Designing Your Female Leadership Journey in Independent Schools
Kathleen McNamaraHead of School
Colleen SchillyHead of Lower School
Kathleen
Colleen
How We Found Each Other and Why We Keep in Touch!
Who is in the room?
How YOUR Story Informs YOUR Leadership
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How do YOU lead?“A brave leader is not someone who is armed with all the answers...a leader is anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” - Brené Brown
● Know your values● Articulate your leadership style● Find your school “match”● Attend to your evolution as a leader
➔ New York Times
➔ NAIS
➔ NCAIS
➔ PEW
➔ HBR
What does the RESEARCH say?
What challenges might women face in leadership?
Table of Contents: Harvard Business Review’s Newest Issue
“Our analysis suggests that the difference in promotion rates between men and women in this company was due not to their behavior but to how they were treated. This indicates that arguments about changing women’s behavior — to “lean-in,” for example — might miss the bigger picture: Gender inequality is due to bias, not differences in behavior.”
“The disenchantment of women with their managerial job experience has troubling implications for organizations. To the extent that women’s satisfaction with their jobs deteriorates after managerial promotions — while the job satisfaction of their male peers increases — women are less likely to further consider top managerial jobs, thus reducing the pool of female talent for upper management.”
“The bottom line of our study is that women do “ask” just as often as men. They just don’t “get.”...The bottom line is that the patterns we have found are consistent with the idea that women’s requests for advancement are treated differently from men’s requests. Asking does not mean getting — at least if you are a female.”
“We further found that the gender of the person speaking up was an important consideration: The status bump and leader emergence that resulted from speaking up with ideas only happened for men, not for women...one interpretation of this study is that women, even when they speak up and “lean in,” still may not get equal credit for doing so.”
“Whereas women were seemingly penalized by their female counterparts for acting in a way inconsistent with gender norms, men received a social credit of sorts from their male peers. Society seems to be providing men with more latitude to deviate from societal expectations, whereas women aren’t afforded the same luxury.”
How can I pave the path for the leadership role I aspire to?
● Be a student of leadership● Find “your people”● Say “yes” ● Ask for the experience you need● Find mentors and sponsors● Build a cadre of allies (women AND men)● Support other women
Kathleen McNamaraHead of [email protected] @MsMcNamara7Hkathleenmcnamaraheadsup.wordpress.com
Questions? Want to connect?
Colleen SchillyHead of Lower [email protected] @cmschillyhttps://cmschilly.com
ReferencesHBR: Study on Women and Gender 2019
Women in Corporate America 2019
NAIS: People of Color & White Women in Headship
Pew Research Center: Women & Leadership
NCAIS Women in Leadership: NCAIS Women's Leadership
The HEADS Network (formerly NAPSG) Women’s Leadership Seminar
Women Need One more Degree than Men
Wickenden Leadership Library
ResourcesBOOKSDare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts, by Brené BrownDaring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, & Lead, by Brené BrownRadical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, by Kim ScottSeven Secrets of the Savvy School Leader, by Rob Evans
ARTICLESA Seat at the Head of the TableNow You're in ChargeTED Talk: Lead Like the Great ConductorsGo & See: The Key to Improving Teaching & LeadingHow to Be Tough When You Prefer Being KindHow to Listen Like a LeaderIf You Aspire to Be a Great Leader, Be PresentThe Best Leaders are Great TeachersHow to Say No Assertively to a Request For Your Time4 Ways to Decide What NOT to DelegateBuilding a Trusting Professional CultureDo You Suffer From Decision Fatigue? Administration 101: 5 Phrases Every Academic Leader Should KnowOvercoming Negativity Bias With Students, Parents, & ColleaguesThe 3 Elements of Trust