Gender, Leadership and Change

Georgia Duerst-LahtiTirana

Women As Symbol

Leadership can be:

Holding a position Holding a singular position Having followers who follow

But, perception…..

Gender Paradigms

Complementarity Individuality

CorporativeCivic

Egality

Complementarity

sexed-bodies “recommend” gender roles

gender roles exist regardless of who fills

advantage in gender dualism; pleasure in sex difference

orthodoxy of roles and power relations

masculine public, feminale home

Individuality-Corporative

interchangeable humans with potential gender roles are mere functions and

choices desire a gender irrelevant public world blind to difference and structural

constraints inequalities from individual action and

choice free within extant masculinist system

Individuality-Civic

individuals more similar than different

individual gender options within ordinary bounds

deal with gendered inequalities masculine can learn from feminale approach change from inside extant

masculinist system

Egality (Gender Mainstream)

uncouple gender roles from sexed bodies move beyond gender orthodoxy increase value of feminale change boundaries of masculine add more sex-gender options construct new system

Perceive Women’s Leadership

Complementarity Individuality-Corporative

Individuality-

Civic

Egality: Gender Mainstream

Out of place Do it like a man Compete but change All types of humans lead

Some issues for women

Mostly issues are for all

Some issues for women

All issues are gendered

OK if home is fine Up to individual Up to her, with help Recast ideas of a leader

The process of change

Precursors to Change

Multiple versions of same point 80/20 principle (Vilfredo Pareto, Richard

Koch) Accomplish most, with modest but well

placed effort not 50-50 rule: Equal effort to all parts

Mental Representations Content (basic idea) Form (way content is presented)

More on Content

Concepts term, closely related entities

Stories narratives of events over time

Theories formal explanations of processes

Skills (form and content) procedures know how to carry out

7 R’s of Mind Changing

Reason Research Resonance Representational Redescriptions Resources and Rewards Real World Events Resistances

Truisms About Mind Changing

It is never easy: Resistances 6 R’s combine in various ways Is unlikely to occur when resistances

are strong and other factors do not point strongly in one direction

Intelligences and a Mind Change

Involves a change in mental representation How one thinks about an idea What (concept), how operates (theory),

do (skill) Appealing to more intelligences

increases chances of mind change

Some Types of Intelligence

Symbolic Analytic Linguistic, logical, mathematical

Noncanonical Musical, spacial, bodily-kinesthetic,

naturalist Personal

Inter, emotional, intra Existential

Why? meaning

Learned Earliest and Best

Humans primed for some theories Correlation causes, reinforcement

entrenches Early theories especially difficult to

alter Conserve what we know “naturally” Predilection for parsimony

Factors that Entrench

Emotional resonance and commitment

Easier Public commitment Personality

Rigid and certain (authoritarian) Learn by conserving ideas

Factors that Impel Change

Proclivity to adopt a stance New environment; powerfz ul, resource-

rich option Mastery of current mental representation Superior mental representation Strong desire to understand better Competence Scaffolding (just enough support,

willingness)

Match Audience with Strategy

Large change, diverse audience (e.g., nation)

Large changes, shared audience (e.g., agency)

Intimate (e.g., one key person)

Yourself

Change: Large and Diverse

Recognize, acknowledge, undermine current story

Develop new, good story Construct evocative symbols Tell over and over Embody with action and symbol Help audience understand why

better

7 R’s: Large and Diverse Change

Identify which representations—stories Imaginatively use reason, multiple

representations, resonance with experiences

Mollify resistances (anticipate, address) Take advantage of real world Marshal whatever resources possible

Organizational Level

Common knowledge, experience Shared purpose, common destiny Simpler changes trump complex

ones But, complex easier in contained

setting

Steps to Changing Minds

Learn from others (research) Challenge resistances in each key

constituency (directly and not) Initiate new practices (resources,

rewards) Have good new story (redescription) Work resonances, real world, and

reason Time, toil, and trouble

Failures of Org. Change

Hyperbole in story Too few details, supporting facts Blinded by own aspirations Wrong resonance, reward Don’t embody story

Hallmarks of Effectiveness

Intelligences Instinct Integrity

Intelligences

Know how to: create right story, communicate well, change if need be

Understand others: motive, listen, respond

Existential: pose and answer own big questions, share vision

Also: logic-math, know oneself, hire smart people, clear goals, act consistently, draw upon shared, address schooled and unschooled mind

Instincts

Right move in particular situation Become aware of “gut” Put intuition into words, test on

trusted others Learn from mistakes; processes not

blame Crises create opportunities

Integrity

Take time for daily reflection, analysis

Go to the mountain top occasionally Be open to real world changes Be sensitive to valid strains in

counter stories Commit deeply to mission Have humility about actual potency

Think Different(ly)

E.g., from telephones to information Provide info constantly Discuss difficulties frankly Commit to help “land on feet” Stories: excite, resonate with

reality, embody truth Have integrity

Innovating in Public Organizations

Qualities of Innovators

Personal involvement Strives to achieve Sees self as instigator Plenty of imagination Critical and analytical thinker Leads and manages well

To Lead Innovation

Proactively seek improvements Broker power

Know who and how Timing

Find resources Gain support Trust, trust, trust

Champion and Negotiate Listen, generate, ideas and strategies Encourage and sponsor (empower) followers

Stages of Organizational Change

Establish sense of urgency Create guiding coalition Develop vision and strategy Communicate change vision (over and over) Empower others Generate short term wins Consolidate change to produce more

change Anchor new approaches in culture

Skills to Master

Creative problem-solving

Visioning and strategic planning

Framing and agenda setting

Dialogue and commitment

Analyze feasibility Pilot and

experiment Empowering

followers Redesign the

organization Assess and get

feedback

Accounting for Women’sLeadership Success

Capable women,

and…..

+ female voters+ individual desire+ public policy+ implementation advocates+ time- tradition- backlash- time (pipeline, comfort, reputation)= Current Success

Success Formula

Transgendered Elements of Success

Hard work Perform beyond expectations Resilience Make self visible to policy makers or top

management Take risks and act boldly Grow thick skin

Why Bother? Women

In office care more about “women’s” policies than do men.

Tend to have a more open style and democratic than men

Bring life experiences to the table for all issues

Democracy and legitimacy are at stake.

Advice

Choose battles wisely Take responsibility for your own

development Use institutional resources you have Build your policy resources Run for office, get appointed.

Only you can change your own mind

Sometime events precipitate Usually happens gradually

Slowly accumulate new info Intuit change more than decide

Can do deliberately Desire Effort New mental representations

And Finally

Work on issues you care about Passion makes you willing to work Never doubt that a small group of

thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has (Margaret Mead).