Pivotal Moments Susanne Birgersdotter
While business and entrepreneurship came naturally to me, being the CEO didn’t. Leadership is an art –learned, nurtured, practiced, and mastered. Not many girls and women in our society grew in an open-minded and forward-thinking upbringing where gender is just a physical thing. Where girls and boys were not assigned to certain roles in life and raised to fulfil that role. Many of us were preconditioned to be a strong support person, a great secretary, an able mother and homemaker. Not to be leaders – presidents, CEOs, or innovators. This preconditioning, in society and in ourselves, that makes it harder for women in business to rise above the ranks. Not only are we fighting for the position, for the deal, or the recognition, but we are also fighting the stigma that comes along with being a woman in business. And while it is totally acceptable for men to be brutal and decisive in their business dealings, women are expected to be softer, kinder, graceful. But, when you start taking the kinder route, people will take it against you. It’s a loss-loss scenario. It seems. Stereotyping women in business have also been a ceaseless trial for me. Being blonde and attractive is not a plus when you’re in business and you really want to succeed. I have been mistaken for the secretary, the executive assistant, or the receptionist many times in my life. I have nothing against the position or the job, it’s just so off-putting to be automatically relegated to a certain position. Investors would take double the time to decide about putting up funds because they’re dealing with a woman. I have experienced awkward meetings when the people I’m talking to realized I’m the one in charge. Many people I’ve met in business were taken aback and have trust issues with a lady boss. They just prefer dealing with a man. No explanations are necessary.
CHALLENGES OF THE LADY BOSS Mistakes are magnified when a woman is at the helm. It is attributed to the womanly temperament, our indecisiveness, our willy nature. When a boss is enforcing a rule, she’s being bossy, he is firm. Lastly, a woman’s innate nurturing nature doesn’t align with the traditional image of a strong and effective leader. The mothering, kind, understanding, and supportive characteristics of a woman are not consistent with someone who can take an organization to grow and succeed.
