How women leaders are transforming the future of workplaces

New Delhi: In the last two years, companies across many sectors have witnessed a dramatic shift in the role of women in the workplace. While some opted to quit their jobs to become primary caregivers in their households, a consequence of the pressure on personal and professional fronts, others opted to continue to work and bring a change in the business environment.

According to Great Places To Work’s report titled, ‘The For All-Workplaces of Future’, India‘s Best Employers Among the Nation Builder 2022, which includes a majority of the big Indian corporate houses, comprise only 23 percent of the female workforce, while the strength of male employees stands at 77 per cent. However, numbers are growing as companies are bringing changes to their HR strategies and policies, creating a healthy workplace environment.

“In today’s complex workplaces, it has become more important to have women leaders because they bring a different perspective and set of skills to the table, and when they can thrive in the workplace, it makes for a better workplace for everyone”, said, Sonal Arora, Board Member, Board of Director, Country Manager of Gi Group.

As per a report by Gi Group Holding India, All in the Mind – The Leadership Factor, launched in 2022, analysed the varying effects of leadership factors and the impact of leadership aspects, on employee mental health. One of the key findings of this report was that leadership traits do impact employee mental health wherein both male and female leaders are seen to be nearly on par with each other in some traits that include being empathetic, decisive, and confident; Female leaders are rated much higher on being approachable (51 per cent) versus 21 per cent) and supportive (46 per cent versus 27 per cent).

From flexible working arrangements to equal pay and benefits, women are leading the way in making the workplace work better for everyone. Additionally, like their male peers, women leaders are creating a healthy work environment that provides learning opportunities to employees, eventually motivating them and boosting their confidence.

So, what makes women leaders different from other male leaders? Aside from the fact that women leaders are great communicators and empathetic, they also have the courage to take risks in difficult situations. The combination of these two abilities makes women leaders more approachable and inspiring.

“Employees admire powerful women leaders who have the strength to take risks and learn from failures while dealing with negative remarks, insults, and stereotypes. Overall, they need to have a never-give-up attitude paired with high perseverance and adaptability”, said Yeshasvini Ramaswamy, CEO, Great Places to Work.

“While perseverance depends on each individual on how a leader aims to achieve their goal despite all the uncertainty around them, adaptability caters to areas that continue to evolve, such as technology, workforce, clients, and customers’, Ramaswamy added.

Even studies show that companies with greater participation of women at leadership levels have better business outcomes, attract better and more diverse talent, and have a more transparent work culture.

“Women leaders can prepare their teams for success by listening to them rather than fixing, guiding rather than controlling. The use of this form of leadership makes women more effective at influencing others than more authoritative forms. In fact, among the most vital abilities of a woman is her ability to communicate. As a result, female leaders are able to open lines of communication with their bosses, coworkers, and team members,” Sonal added.

Jobs in recent years have evolved dramatically. They are more skill-based now. And these skills primarily include passion, attention to detail, in-depth knowledge, and critical thinking.

On the other hand, women’s brains are designed more aptly to perform such tasks while formulating long-term strategies and building a community within the organisation.