Women's Day: The Yin and Yang of leadership

There has been an ongoing dialogue about challenges women encounter in the workspace and efforts being made to accelerate their growth and development and help women break the proverbial glass ceiling.

One of the many things that adversely impact women from occupying leadership roles has to do with long held gender stereotypes that reinforce that women do not lead as effectively as men. The commonly held notion depicts men as dominant, assertive and taking charge vis a vis women who are seen more as compassionate, friendly, sensitive, collaborative.

Since traditionally the left-brained thinking, rational, objective, numeric, and logical attributes have been considered as keys to leadership success, the gender stereotype of men matches well with those held for leaders.

To fix this problem, often women are expected to take on a different persona and demonstrate behaviors more like men to be taken seriously for leadership roles.

This leaves women leaders with contradictory pressures from the female gender role and leadership roles, creating “a double bind” between being tough versus being nice.

However we are seeing a shift in the economy and society as it transitions to the conceptual age as described by Daniel Pink as ‘an economy and society built on the inventive, empathetic, big picture capabilities of what’s rising’.

This means we now need to rely more on our right brained thinking – attributes traditionally associated with women. As we evolve, we realize that for a society to thrive and flourish, balance is of essence – the ability to manage paradoxes and hold dichotomies simultaneously.

One would have to regard leadership as requiring feminine as well as masculine traits - the yin and the yang. Yin-Yang describes seemingly contradictory forces which are actually complementary and interdependent, and their integration not only creates harmony, but also makes for a greater, more complete "whole."

In the true spirit of diversity and leveraging on the differences, if we can build on strengths of each person and the unique gifts they have to offer, I believe we can create a more fulfilling, engaged and holistic culture where each person can aspire to be a leader by being comfortable in their own skin.

The future success of organizations lies in effectively harnessing an integrated leadership style led by fully engaged, balanced teams of men and women working together and creating the most optimal results. I will end with my favorite lines from the book Unposted letters by the voice Ra. of the Infinitheism path.

“What water can do, gasoline cannot; what copper can, gold cannot. The fragility of the ant enables it to move. The rigidity of the tree enables it to stay rooted. Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness to serve a purpose. How can I be anyone other than me, even if I have my share of weaknesses? Why should I struggle to be someone else, even if someone’s strengths appeal to me? I am here to be I".

(Asmita Bhattacharjee is a Human Resources professional, who has been instrumental in implementing resonant leadership principles to build an inclusive environment. She can be reached at sen.asmita@gmail.com)