How far do gender differences go? How far can courage take us?

 

    What? 

In leadership, courage can be a catalyst for moving forward and creating space for global change. Similar to how leadership does not equal power, courage does not equal fearless (Novogratz, 2020). Courage is what allowed Novogratz to initialize her entrepreneurial experiences, with encouragement from her parents who believed she could do anything; Their belief in her and her siblings funneled into her having that same faith in herself (Novogratz, 2020). Being afraid does not make us small, it is not believing we can move towards our goals despite our fear that can keep us small (Novogratz, 2020). Novogratz writes about her uncomfortable and unsafe experience with a man whom she babysat for and how this experience, though her parents taught her to be courageous, allowed her lack of faith in herself to drive her actions and decisions.

So What?

While parents or adults in our lives may show us how to and encourage us to utilize our courage, there may be institutions or societal standards that hinder our ability to do so.  systems that hold space for one particular group above others have begun deteriorating and young adults of today have opportunities to dismantle these systems from the inside and reallocate their power back to themselves. One of the groups these institutions can displace power from is based on gender. Gender roles and expectations pave the way for which people expect us to move through the world, not necessarily the way that we do. Females are more often associated with traits like empathy, while males are more often associated with competitiveness or antisocial behavior (Eagly et al., 2020). Girls are idealized with expectations of being nice and polite (Novogratz, 2020), as they are attributed to more communion style attributes that indicate they are viewed based on how they revolve around others (Eagly et al., 2020). Some world leaders really use their more empathetic nature to their advantage and as a core driver for their success in bettering their piece of global society. For instance, AOC in her efforts to push for better green initiatives, frames her reasonings on doing better for our children and their futures (Stefani, 2022). This is a real-world example of a woman who is using her empathy change for a global society, especially where many politicians are only concerned about financial profits and not the risk of social or global deficits. Although this is an example of a female using characteristics that are often expected of a female in a setting that up until recent decades was not a space women would be in, there are many times where females do not fit that mold that society has created. Beyond their character, fear of shame or rejection can make one second guess what they feel they should do based on their instincts and do what they feel will cause less noise or accommodate expectations more sufficiently.

Now, What?

How do we teach courage? I can foster a space for an individual to have the confidence to turn the courage and ideas to action, but how can we make sure this translates to their experience outside of a controlled setting. This is where, as a global society, leaders must strive for systemic change. We must highlight examples like AOC and Jacinda Ardern who may have characteristics anticipated for females but also have the courage to hold hard and firm to what they believe is right for their cause and stand for more than just their constituents: they may not be fearless but the act for what they think is right despite fear for the consequences. As a female leader, I think a part of my responsibility is to be a role model who shows that is okay to be afraid, to have courage, and to not behave in the way that people suggest you should or expect you to. To change this expectation in a global society, because gender roles and expectations extend beyond national divides, it will take local, societal, organizational leaders to start little fires everywhere and hope they catch and spread.

 

References

 

Eagly, A. H., Nater, C., Miller, D. I., Kaufmann, M., & Sczesny, S. (2019, July 18). Gender Stereotypes Have Changed: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of U.S. Public Opinion Polls From 1946 to 2018. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000494

Novogratz, J. (2020). Manifesto for a moral revolution: practices to build a better world (First edition.). Henry Holt and Company.

Steffani, L. (2022). From a Sea of Grey to a Sky of Blue: Global Women Leaders Providing Rays of Hope. In Perruci, G. (Ed.). The study and practice of global leadership (pp.227-240). Emerald Publishing Limited.