Insights on Women and Men in Global Leadership

We hosted a globinar with the team at Reesmarx titled “Insights on Women and Men in Global Leadership.” The conversation covered women and men in the workplace, including progress made and next steps — globally. Our approach was informational on the progress women have made, and we also heard from strong women and men in business talk about their growth, struggles, lessons and mentors. Contact us for the full video.

Topics covered included:

• Benefit of having a woman’s perspective for global growth
• Benefit of having women on the executive team and board of directors 
• Women not asking for enough when taking a new role
• Women always looking at why they are not fit for roles vs why they are
• Women worried about how they are perceived by being direct
• Structural issues such as pay gaps and how to overcome them
• Women looking at seniority very differently from men
• Why teamwork can work so well — balance of skills and emotional intelligence 

This conversation was helpful for both women and men as they navigate leadership challenges in today’s world. One of the compelling stories shared was from Lynn Bamford, president of Defense & Power, Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Bamford shared that earlier in her career, she was on an executive team that was undergoing a merger with another company, and one of the male executives at the other company was sending clear signs questioning Bamford, very likely because of her being a woman. What followed was Bamford confronting the situation very transparently and professionally. You’ll want to hear what happened next — definitely listen to Bamford’s story, as it will be helpful and informative for all leaders as they confront challenges from others. 

All the speakers had a lot to contribute, and here is a brief summary of Bamford’s tips:

• Don’t assume – ask plenty of questions and understand first.
• Let your work product speak for your contributions.
• Don’t be biased in your actions at work.
• Lean forward and be part of the conversation(s).
• Use your knowledge of sports to build relationships with men.
• Be able to have touch conversations (like the story highlighted above).
• Be authentic — show empathy, be humble and be a team player.
• Yvonne Luker is managing director at Global Chamber^®.