The fact that women are becoming more and more strongly inserted in the labor market is not a novelty: in the last three decades, women’s labor participation grew from 41.3% to 53.9% in 18 Latin American countries, according to a recent ECLAC study, narrowing the gender gap (men’s participation is 78%).  This is positive not only because of the reduction in gender inequality, but also because from an economic point of view it translates into an increase in productivity and economic activity. But what about women in leadership positions? 

In this article we will discuss the importance of female leadership in companies, its characteristics and the advantages it can bring to organizations.

What is female leadership?

In simple words, female leadership can be understood as the participation of women in positions of power as well as in decision making within companies or organizations. The exercise of this role implies leading groups and being able to implement proposals and strategies to put their leadership into practice. What is the reality of women in leadership positions in Mexico? According to the study “Women in Business 2023: Progress towards parity”, by Grant Thornton, 38% of senior management positions in the country are held by women, which represents an increase of five percentage points compared to 33% in 2022.

Differences between feminine and masculine leadership 

If we look at female leadership vs. male leadership, it is not a good way to situate them as antagonistic only because of gender, but rather as different styles, which go beyond gender and are not rivals. In fact, “we can speak of good or bad leaders, regardless of gender”, as proposed by the study “Business Leadership from a Gender Perspective and Its Impact on the Work Environment and Employee’s Well-Being in Companies in the Basque Country”, by the University of Deusto.

Based on this information, we can imply some differences may be that female business leadership tends to be more collaborative and relationship-oriented, while male leadership is more task-oriented and focused on quick decision-making; or communication may also be different, as female leadership tends to use direct and transparent communication, while male leadership tends to adopt a more indirect and authority-focused style.

Main characteristics of female leadership

Do you know what are the predominant characteristics of female leadership? There are several, here are the main ones:

• Empathy and orientation towards people: It tends towards closeness and understanding of the other, with a focus on the people with whom it relates are important share of socialization which leads to the formation of bonds and ties. All of the above is usually applied with emotional intelligence and active listening, for example. 
• Effective communication: There is a tendency to share knowledge and ideas among collaborators of an organization. This is linked to the previous point, as it requires an important sense of empathy and listening.
• Tendency to cooperation and horizontal leadership: Female leadership is collaborative, which enables teamwork to occur naturally. This implies characteristics of inclusion since it promotes participation and gives the opportunity to other team members to participate in the management, which allows generating identities in the work team and promoting new women leaders. In addition, the cooperation processes are orderly and healthy.
• Ability to act and make decisions: A way of thinking and acting in various directions or issues at the same time is applied. Different actions can be carried out simultaneously and there is a great capacity for analysis. This is an advantage when making decisions and facing crises.
• Negotiation skills: There is a tendency to promote a collaborative and participatory debate to reach agreements in negotiations; this is typical of more supportive, flexible and cooperative leaders who look beyond. 
• Openness and flexibility to change: Female leadership knows that change exists and is open and flexible when it occurs. This leads to an innovative and communicative look to find solutions to problems and to evolve positively.

Importance of women and business leadership

Having female leadership is not a detail, a fashion or a sort of “quota” of positions. It is, without a doubt, a necessity for organizations. Women’s leadership brings diversity of thought, effective communication skills and a strategic vision that helps in decision making and innovation in a company. 

The so-called “soft skills”, understood as the development of interpersonal skills, are usually attributed to female leadership, and these are of vital help not only to strengthen human relations but also to achieve the objectives of an organization from a perspective that focuses on communication, emotional intelligence and the ability to solve problems in a divergent way and beyond the merely theoretical.

Benefits of female leadership

According to the research “The Business Case for Change“, carried out by the World Labor Organization, there are several benefits associated with female leadership that a company obtains, among them are:

• Profits increase between 5 and 20%. 

• Companies show greater innovation and creativity. 

• They project a better external image and reputation.

• Retain and attract talent more effectively.

Examples of female leadership in Mexico

There are many examples of women who exercise female leadership and leave their mark with their work in Mexico. Among them are:

Nazareth Black /CEO of Zacua: She leads the first Mexican company of electric cars, designed for urban mobility and contribute to the use of clean energy. It is projected as one of the companies with the greatest potential towards 2030, and Nazareth aims to open up in the market and show the great functionality, projection and sustainability of these vehicles. 

Mariel Duayhe / Soccer players’ representative: Mariel is a FIFA-accredited soccer players’ agent. In addition, she is part of the Mexican Soccer Federation, an organization that, until now, only men participated in. She represents players such as Santiago Giménez, Erick Gutiérrez and Erick Aguirre, for example. 

Bertha González Nieves / Founder of Tequila Casa Dragones: She is at the head of this luxury Mexican tequila that is globally recognized. She is the first woman to be named Maestra Tequilera by the Mexican Academy of Tequila Tasters. She is on the Executive Board of the Judd Foundation and the Executive Council of the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD). 

Blanca Treviño / President and CEO of Softtek: She is a woman who led the way back in 1982, when she founded Softtek, a company focused on information technology services, which today has 15,000 employees and 30 offices (North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia). Blanca is also a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation, the Board of Directors of Wal-Mart Mexico, the University of Monterrey, and the Tec Milenio University, among other positions. 

If you want to incorporate female leadership into your organization, which will bring significant value to it, Kilpatrick and our team of experts can help you identify great women leaders to be part of your company.