Companies need to invest in women’s advancement. They must foster cultures that fully embrace the diversity of thought and leadership traits women leaders bring to the table.
‘If more women were working in the energy field, the energy transition would advance more quickly, (and) more inclusively.’
CEO of Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition, Christine Lins’ bold statement opens the door to a critical discussion. Does the data support her view and beyond renewable energy, does it also apply to other traditionally male-dominated industries undergoing rapid transformation, such as Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC)?
Women and Leadership Excellence
According to research, Lins’ argument is not only intriguing; it is true. Data collected by Harvard Business Review found that women more consistently and extensively demonstrate critical leadership qualities than men. The study found that out of 19 core capabilities contributing to excellence in leadership, women ranked higher than men in 17 areas. Women scored very high in resilience, initiative, self-development, integrity, and honesty.
One key leadership trait that stands out prominently is women’s ability to drive results and adapt. Research proves companies with more female executives generate higher share price gains, more revenue growth, and higher profits. “Women make highly competent leaders,” the study notes. “When given opportunities, women are just as likely to succeed in higher-level positions as men.”
Regarding Lins’ second point about women and inclusive workplaces, research once again supports her perspective. As noted in a McKinsey report, women are significantly ‘more likely than senior-level men to embrace employee-friendly policies and programs and to champion racial and gender diversity.’
Cynthia has over 30 years of combined experience in Executive Search, Recruiting, Investigative Research, Business Development, Marketing, and Leadership Coaching. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, in January 2009 Cynthia joined TRANSEARCH Mexico as a consulting partner, where she performed full-cycle recruiting, from business development and client management to interviewing and selecting and finest executive talent from Mexico, the US & Canada, and Latin America. In April 2019, she joined TRANSEARCH USA as a Senior Recruiter in the Chicago office, while supporting business development for TRANSEARCH Mexico. Cynthia has worked in various industry sectors ranging including Energy, Mining, Chemicals, Healthcare and IT, Automotive, Retail, and Infrastructure/Construction. She has also recruited in a wide range of functional areas. Cynthia has a Master´s degree with Honours in International Management. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Spanish. Cynthia is a trained Leadership Coach and certified in various assessment tools including Hogan Assessments, currently used along with Orxestra to evaluate and develop executives and their teams.
