Time ripe for more women to take up leadership roles, and not just in businesses

Many organisations are beginning to include women on their boards.

Recently, Facebook Inc appointed its first female board member.

The global trend is that women have value to add to the leadership of organisations.

The Bible talks of a great female leader called Deborah. She was not only a judge but also a spiritual leader and the mother of the nation of Israel.
Among Deborah’s many credentials was giving the general of the army a battle strategy against Israel’s enemies which led to victory.

There are many Deborahs in today’s corporate world. These are women with strong leadership skills who are beginning to get recognition.

Many women are taking up leadership roles in organisations, which is not only attributable to their empowerment but also due to the fact that there is a general shift in management strategies.

Today, many business coaches advice the inclusion of women who possess leadership qualities on boards of directors so as to encourage diversity in boardroom affairs.

Business coaches are of the view that a homogenous board is counterproductive in an increasingly dynamic business environment.

Consumers needs are changing rapidly, the way business is conducted is changing, and so is the global environment. Experts are of the view that making boards as diverse as possible improves the performance of organisations.

A board made up of the same gender and similar personality type would be unable to tackle situations arising in a business environment.

In the past, a typical board member was a mature person with the preferred personality type being the choleric or melancholic.

Young, outgoing CEOs are a new phenomenon. The sanguine personality allows for creativity and innovation which are key factors in driving vision. While experts argue that no one personality is perfect, they also agree that having a diverse board is the best for performance.

Today, the world is witnessing the rise of many young CEOs, what is important is their vision and ability. I attended a talk forum by a young successful entrepreneur who runs a business worth hundreds of millions of shillings.

The reason for his success, he said, was a workforce of innovative young people.

To boost performance, he embraced the importance of making his organisation generation Y friendly. His office premises include a basketball pitch. He also is not strict on the 8am to 5pm working hours rules as generation Y staff prefer flexible working hours.