Becoming an Ethical Woman Leader - 10 Tips for Success

Becoming an Ethical Woman Leader: 10 Tips for Success

 No matter how much progress we think we have made, the business world is still traditionally wired to the masculine. This is a problem for women because many masculine concepts go against the basic concepts of how women think. Women who are strongly committed to their moral compass can, in turn, feel their male counterparts to be unethical.

We will not see true relief from this until a solid 50/50 number is achieved for women in charge of large corporations and women in our government, especially in Governor and Senator positions in the U.S. Unfortunately, this will take years; it has taken far too long already and looks like it is going to take even longer than I ever dreamed. Presently, I believe we are going backward. But I won’t get political here! We will remain focused on a discussion of the workplace.

In the 21st century, the last thing a woman wants to hear is “act like a man.” Here’s some good old 20th-century jargon about women in business:

“Girlie, girl, “If you want to get ahead, you’ll have to get aggressive. Think more strategically and be more calculating. You know, like a man!”

“Little lady, you’ll have to do whatever it takes, by God. And I do mean “whatever.” It’s all about the bottom line, even if it’s unethical. Just take a look at Bill over there. Do you think he ever thinks twice? Look at him; he’s a success!”

“Girl, you’ll have to learn how to roll and wrestle in the mud with the boys if you think you’re going to get anywhere in the business. What’s that? Are you snibbling? If you can’t control your emotions, you’ll never get anywhere. Remember, boys, don’t cry!”

Think of the 1961 movie “Splendor in the Grass” and visualize Warren Beatty’s character Bud Stamper listening to his overbearing father Ace Stamper, played impeccably by Pat Hingle. Imagine he’s saying what I wrote above. Scary! And so, so early twentieth century. We’ve been carrying some of this stuff around for 100 years. That thought alone should make us want to change. 100 years? How can we make up for so much lost time? The time for change is now.

Women have exceptional strength, but to date, it has not been fully leveraged to the advantage in the business world. As a woman, you are uniquely positioned to make a positive impact. This could be in the company you own, the organization you work for, and the world.

I am going to say this very plainly, but loud…

WOMEN ARE THE UNDERUTILIZED SUPERPOWER!

Women understand how to create “win-win” solutions. They know how to collaborate. Women ask good questions and are generally committed to ensuring that all interested parties in a transaction are represented equally to bring about mutually beneficial solutions.

How does that happen? Women like to get from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. Why? Because women are busy! They run households with babies, kids, husbands, significant others, dogs, cats, birds, and maybe even parents! They cook, clean, wash, entertain, help with homework, and wipe away tears. They home school. They attend dance recitals and soccer games and take their moms to the doctor. Do you think it’s easy to get everyone to agree on dinner or what movie to watch? It helps to keep the peace, so they learn to collaborate, negotiate, prioritize, and juggle. Women know how to operate in the “sandwich generation” effectively. This is a total skill set!

Ethical women value others and do not operate solely from self-interest. This does not mean they are not competitive; on the contrary, they can be highly competitive. It’s just a different approach.

Countless studies have revealed that women value a high moral identity. Women remain more committed to values such as trustworthiness. Women want to be fair, honest, generous, and kind when dealing with others. The results of surveys have shown that women often identify with moral traits more strongly than men.

Where do gender differences in moral identity come from? It’s likely a product of our upbringing as the foundation, and our environments, which can and do change.

While evidence suggests the gender difference in moral identity is robust, evidence also shows that it can fluctuate and even disappear entirely, depending on the situation. To that point, it’s essential to note that situational pressures can diminish a woman’s ethical advantages.

Prior research has shown that financial incentives can seriously dampen the degree to which people see themselves as moral persons. Instead, financial incentives can cause darker sides of the personality to emerge. At that point, the mind may see it as more advantageous to be successful or intelligent, not honest. The unfortunate truth is that financial temptation can be the downfall of the best of all of us.

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem was once asked whether she felt women were mentally and psychologically prepared to step into top leadership positions in business and beyond. She immediately responded, “I hope not.” Steinem laughed and explained, “It’s not about integrating into a not-so-good system. It’s about transforming it and making it better. If women must acquire all the characteristics of a corporate world, it’s probably not worth it.” Keyword: transforming.

Ha!

Our current world consistently values masculine attributes over feminine ones and, by doing so, continues to contribute to our collective detriment. If those values persist, the transformation will not be possible. I know that may sound harsh, but where are we right now? Have we recently taken one step forward and three steps back? Is the world spinning out of control?

