building Operating Management's April cover story, "Women in FM: How women are reaching leadership roles and how companies can help." Find the full article here.
The Business Case for Developing Women In Leadership
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