People tend to hire people who look like them. And research shows the impact this has on leadership selection.
With women the imbalance is glaring, and it’s detrimental to an organisation; companies with gender diversity at the top show an improved bottom line, such as 36% better stock price growth and 46% better return on equity. Lack of women in leadership is not just a moral issue; it’s foolish business.
If a Board does not at all resemble the market being served…then something (Big) is (Badly) wrong
Tom Peters
Ironically, the soft skills that leaders need are shunned by selection panels, particularly when these terms are used by female candidates.
Similarly, expressing creative ideas has a detrimental impact on the way someone is perceived in terms of their leadership potential.
The stereotypes of “creative people” and “leaders” clash in the minds of recruiters, as do those of “feminine” and “leadership”.
Our entrenched biases damage the selection process, and we end up with leaders who all look and act the same.