Millennial women possess new world leadership qualities and will break the glass ceiling

In The New World Marketplace, businesses are redefining the new leadership skills and capabilities required for building and sustaining successful and profitable businesses. And Gen Y women have a natural advantage in contributing to this new leadership construct.

All the research I’ve done over the years suggests that Gen Y women are far more career focused, confident of themselves, have clear views on equality of men and women at workplace as well as at home, and have demonstrated that with passion and commitment with their families, versus prior generations. They are able to grow successfully with the progressive organizations and make a significant impact.

But don’t take my word for it. A McKinsey report shows that companies with gender-balanced executive committees have a 56% higher operating profit compared to companies with male-only companies. Another study conducted by Catalyst shows a 26% difference in return on invested capital between companies with 19-44% women board directors as compared with those who had no women on their boards. Hence increasingly businesses are working towards hiring and retaining larger percentage of women in their workforce.

Why are women contributing to higher success? These studies indicate reasons through women’s unique characteristics that businesses can benefit from namely, multitasking, paying attention to detail, conflict resolution, ability to deal with fuzziness, flexibility and creativity required for problem solving. These are some of the key capabilities in demand today as businesses are redefining the new leadership capabilities required for building and sustaining successful businesses.

Those of you reading my blogs regularly know that I stand against stereotyping based on gender. So, I must add that men possessing these qualities are and will be just as successful of leaders as women—yet, it’s hard to dispute that women in general, and Gen Y women in specific, have a natural inherent advantage with these qualities and are not afraid to express them.

This article suggests that another significant factor that makes Gen Y women stand out is the fact that they have embraced digital technology with ease. They are savvy consumers of technology and are certainly more comfortable with gadgets and devices as compared to Gen X women and on par with Gen Y men. Technology has played an important role in liberating Gen Y women from lack of awareness and exposure to the world at large and making them more confident. IT/ITES industry in India has close to 30-35% Gen Y women as part of the workforce competing for prime career opportunities impacting the global corporations with their technology prowess.

And of course, you’ve heard me say for years that Gen Y women view success as being able to shape their own path and future. Sure, they like to get married and have kids, but not at the same rate as previous generations, and certainly not at the expense of their career and social/cultural equality with men.

So, here’s the big question: Will Gen Y women be first to break the glass ceiling? Research predicts YES….!!!

We keep hearing from feminist leaders that despite all the empowerment initiatives out there for women, at the current rate, we will never close the gender gap in business leadership. And I’ve been saying all along that is not true….not at the current rate of women in mid-management levels, rapid rate of retirement for baby boomers, and the business cultural shifts we are experiencing. Now, there is research from global talent solutions company, Hudson, supporting my prediction and proving that women in their twenties and early thirties will be the first generation to break the glass ceiling.

According to the results, which analysed 28,000 psychometirc tests across 20 different countries, Gen Y females scored 18% higher than Gen Y males on organization, 10% higher on people skills and 12% higher on social confidence.  When compared to Baby Boomer males, the difference in skill areas became more acute: Younger females ranked 16% higher on people skills, 22% higher on social confidence and 21% higher on ambition.

As it relates to traditional leadership skills, this research shows baby boomers were 28% more decisive than Gen Y….and Gen X 13% more strategic than Gen Y. I think this is certainly correlated to age and experience on the job.

The need for persuasive, confident and extravert leaders has been replaced by socially confident and organized bosses, who have the people skills to manage the shifting demographics of tomorrow’s workforce.

Simply look around, and you will see that today’s workforce is truly multi-generational. This is a global phenomenon. And with the rapid rate of retirement of baby boomers, the work force is being replaced by a generation with huge psychological differences and gender balance. And once again, the leadership attributes found in Gen Y women display attributes of tomorrow’s leaders.

It’s true that 80% of executive directors on the boards of the FTSE 100 may currently be male, but the findings of this research show that, as business practice continues to evolve and progress, Gen Y women are better placed than ever before to position themselves at the top of businesses over the next decade and possess all of the right skills to help them navigate a technologically data-driven future.

“With their chart-leading altruism and optimism, and their progressive people skills, these women will lead by laying out a vision and welcoming those who want to take part,” the report said.

The New World Marketplace leaders and bosses will look very different than the leaders and the bosses we have today.  They must understand these disruptive cultural and demographic shifts and support the generational evolution.

Are you ready to shift in 2015?