There were some interesting points from the video Women, Ambition, and (Still) the Pay Gap from the Harvard Business Review by Mrs. Rosabeth Moss Kanter.   I really appreciate how she kept the conversation neutral.  She even stated how women were making moves to top level positions; just not at an extremely fast pace.  Yukl, made two extreme points on sex based discrimination that I feel Mrs. Kanter elaborated on in a fair and just manner.  The first point Yukl discussed how society still has the perception that men are more qualified than women.  The second point Yukl discussed is how women should now hold 50% of the top level positions.   Mrs. Kanter did not reinforce either of these opinions.  She was very detailed in her explanation of how women may have different priorities than the male executive; particularly when it comes to family.  Now she did make a point that to eliminate such discrimination is to look at the person from a neutral position; based on what they want out of their career.  Not every female is family oriented and not every male wants the stressful 24/7 work environment.  The next point that stood out to me is the 50% number; I feel Yukl failed here.  This is like saying there needs to be a quota.  If this quota is used as is, it is a basis for discrimination in itself and will ignore the qualifications of the individual.  The last point I think needs to be addressed is personality issues.  Yukl discussed how women are seen as too kind, to compassionate nurturing and too open to sharing.  I am not sure if Mrs. Kanter agrees with this, as a matter of fact, I do not agree with this.  Some women in history have shredded such a perception like the past prime minister of England.   Margaret Thatcher, the first woman to hold the position. During her three terms, she cut social welfare programs, reduced trade union power, and privatized certain industries thus changing an entire culture.  Mrs. Thatcher earned the nicknamed the "Iron Lady," because of the way she ruled England from 1979 to 1990.  Even in more recent times, women are making the hard unpopular decisions that society would expect the male executive to make.  A perfect example would be Yahoo’s new CEO, Marissa Mayer, who many praised for her bold leadership, arguing that she had made a tough but savvy business decision that might help yank Yahoo back from the edge of extinction. While others see her leadership style as a mistake, treating capable employees like children. Just like here male, only time will tell on how good her leadership was.  I thing one could say that whether one is a man or a women the true test of their ambition and leadership capabilities can only truly be judge after their time in whatever power position they hold has passed.

 

A511.7.4.RB - Reflection Blog: Leadership Analysis. Getting Personal on the Topic of Leadership

So the question of the day is to reflect on “what differences distinguishes me and would help me in living and acting on the basis of my leadership core values.”  First and foremost, I believe in numerous things when it comes to leadership.  The two values that probably are the most important to me are self-improvement and accountability.  I think self-improvement speaks for itself.  Leadership is not a skill that grows on its own, it must be fed.  I am an educator who teaches in different mediums.  What I have learned to focus on more than anything is the importance of communication; both verbal and non-verbal.  When in large groups, I have learned to avoid being the focus of any group.  I listen to what people are saying.  This has taught me to tailor my conversation to any audience that is presented before me.  I am very passionate about this part of my self-improvement and how much I value it.  I often find myself looking for creative ways to communicate better and watching great leaders speak on video; often rewinding videos over and over trying to immolate a particular communication style or trait they have.  I even watch not so great speakers in an attempt to identify flaws in their communication.  Maybe, I am somewhat paranoid that someone will be better than I.  In author Jim Collins wrote a book entitled, "Great by Choice," where he states that the best-performing companies are led by leaders who exhibit fanatic discipline, productive paranoia, and empirical creativity.  I would like to think that I fit into that category.  I believe any leader needs to be critical of themselves and what they have done in the past, always looking for self-improvement (for me that would be communication).  That being said a healthy degree of paranoia is an essential component of any leader's outlook.  However, there is a downside to my slight obsession with the art of communication.  Lessons I have learned through self-improvement are tightly guarded.  I don’t like to share the techniques I have learned.  Okay let me rephrase, I don’t like sharing with individuals I feel have not earned such knowledge.  This is where my obsession with accountability comes in.  I have always believed that you are responsible for the majority your own professional growth and you are accountable for such growth.  Neither the world nor any chosen organization owes you the opportunity to learn to be better at whatever you chose in life.