What is gender-balanced leadership?

Ensuring that an appropriate number of women are on committees should be accompanied by measures to examine decision-making processes to ensure decisions consider gender issues and women are empowered to take an equal role. Support from management/leadership is highly important for success.

Why is gender diversity important in leadership?

Enhanced Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Gender-balanced leadership has enhanced decision-making and problem-solving processes within organisations. Diversity of perspectives and experiences brings balance to a team. A diverse workforce brings unique insights to the table.

What are the benefits of gender inclusive leadership?

By promoting equality and inclusivity, companies can benefit from a wider talent pool, different perspectives, enhanced collaboration, improved staff retention, a better reflection of their customers, improved recruitment and reputation, and greater profitability.

Why is gender balance important?

Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls . It's essential for economic prosperity. Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier.

Why is balanced leadership important?

Decisiveness and Collaboration: A balanced leader knows when to make decisive choices and when to involve the team in decision-making. They strike a harmonious balance between asserting authority and encouraging collective input, leading to a sense of ownership and motivation among team members .

Why is gender balance important in the workplace?

Workplace gender equality is associated with: Improved national productivity and economic growth . Increased organisational performance. Enhanced ability of companies to attract talent and retain employees.

Why is gender balance important in development?

By promoting equal access to education, gender equality can help to break down gender stereotypes and improve the skills of women and girls, leading to greater empowerment and independence . Gender equality can also help to reduce gender-based violence and discrimination.

How does gender diversity affect business?

Gender Diversity in the workplace means that employees are more likely to have various abilities and experiences . Employees in a company with greater gender diversity will have access to multiple views, which is highly useful for outlining and accomplishing a business strategy.

What is an example of gender equality?

Gender equality in the workforce means being paid the same salary for equal work, regardless of gender . It also means that if a woman takes time off from work to take maternity leave, for example, she will not be punished when she returns to work.

What is gender balanced?

Definition. By gender balance, we refer to a situation where both males and females have equal opportunities and access to matters in all the institutions of the society, namely, religion, economy, education, culture, and polity . One of the erroneous beliefs about gender is that it is about women.

What is an example of gender balance?

Example 2: Equal Pay for Equal Work Gender equality in the workforce means being paid the same salary for equal work, regardless of gender. It also means that if a woman takes time off from work to take maternity leave, for example, she will not be punished when she returns to work.

What does it mean to be a balanced leader?

Balanced leadership is a combination of strength and warmth, where the leader employs both technical competencies and the softer “people” skills .

What is the gender leadership style?

The impact of gender on leadership outcomes female leaders are significantly more likely to use a democratic style of leadership . male leaders are significantly more likely to use more autocratic leadership styles.

Money on the Table Shows Why We Need Gender-Balanced Business Leadership Now (2024)

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In "Money on the Table: How to Increase Profits through Gender-Balanced Leadership", Based on academic research and over two decades of corporate experience, Melissa Greenwell,shares her view that gender-inclusive leadership is more than morals or social values. It's about gaining a competitive and financial advantage. Because of that advantage, Greenwell argues that business leaders need to act fast in order to reap the benefits of investing in a talented and diverse workforce.

What is Money on the Table About?

While Greenwellhas the moral high ground arguing for gender-balanced leadership, in Money on the Table she wants to draw her reader’s attention to the financial and strategic reasons for more gender-inclusive leadership. Greenwell argues strongly that businesses with more gender balance earn more money, hire better talent, and make better decisions over male-dominated ones. In her view, businesses that offer more opportunities for women (especially in leadership) will have a decisive competitive advantage in the future.

Money on the Table starts off the “gender equality in the workplace” conversation by pointing out the discrepancy between nice-sounding policies and real action. To understand that a gap still exists, Greenwell cites interviews from both male and female executives. These interviews revealed key differences in how male and female leaders implemented gender equality. Both male and female leaders, however, still hold to the social convention of women taking care of the house in addition to work. This social convention seems held even in businesses more open about gender inclusion. To make things a little clearer, the workplace (especially leadership) is slanted socially, psychologically and financially to maintain the “glass ceiling” despite attempts to change it.

Despite this dismal picture, Greenwell is confident we can break the “glass ceiling”. With a willingness to proactively change how we educate, hire and promote women in the workplace, businesses can tap into the positive and profitable cycle that will give them a unique competitive advantage. As other businesses take note, our society will move closer to the critical mass it takes to make a more permanent change in workplace practices. At that point, every business will wonder why they took so long to embrace gender equality in the workplace.

In addition to being an author, Greenwell is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Finish Line, an athletic apparel retail business. In her 30-year corporate history, Greenwell has spent over two decades working at the C-suite level. She is also a certified executive coach and speaker on the topic of gender-balanced leadership. In addition, Greenwell is the director of the Special Olympics Indiana Board and Finish Line Youth Foundation.

What Was Best About Money on the Table?

In Money on the Table, Greenwell offers probably one of the most authentic voices you will ever hear on gender balance in the workplace. In the book, she is not afraid to confront leaders, male and female, about their roles in advancing gender equality in the business world. She wants real change and provides the research to support her belief that gender balance needs to be addressed aggressively. In summary, Money on the Table is not a dry, academic book that talks about gender balancing policies. It’s a practical guide for policies that Greenwell believes we need immediately.

What Could Have Been Done Differently?

For all its urgency,Money on the Tablepushes leaders to act quickly in regards to gender equality without providing a clear overall look at what a comprehensive gender-balanced policy should look. The second part of the book does contain some general recommendations and principles but no checklist or directions are given for leaders who want to start from scratch. In other words, Money on the Table helps explain why workplace equality is important but doesn’t give a comprehensive look at how to get there.

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Why Read Money on the Table?

In Money on the Table, Greenwell places specific emphasis on leaders at the top of the organizational chart because she contends that leaders set the tone for workplace culture. As she describes in the book, the behavior and beliefs of executive leaders have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the business. Organizational culture is not static like furniture. It’s dynamic, something that is reinforced daily through the words and actions of the people in the workplace. Money on the Table offers a more proactive and ambitious guide to the reality of gender equality in business. The book offers a way for leaders to make a financial and strategic case for becoming more active about hiring and retaining more women at all levels of business.

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