Embracing the values of connectedness and female leadership in challenging times

Life as we knew it simply stopped with the outbreak and spread of the global coronavirus pandemic. Our homes became our offices as governments worldwide implemented lockdowns to curb the spread of the highly contagious virus.

Meetings and events became virtual, and we had to learn new ways to interact and connect with colleagues, friends and even family as we isolated and distanced ourselves.

Even as we learnt to adapt to this ‘new normal’, one fact became clear: humans crave connection. A Microsoft study[1] found that face-to-face interaction was the form of communication that made people happiest. An internal survey we carried out at Momentum Metropolitan also proved this, as it revealed that the one aspect that people missed most about the office was their colleagues.

My own experience with working from home has backed this up. I find it a privilege to be able to connect with my work family – and I am grateful for the role that technology can play in facilitating this as we navigate the complexities of living and working through a pandemic. Video conferencing technology means that we can continue to connect ‘face-to-face’ even if we aren’t in the same room or city. But let’s be honest, nothing beats being physically together in the same room.

Being together while we’ve been apart has shown the true value of connectedness as the glue that holds us together as communities, co-workers and businesses. We have had to be open and honest with each other as we’ve worked together to overcome obstacles and achieve collective goals. It has meant having crucial conversations and being vulnerable and authentic with each other, which isn’t typically a feature of the corporate world. But it has been effective; our connectedness has helped us to not only survive, but thrive.

This ties in with another trend that has emerged strongly too: the power of female leadership during uncertain and challenging times.

Where values add value: the power of female leaders

Research[2] has found that countries with female leaders – such as New Zealand, Norway and Taiwan – handled the outbreak of the pandemic “systematically and significantly better”, experiencing fewer cases as well as fewer deaths. This has largely been attributed to different levels of risk aversion, with women leaders more likely to consider human life versus economic outcomes than their male counterparts. For many, this has translated into solid evidence that women make more compassionate, empathetic, effective and calm leaders.

A study by Auckland University of Technology and Massey University[3] found that good female leaders reduce feelings of job stress, burnout, anxiety and depression more than good male leaders. The researchers say the study highlights that women have a different approach to leadership – one that is more focused on building and maintaining relationships, and allaying concerns and frustrations which leads to a better sense of well-being and productivity overall.

Richard Barrett’s research on values-based leadership[4] also found that men and women bring inherently different values to the table, with men predominantly embracing values like strength, competition and logic and women typically embracing values such as compassion, empathy and care.

Both sets of values are needed to be a successful leader – but there is a growing recognition of the need to prioritise the values that women embrace and encourage and support more female leaders. An important part of being able to create an empowering environment for more women to become leaders is overcoming unconscious bias.

Levelling the playing field for ‘Heidi’ and ‘Howard’: overcoming unconscious bias
Unconscious bias is still a major barrier to women becoming leaders. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of unconscious bias in action remains the Heidi/Howard case study at Columbia Business School[5]. It was based on successful Silicon Valley venture capitalist Heidi Roizen – but her story was presented to half of the class with her own name on it, and the other half with the name ‘Howard’ on it.

While Heidi and Howard were seen as equally competent, no one liked Heidi – she was seen as overwhelmingly less likable and worthy of being hired than Howard. No one wanted to be led by Heidi either.
This won’t change until we acknowledge this bias, give women a seat at the table and make them part of these crucial conversations. One of my most memorable moments was when our own CEO Hillie Meyer specifically mentioned in a meeting that we need to be careful to avoid unconscious bias – I hadn’t heard the term in a business setting until he said it, and it gave me such hope because as soon as a bias is acknowledged, it can be overcome.

We also need to ensure that women are brought into the conversation – and heard. This is where the Power of Three can prove effective. The principle suggests that a trio is stronger and more effective, and I have found this to be true because three people are able to stand together and back each other up. Our executive committee has three women on it, and we have supported each other and helped give each other a stronger voice – bringing us back to the power of connectedness.

The interplay of connectedness and embracing more feminine values of leadership is critical, and is only going to get more important as we continue to experience uncertain and challenging times. We need to start embracing compassion and caring to connect more deeply with the people around us. The more we embrace these values, the more success will follow.

[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2018/04/19/new-survey-explores-the-changing-landscape-of-teamwork/
[2] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/women-leaders-policymakers-covid19-coronavirus/
[3] https://www.hcamag.com/nz/news/general/are-women-leaders-better-champions-of-well-being/222689
[4] https://www.valuescentre.com/barrett-model/
[5] https://www.leadershippsychologyinstitute.com/women-the-leadership-labyrinth-howard-vs-heidi/