Recently we revealed the findings of a report that showed the proportion of senior business roles held by women in the UK had fallen from 21% in 2016 to 19% in 2017.
On the face of it, that’s a rather bleak recruitment backdrop – with as much promise and positivity as Granny Ina’s blackout curtains.
But hold everything!
There are women bucking the trend . . . and forging stellar careers in the process.
Step forward, please, Ms Paula Nickolds!
The 43-year-old Londoner began her career in the haberdashery department of a John Lewis store 22 years ago.
Is she still working haberdashery? Yes. She’s also working in electrical, cosmetics, clothes, perfumes, gardening and every other department of the 48-store chain.
How does she do all this? Easy: she’s become John Lewis’s first female Managing Director.
It’s the success story of a passionate graduate trainee who moved up through the ranks and into the boardroom.
Not only is Ms Nikolds the first woman MD in John Lewis’s 152-year history, she’s also the only female boss of a high street store group in the UK.
Should we be surprised a woman has broken through the retail industry’s glass ceiling?
Not at all.
When consulting firm Zenger Folkman studied gender disparities in senior management, it found companies are actually given an added advantage when they use women’s leadership skills to engage workers.
The firm studied 16,000 business leaders – one-third women, two-thirds men – as well as their managers and employees.
Their findings showed women scored better than men in 12 of 16 leadership talents, including the ability to instantly take the initiative.
Women also outperformed men in areas such as collaboration and teamwork, self-development and building relationships.
It seems, even if some companies haven’t realised it yet, women are consistently on top for leadership qualities.
In fact, according to similar research carried out by Dr Helen Fisher, women have what scientists call ‘executive social skills’.
According to the anthropology professor, women’s brains have evolved a keener ability to pick up the nuances of posture and gesture, read complex emotions in faces, and hear slight changes in the tone of voices.
We’d have to say Granny Ina is living proof of this – just ask poor Grampa Jack!
And because of this, women are experts at cultivating deep and trusting relationships – making them perfect leaders.
Why not use your own natural talents in a top Executive and Management role from s1jobs?