The turbulence of disruptive events highlights a management style imbued with values that are often underestimated: sensitivity, benevolence, attentive listening and empathy. These attributes, often associated with feminine leadership styles, play an instrumental role in crisis management. Beyond the clichés, women’s management skills offer an inspiring and effective model. Let’s explore how these qualities, often relegated to the background, are revolutionizing the way we approach and overcome emergencies by highlighting the case of Covid-19 pandemic crisis management.
Life balance
McKinsey’s “Women in the Workplace” study[1] highlights how women’s personal qualities interact with work-life balance: The study highlights that women demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities when it came to meeting the emotional and professional needs of their teams, particularly during peak periods when work was being carried out from home. The women’s personal qualities towards their teams are reflected in their management of work-life balance. This balanced approach has a positive effect on the company’s overall performance, highlighting the importance of balanced management of professional and personal life for optimum efficiency at work.
Human qualities
Women’s empathy, listening skills and commitment to helping colleagues navigate these complex and difficult situations were highlighted during the pandemic. Their ability to integrate these personal qualities into their professional lives has a significant impact. They manage to maintain a high level of performance while taking care of their own well-being and that of their colleagues. As the COVID-19 pandemic was a human crisis, it was all the more important to have in place managers with the ability to juggle professional and personal aspects. This comprehensive understanding of the situation and its impact on families enhances their effectiveness in the workplace and their ability to make sometimes difficult decisions.
Management efficiency
During the pandemic, statistics showed that women outperformed men in most of the skills associated with leadership in innovation, goal-setting and ambitious strategies[2] . Countries led by women have demonstrated lower rates of disease transmission and more successful strategies for recovery[3] . Furthermore, women’s associations have played a vital role in filling gaps in the provision of essential information and services, particularly at local level. Women leaders have shown a strong propensity to engage at community level to address urgent needs. Women’s participation in decision-making bodies is also associated with more sustainable policies and more balanced actions. Their presence in leadership positions fosters more diverse and ultimately informed decision-making.
In practice
- Women’s representation: Companies should track and analyze data on women’s representation at all levels of the organization, and aim to ensure that their voices are heard, particularly in key or decision-making positions. This would help identify areas where women are under-represented, and where specific measures could be taken to close these gaps.
- Optimize flexible working models: Establish clear expectations and standards for flexible working to ensure an equitable balance between face-to-face and remote working. Measure and adjust initiatives to support flexibility based on feedback and concrete results.
- Eliminate barriers to career development: Identify and eliminate potential barriers to career advancement. Ensure that career development programs are adapted to take account of the specific challenges faced by women, particularly those from under-represented groups.
In short, recognition of the attributes of female leadership is of paramount importance. Crisis management, as demonstrated by the Covid-19 pandemic, benefits greatly from qualities often associated with women, such as empathy, attentive listening and sensitivity, often relegated to the background in the professional world. Work-life balance has proven to be a crucial pillar of performance for women leaders. Their ability to maintain a level of excellence while taking care of their own well-being and that of their teams has reinforced their effectiveness in making often complex decisions. What’s more, the figures are clear: women exceeded expectations in many key areas of management during the pandemic. Lower transmission rates in female-led countries, more effective recovery strategies and remarkable community involvement underline the positive impact of female leadership. However, for these skills and vision to fully flourish, equal representation of women in decision-making bodies is essential to create environments that foster equity, inclusion and recognition of female leadership. However, it is important to avoid glass precipices, i.e. the positioning of women in key positions whose mandate is doomed to failure.
Camille Mc Innis
Partner at Cygnus Stratégies, a company specializing in the development and execution of emergency preparedness, business continuity and crisis management plans.
Camille Mc Innis
Associate
4795 Ste Catherine W., Westmount, Quebec, H3Z 1S8
[1] Women in the workplace, 2023 report, McKinsey & Company, : https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
[2] Women are better leaders, especially during a crisis, Harvard Business Review: https://www.hbrfrance.fr/magazine/2021/08/37361-les-femmes-sont-de-meilleurs-leaders-surtout-pendant-une-crise/
[3] Women, face of the crisis, United Nations: https://www.un.org/sg/fr/content/sg/articles/2021-03-04/crisis-womans-face