At this point, I can only say that focusing on yourself is now very important. Build on your strengths and become the best version of yourself. That said, being an ethical woman leader is more than having solid values; here are ten pointers that may help you on your journey.

1. Be authentic

Consider the morals you were raised with: Treat others how you want to be treated, always say “thank you,” and offer help to those who struggle. But as you grow and society progresses, realize that conventions can change, often causing your values to shift. You should assess yourself and your values periodically. Are external circumstances causing you to lose touch with your moral compass? Are you feeling burn-out? These questions are essential and should sound the alarm. Take measures to correct your course.

Get to know yourself. Ask yourself what is important to you. Determine how you want to be treated and treat others the same way. Common courtesy like saying “Good morning,” “please,” and “thank you” count for a lot. Personally, manners rank very high for me.

And remember that generationally, these common courtesies that are important to you may not be as important to others. But when you take the lead and express yourself, you will encourage your team and coworkers to do the same. Remember dignity and respect?

You are fortunate if you experienced a sound moral upbringing filled with support and good examples. Think about family members and other relatives who made an impression on you. I remember the things my grandmother told me as I was growing up, and I cherish those “pearls of wisdom” she bestowed on me.

However, it’s important to remember that some coworkers or team members may not be as fortunate, coming from a rough upbringing and all sorts of difficulties. You must be sensitive to that and try to help them by supporting, mentoring, coaching, and leading by example.

2. Define and align your values

You know and understand your values, but you’ll have to consider the generational differences in your team. Do you realize that some companies have up to four generations in their workforce? Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z all have varied needs, opinions, and priorities. There are distinct differences in those groups that must be considered when determining and communicating values.

Some generations may view specific values as outdated. You must be aware, flexible, understanding, and considerate of these differences in attitude. This can be one of the biggest challenges you will face as an ethical women leader.

To find enduring success as a moral leader, you must sell the benefits of sticking to a set of values. Consider your success first and find ways to communicate that value to the organization and your team. Rely on examples you draw from your experience and work history to help you get your point across. Stories of past experiences go a long way and can profoundly affect others.

3. Hire people with similar values and provide training

It’s essential to establish common ground for your team. By referring to your company’s vision statement, you’ll want to ensure a good fit when hiring new people. It will help if you strive for a balance by hiring people with different skill levels, experience, and perspectives while ensuring they are also an excellent cultural fit.

Remember that not every person will be a good fit for your company or team. They may have the qualifications, but ask yourself, “Are they a good fit?” It’s essential to consider their values as well as their experience. “What will they add to the team? “How will their perspectives improve my team?”

Think about what’s essential for your team and ensure you consider those points during the interview process. Be sure to have an ethics conversation during the interview to avoid disappointment. You must be able to assess their integrity. And when I say assess, I mean get a feel for it. Your intuition should not be ignored.

Once you do hire someone, be sure to provide appropriate training. Ethical behavior should always be emphasized through training opportunities. Training should emphasize how strong ethics in the workplace promotes a positive work environment. Employees should know the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect.

4. Be persistent

Ah, persistence. So much has been written about it throughout history. It doesn’t matter how smart, educated, or cunning you are without persistence. No one will ever know your greatness if you cannot persist when things get tough. Your gifts will not be shared with the world.

Being persistent allows you to earn vital experience. You see, persistence builds resilience. And resilience makes you strong. So, each time your power through a failure, you get another opportunity to learn. This builds your character.  

You develop your ability to overcome challenges and think your way through obstacles. At the same time, when you face obstacles, you must learn to be agile and adjust or re-calibrate. Changing your plan on the fly allows you to bounce back when your project does not work. You keep going; you persevere. 

Why is persistence so vital to success? You could be brilliant, but you will never reach your full potential if you give up. And you need to train yourself to persevere when there are no guarantees that your effort will succeed. This is not always easy and requires discipline and fortitude.

If the word relentless comes into your mind, you would be right. In some situations, that is what you will need to be. Please read some great quotes from Winston Churchill during World War II or watch movies about him for an excellent example of relentless persistence. He absolutely would not accept defeat. He said, “Never, never, never give up.” And one of my favorites: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

If you give up on things, take some time to understand why that is and work on your persistence. Persistence is a soft skill that can be improved. There are ways to enhance and build this into your tool kit. I am not saying it will be easy, as the road to greatness often isn’t, but it can be done if the desire is there.

