As the Global Head of Clients here at Proco Group, I recognise that leadership is broader than just thinking about your own company. It is also about how we can alter ways of thinking and the environment as a whole.
The issue surrounding gender balance within the workplace isn’t new and it continues to be an agenda within most companies. Whilst it is necessary for companies to look at numbers to drive the balance and see how they are or aren’t progressing rapidly enough, it can be easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the metrics and less on the impact that gender balance has on a wider scale.
Coming from a big family that is majority female, I gained a lot of inspiration from my family members who are both able to balance their family lives whilst still maintaining a high level of success in their careers. This has fortunately translated well into my own career, more specifically as I have progressed into more senior leadership roles.
Being able to work with females at all levels has allowed me to learn a lot from them in terms of leadership styles and how best to manage a team. Despite having worked with a number of female leaders, I have still witnessed a ceiling for diversity and gender balance, specifically as we head towards leadership positions.
Whilst to a certain degree the playing field is evening out there is still some way to go, and a gap still exists in the board-room.
As my career progresses, I am talking to more and more women who have carved their way to become leaders in niche areas that were historically male dominated. From them, I have gained insight into how they have managed their work/life balance and how to become the best at what they do. Seeing women that have succeeded within such male dominated industries has been inspiring and it is important to shed light on these people.
Becoming a female leader, and seeing friends and colleagues develop as leaders throughout my career, has proven to me that you can be successful at work whilst also being successful in other areas of your life. There are new metrics in place now where balance, achieving results and wellness matter more than hours spent in the office. One can be a leader and have a fulfilling life outside of work – including motherhood. Seeing women in leadership roles can expose younger generations to a powerful example of not having to choose between one life or another.
Traditionally, the idea of having a family and the weight that it bears on a woman is perceived to be much more of a female issue than male. As gender balance becomes more prevalent, it is becoming increasingly clear that both parents are encountering similar issues. The question that stands here is not whether we should be trying to support solely bringing in women, but instead creating and welcoming an equal balance within the workplace.
Proco Group has been successful in naturally ensuring that we are supported and able to carry out our jobs regardless of gender. This is not to say however that we can put the importance of gender diversity on the back burner as whilst we are very progressive in this area, there is still always more we can do.
The difficulty with diversity is that it has become synonymous with gender but diversity transcends much further beyond this. Diversity includes backgrounds, age, nationalities and generations and the more diversity companies have across the board, the better equipped they will be to face a world that is constantly changing and in turn we will all learn more from one another.
Visit procothinking.com to find out how Proco are celebrate women’s achievement.#EachforEqual
