Why the Business World Needs More Women Leaders
Women have long been underrepresented in leadership positions. Discover how women are breaking barriers in leadership, and how an MBA could be the key to unlocking your full potential.
- ⏳ 3-5 min read
- MBA Studies
✨ 5-second summary
Women are still underrepresented in business leadership, but MBAs can help close the gap. Programs like Unicaf offer flexible, affordable options to empower the next generation of female leaders.
Women have long been underrepresented, underutilized, and undervalued in leadership positions in the workplace. However, the more we learn about the dynamics of the corporate world, the more we know that female leadership is critical.
Here's a closer look at the situation, where women shine, and how business degrees can help them take their rightful places at the forefront of the business world.
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The benefits of female leadership
The increased presence of women in business is a slow but necessary process. Having more women leaders isn't only a step towards gender equality. It also brings a series of advantages to the corporate world.
According to Shama Hyder, the CEO of Zen Media, the benefits of having women in the workplace include increased productivity and collaboration, better organizational dedication, and decreased employee burnout.
She also emphasizes the importance of soft skills in the work environment. Skills such as:
- Self-motivation
- Resilience
- Networking
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Collaboration
These skills have proved to be as important as the traditional "hard" skills.
"While technical skill, experience, and knowledge are fundamental to success, organizations are now holding soft skills in much higher regard," Hyder says.
The ability to better implement such skills in the workplace has made women a necessary presence in the corporate world. They are also more open to mentoring other women in their areas.
👉 Making strides yet far from equal
Despite this abundance of evidence and significant steps made to create more gender-inclusive workplaces, women still trail men in management and leadership roles.
McKinsey & Company's most recent Women in the Workplace study showed some interesting revelations:
- One in five senior business leaders in the USA is a woman.
- The numbers are even lower for women of color, who represent just one out of every 25 leaders in the corporate world.
Hyder further explains, "Many companies still don't view gender diversity as a priority because they don't see how it could benefit their bottom line."
This is a short-sighted perspective, especially given analysis suggesting that companies with women at the C-Suite level are more profitable than those without female leaders.
🦠 The post-pandemic effect
Virtually no business sector was unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and people worldwide became suddenly unemployed or had their hours cut significantly.
However, a Center for American Progress study concluded that four times as many women as men lost their jobs in September 2020. But despite the setback, or arguably because of it, women returned motivated to pursue MBAs and reroute their careers.
Elissa Sangster, CEO of the Forté Foundation, suggests what brought on such change:
"I think that the stall caused women to rethink whether they wanted to go back [to their careers]. If they did have to step away, they may be thinking, 'Do I really want to go back to what I was doing before, or is it the chance for me to make a pivot?'"
The value of MBAs for women
MBA schools play a primary role in giving women the necessary tools and skills to succeed in business and the confidence to do so.
MBAs boost confidence
MBAs are one path to helping women realize their business potential in the face of ongoing gender biases and stereotypes.
For starters, MBAs can help counter a phenomenon known as "the confidence gap," in which women tend to underestimate their performance while men tend to overestimate it.
This also means women are less likely to:
- Be as vocal about their abilities and talents
- Get noticed for their contributions
- Apply for and earn promotions and pay raises
The confidence boost that comes with an MBA may also help women push beyond their comfort zones while acquiring the skills, knowledge, credibility, and expertise they need to accept risk, lead, and innovate.
In fact, according to a study conducted by the Forté Foundation:
- 95 % of female MBA graduates experienced a confidence boost from their program
- 85 % credited their career advancement to their MBA degrees.
Another massive benefit of MBAs for women is networking. The connections and relationships developed with classmates, faculty, and community members during MBA studies can be invaluable throughout a career.
🎓 Tips to succeed in your MBA
Luckily, many business schools are taking it upon themselves to recruit more women every year, balancing the ratio of male-to-female enrollment.
For women starting their MBAs, it's essential to remember what it takes to thrive. Two essential habits for aspiring businesswomen are:
- Learning to operate outside your comfort zone
- Embracing networking
But perhaps one of the most difficult bad habits to break is being afraid to speak up. Recognizing your worth as a woman in business and knowing what you bring to the table is essential. It's easier said than done, but remember that you're capable and deserve to be heard.
Unicaf is making a difference
Now that we've addressed why more women should hold leadership positions and how MBA degrees can help support that initiative, the question is: Which programs will provide the education and support you need while also preparing you to hit the ground running in your career?
Unicaf, a global educational organisation, offers recognised online degrees in Business Administration in partnership with reputable universities in many parts of the world, including:
- The UK
- The US
- Europe
- Africa
The degrees are delivered via flexible online delivery, making them especially suitable for women who must balance school, work, and personal commitments.
💬 Hear from students
MBA graduate Macmillan Zingoni of Zimbabwe speaks about her experience:
"The modules were timely spaced, and this gave me enough time to focus on my job and my family. This opportunity was a great doorway to better opportunities and the future." She was offered a generous scholarship to pursue her academic goals.
Meanwhile, Macmillan's Nigerian classmate, Nwamaka Onwubuka, says, "I've always wanted to study at a top university (...), and Unicaf provided that."
Fellow Unicaf Scholarship recipient and MBA graduate Maggi Sinbunji of Zambia explains, "The biggest benefit for me was that I was still able to work and earn an income that is very important for my family."
This is a theme consistently heard from Unicaf students. The combination of a top-notch curriculum, flexible online delivery, and generous scholarship funding makes Unicaf an ideal learning environment for aspiring female business leaders.
So, if you're a woman who wants to earn a leadership role in business while also helping to pave the way for other women to follow, an accredited MBA degree with a Unicaf scholarship can make all the difference.
Conclusion
We've come a long way, but there is still more to be done to achieve gender equity in business leadership. Pursuing an MBA offers benefits like increased confidence, expanded networks, and flexible learning opportunities.
Programs like those provided by Unicaf are helping women worldwide take bold steps toward leadership and lasting impact.
So, if you're interested in starting your MBA journey, there's no better time than now!
Article written in association with Unicaf.
educations.com team
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The educations.com team consists of hundreds of dedicated individuals who share a passion for studying abroad. We combine our diverse strengths to guide millions of students in over 250 countries toward finding their dream education.
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