How the Pandemic Has Influenced Women in Leadership

HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS INFLUENCED

women in leadership Brie Neumann

The coronavirus pandemic comes when women are excellently performing in leadership roles for numerous sectors. The pandemic has seen innumerable women take charge of companies well. The following are the role played by women in the workforce during the pandemic:

Women enhance inclusivity.

According to a 2020 report by Women in the Workplace, women leaders always stand for racial and gender equity at work. Compared to men, women leaders do sponsor and mentor other women. Women tend to hire other women of different intersectionality.

Women contribute to higher Emotional Intelligence (EI) in the workforce.

Women have a higher EI than men in the same workforce.

In fact, according to research, minority women have a higher EI compared to their White counterparts. The high EI is the reason why women are the ones associated with caregiving roles. Women from minority groups have to navigate leadership against the majority by taking advantage of their higher EQ skills.

The pandemic requires women, who have higher EI, to take up the leadership mantle and lead organizations through the pandemic. Companies with a robust financial base have a workforce comprising people with a heightened self-awareness level, high EI people.

Women have shown leadership prowess since the start of the pandemic.

Women have been excellent in leadership positions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jacinta Ardern of New Zealand, Tsai Ing-Wen of Taiwan, and Angela Merkel of Germany have shown strong leadership during the crisis. Women have been excellent in multi-tasking, organizing, decision making, absorbing pressure, and showing empathy to their teams.

WOMEN ARE A SOURCE OF CULTURAL CHANGE. WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP IS ASSOCIATED WITH EMPATHY, COMPASSION, AND SUPPORT. WORKERS REQUIRE MANAGERS WHO WILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR WELFARE. WOMEN LEADERS HAVE PROVIDED THE NECESSARY PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT TO THEIR TEAMS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Despite women's leadership prowess during the pandemic, gender equality gains are reducing. More than 79% of employees who left the workforce by September are women. The most affected are Black and Latina women when compared with the White.

There will be a long-term impact on the economy as very few of these women will re-enter the workforce.

The figure shows that the number of women leaders will be affected soon. The women have cited parental roles and burnout as the main reason for quitting. In case they decide to come back to the workforce, they will only get lower positions hence a slower path to career progression. Companies, therefore, need to support women leaders during and post COVID.