HALF THE WORKFORCE, FULL POTENTIAL: WOMEN, LEADERSHIP, AND THE FUTURE OF HUMAN VALUE

Abstract The author is Research Director of the Management as a Liberal Art Research Institute (MLARI). She notes the evolution of women in the workforce, especially in leadership within the business world, between 1996, the founding year of Leader to Leader, and presently. At the time, she was working as a financial consultant within a large brokerage. Looking back at that time period, “I can't help but be astonished by the remarkable changes we've seen in the role of women in leadership.” She cites numerous examples within business, politics, and elsewhere. She discusses challenges, achievements, and contributions of female leaders, as well as advancements in leadership research. She cites a number of statistics and relevant research from the academic literature. She asserts that “we continue to face problems with employee engagement, which causes lost productivity and profits globally. Bringing women onto the leadership team may, as research indicates, increase collaboration and productivity.”