IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge: Lucinda Kemeny

Disclaimer: Please note that all commentary and opinions provided in this interview are those of the individual and not the organisation/company they are employed by. 

What skills and attributes do female leaders bring to create diverse leadership at management level?

I think some women are able to see an issue holistically and potentially from less obvious angles. This can create different conversations which takes in the repercussions for a broader set of stakeholders. I think research has also shown that women may also be more attuned to displaying empathy which is a skill that is increasingly being tested by today’s workforce.

How can female leaders ensure they get a seat at the table? 

It very much depends on the organisation but quite often having the support of someone more senior in a mentoring role will help enormously. Obviously having good ideas and operating at the very top of your game is a given but unless someone is hired with a succession plan for a Board seat, or hired at Board level, or the senior jobholder in that department leaves, it can be very difficult to get that recognition.

Why is it important that we “choose to challenge” and call out gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping?

For my mother’s generation, discrimination in the workplace was common practice and unfortunately things do not always change of their own accord. Multiple voluntary efforts globally to improve board diversity have shown that this challenge needs to be actively made so that organisations are forced to hold up a mirror in order to reduce bias in all its forms. 

Click below to read the full edition of IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge: Female Leaders Across The Globe. https://indd.adobe.com/embed/bb2678fd-fafb-4e5f-b57b-bbe97612e7cf?startpage=1&allowFullscreen=true