In the last few years, there have been tremendous changes at workplaces. The pandemic pushed people to work remotely, turned workplaces into hybrid mode, and hence it pushed people and boundaries. All this change has led to an appreciation of equality and diversity at the workplace. Women are in leadership roles and are changing the dynamics of work. Gone are the days when they were relegated to back-office roles. Today’s women are in a position to take decisions and lead large teams. 

Many companies talk about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) but the ground reality remains very different when it comes to having women’s leadership in organizations. How are women in leadership changing the workplace culture?

1. Role models: Although there are only a few, there are many empowering women in leadership positions around the world. Whether it is Kiran Majumdar Shaw at Biocon, Roshni Nadar at HCL or Leena Nair at Unilever, you can see women in top positions as role models. These women are inspiring the next generation to become successful leaders. With the glass ceiling being broken the stage is set for the next generation of women to take over.
2. Empathetic leadership: Women are always more empathetic and emotional than men. Therefore, women connect better with people and understand their concerns better. Human-centric policies are what drives the world today. A family-friendly work environment and flexible work schedules have become vital for today’s employees. Women are better equipped to handle situations at the workplace with better empathy and resilience. They connect with employees and ensure that the work environment is happy and fosters growth.

3. Empowering other women: Being in a leadership position, a woman leader can empower and enable other women in their teams and help them evolve. Since they are in decision-making positions, they are able to recruit other women and provide them with equal chances. Female-centric projects and IPOs are doing extremely well and are leading the way for others to follow.
4. Bringing innovation: Women demonstrate a higher transformational attitude than men. Women can adapt to both active and passive approaches to work than a single-dimensional approach that men normally bring to the table. Therefore, women are able to build better innovative marketing and sales strategies apart from being able to manage people and processes better.
5. More opportunities: Remote work which was necessitated during the pandemic has become a boon for women and has opened the doors for several women to enter corporate spaces where they were excluded earlier. Many women who had been forced to take a career break because of maternity or because of switching careers were able to begin working again. Women occupying different positions are bringing diverse viewpoints and experiences to the workplace. It is important to have inclusion and safe spaces at work so that women can feel included and safe at work.
6. Building a healthy work culture: Organizations are looking at promoting a healthy workplace culture to work towards accomplishing organizational goals. Bringing women leaders in the mix ensures that there is no bias in defining roles and responsibilities in the organization. Women’s empowerment starts within the organization and not outside it. Policies and procedures should be women-inclusive and friendly to enable them to participate in every possible way. The work culture must be collaborative and inclusive.
7. Good internal communication: The key to a progressive work environment is good communication and most women are good communicators. Using their empathy and emotional intelligence, women leaders can amplify the communication levels in an organization. Women can start and maintain meaningful conversations between co-workers, management and stakeholders. For instance, when women leaders enquire with co-workers about their health or after their family members, it helps build trust and harmony in the team.

8. Better performance: Gender diversity has several benefits including better productivity, performance and staff retention. Businesses will also experience an above-average profit growth by having a gender diverse workforce. This has already been proven through several studies since diversity brings with it fresh perspective while making financial decisions. Women bring with them a perfect balance of logical and emotional contexts which help companies improve their profit margins.

Female leaders bring in a warm culture. They are creative, curious and proactive. With traits like these, women are all set to take over the corporate landscape and lead with empathy and compassion. There is no turning the clock back, women are firmly in the driver’s seat and are changing the corporate world for the better.