There is a famous dictum that “Behind Every Successful Man, there is a Woman” and we also live in a society where the success of women is defined by his man supported and provided financial aid or their families were there to provide her. There have been many misconceptions about women leaders over the years that “women are too emotional” “women leaders are bossy!” “will kids get in the way of their work?”
Breaking Stereotypes and Creating Milestones:
If we look at history you will witness a list of women who went beyond the norms of patriarchal society and left their mark in the world. They fight against odds, stereotypes, ageism, restrictions and that’s why we see a large number of women entrepreneurs in the male-dominated society or businesses.
Emma Walmsley CEO at GSK is not only hailed as the powerful woman in the Pharmaceutical Industry but also among the most successful businesswomen in the UK. She was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer in early 2017 from her last profile as the head of GSK Consumer Care.
Her success is even more impressive as she doesn’t come from any scientific background, instead of gathering her remarkable skillset from the various marketing and general management roles undertaken during her 17-year career at L’Oréal. Married with four children, she is an inspiration to many hard-working, ambitious women who are anxious to see that success doesn’t have to cost them their family life.
Women Workforce:
Below are some of the tips we encourage our women workforce to break stereotypes and rise through leadership roles.
- Be an individual so people view you first, not your Gender.
- Let your company know that your personal goals are separate from your work ones – just like your coworkers.
- Find the leadership style that works for you be it the classically female “leading from the center”
- Seek your real allies. Gender does not always predict the level of support you will receive.
- Look to role models. If it’s been done before, you can do it too.