More women are earning college degrees and entering the workforce, yet woman only make up 4% of the CEO’s in fortune 500 companies, and 17% of Congress (Simon, 2016).
Despite these statistics, a leader wether male or female, should always stay true to themselves regardless of who they lead. It should not matter if you are leading all men, woman, Caucasians or African Americans. However, adjusting your communication style to meet people where they are at should always be a part of a leader’s toolbox. It is important that a leader is cognizant of their teams’ cultural beliefs, and the world views that drive their behaviors. Understanding these things about their team allows the leader the ability to connect with her team in a way that drives engagement and organizational performance. Therefore, a good leader is constantly adjusting their communication approach. This is not to say they are changing who they are at their core. It is to say they understand the idiosyncrasies of their team and the best way to work with them. If a woman has an all-male leadership team, like any other team she should learn what matters to the team and to the individuals that make up the team. A senior management team will have different goals, and the leader will never meet each team members expectations, but they can create a shared vision (Burke & Freidman, 2011). In the case example the two male directors that left, did so because they felt the focus of the organization was moving away from scientific inquiry (Burke & Freidman, 2011). The question becomes was this due to an inherent bias that women are not as adept in science, feeding into Dr. Gerberding’s experience or was it because they felt the reorganization would take precedent over research.
Dr. Gerberding’s experience in the past may have influenced how she led. She may have felt that she needed to prove herself as a leader and a female scientist. Especially with a team of all-male leaders reporting to her. However, as the leader I would put the onus on her to understand those biases in herself and come to the table with a clear vision for her team. As the leader she needs to model the behaviors she expects from her team. If she came in making sweeping changes with out buy in from her team or creating a clear vision the team will come to their own conclusions as to what those changes could mean.
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If I were in Dr. Gerberding’s position, I would regroup before rolling out the reorganization. It appears her team does not feel it aligns with their mission, they are worried about their jobs, and they simply don’t understand the need for the change. Per the survey the employees took, she has not done a good job of getting buy-in for the reorganization. It would serve her well to assess her team, from senior leaders to front line staff. She should spend some time listening to their concerns. This could be done via town halls with individual teams or departments. She needs a better feel for her current culture before she makes big changes. And she needs to include them in the change.
Burke, R. E., & Friedman, L. H. (2011). Essentials of Management and Leadership in Public Health. Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/jonesandbartlett/2011/essentials-of-management-and-leadership-in-public-health_ebook_1e.php
Simon, C. (2016). Men still dominate the top; adjusting everyday norms could prompt change, analysts say. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/03/the-costs-of-inequality-for-women-progress-until-they-get-near-power/
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