Women in leadership – Marthie de Kock

“Women must rise above being good managers of – men, the home, the children and all things spicy and sweet – and boldly step into visionary leadership” – Lucy Oriang, journalist

is interesting to note that leadership simultaneously seems to have become more complex and sophisticated over the past few years. In the former industry–controlled era, leadership was essentially linked to good management, increased production and efficiency. However, it has become clear that society has progressed to a more knowledge-based, networked world that has called for new ways of leading, relating, learning and influencing change. The focus has moved to people centred, informally driven leadership that allows for social change with an emphasis on relationships, experiences and learning. However, research has shown that although larger organisations

A

s women are entering and progressing in the business world it

believe that leadership is a multifaceted dynamic entity, it is often still influenced by a key demographic factor, namely, gender. To an extent gender is related

to judgemental opinions of how women and men should think and behave, These are expectations of how they should act because of the kind of behaviour society expects of them, not because of their biological differences. Stereotyping is observed as perceptions of certain qualities distinguishing definite groups or people. The question is: are women leaders in any way different from men or is this only a perception? Keeping this in mind, what does leadership then mean to women in Africa? We should understand that “African women” are not a homogeneous group and that the cultural, social and economic world in which they

operate may well influence their own and other people’s descriptions of what it signifies to be a leader. According to Bert Olivier from the Nelson Mandela University, a true leader is simultaneously one of, and different from the people who are his or her ‘subjects’. This argument speaks to the essential skills needed to be able to assess, co-ordinate and communicate with a group or community while still remaining one amongst them. Celebrating the collective environment with its people rather than the individuals has always been an important value for a continent such as Africa where the community is respected and ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.

Gender Equity The Corporate Council of Africa (CCA) website refers to Gender Equity as requiring

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people” – Mahatma Gandhi

46 Management Today | August 2011