5. Promote open communication

We hear a lot about transparency in the modern workplace and the importance of remaining transparent in all business dealings. Never lie or mislead others for the benefit of the business or yourself. Whenever possible, keep employees in the loop about all transactions.

Every employee is different. Even if they share some similarities, each person is unique. With each decision you make, be transparent and encourage feedback from your team. This helps you become a better leader and allows your team to feel more confident sharing their ideas or concerns. A modern company must create an environment where open communication is encouraged, and people know they are heard.

Recently employees have called on their companies to change policies, drop customers or take a stand on current issues. This became prevalent during and following the worst of the COVID pandemic. Not every demand can be met, but companies should create forums where employees can raise their viewpoints, feel they are listened to, and receive follow-ups explaining why certain things can or cannot happen.

This action ensures communication is open and employees feel they are being heard. Gathering feedback from your team helps you improve as a leader and propels your business forward.

6. Beware of bias

As humans, we all have beliefs, subconscious or otherwise, that are outdated or erroneous, or even harmful. These beliefs can begin in childhood and follow us into our careers. Many leaders have difficulty admitting their flaws, but failure to practice self-awareness can have detrimental consequences on the team and the organization.

Examples of biases include associations between different qualities and social categories such as race, gender, or disability and judgments made without conscious awareness. These biases have become a part of the person’s personality. These automatic preferences or stereotypes contribute negatively to a lack of workplace diversity.

In the past, these biases were often tolerated. But with today’s more diverse workforce, these biases are now being exposed. The modern workplace does not hold space for social stereotypes about certain people. We all need to look at ourselves and be honest about biases.

Many companies have recognized the importance of reversing this behavior and now offer awareness training for unconscious bias for all employees. All workers have the right to feel comfortable at work; no employee should be allowed to impose their beliefs on another person.

7. Continue your education

Make a habit of asking questions and seeking advice. Successful leaders cultivate a positive attitude and optimism. Maintain high standards, do your work, and keep learning and growing. Ask for advice from those who have been there and done that.

There are so many ways to gain new knowledge through reading, seminars, podcasts, conferences, networking events, LinkedIn Learning, continued education classes at colleges, technical schools, and programs offered by your company. As a leader, you should set an example for your team and encourage them to continue their education.

And remember that no matter what stage in a career, whether entry-level employee, manager, or executive, successful employees reach out to mentors and coaches at various times. Mentor programs are available at many companies. Coaches can be beneficial with targeted career goals and prepare you for the next level in your career. There is no doubt that mentors and coaches can help you accelerate your progress!

8. Lead by example

A true leader always inspires the world to move in the right direction. Albert Schweitzer said, “The three most important ways to lead people are: by example…by example…by example.”

But what is leading by example? It’s a leadership style where you are the model for the behavior you want to see in your team. Rather than just pushing your team towards excellence, you actively demonstrate excellence.

All eyes are on you. No pressure! What you need to be is a role model. As a role model who demonstrates the desired behavior, you can effectively improve the cooperation of your team. They see your behavior, choices, and values and adopt them as their own, building the team’s mindset and cohesiveness.

We’ve already learned that ethics must start from the top of an organization and leading by example is one of the best ways this is accomplished. The leader walks the line. If the employees trust and respect the leader, they will follow.

9. Find your role models

There are countless ways to find role models whom you can resonate with. As children, our first role models are our parents and family members. Then our teachers come into our lives. Friends, coworkers, and past supervisors can all positively affect what we choose to emulate.

Role models can also be someone we have never met. Perhaps you read about them. Historical autobiographies are excellent sources for role models. Events in history have a way of showcasing behaviors that can be helpful to you as you search for admirable role models. Identify what they did well and include it in your ever-improving leadership style.

10. Care for yourself so you can care for others

Not much is gained by riding a horse until it’s dead. You cannot pour from an empty cup, as the saying goes. Leaders who take care of themselves are more likely to manage better and care for others. 

You must remain calm and demonstrate a capable demeanor. Focus on your own needs first. This includes sleep, nutrition, exercise, and connections with loved ones. And don’t forget to take time off! There is more to life than work!

This self-care is critical to supporting your capabilities as a leader. Workplace stress can hurt productivity levels at a company. If leadership is toxic, then efficiency will decrease.

A happy and content leader wants happiness and contentment for those they lead. A great deal is expected of you, so make it a priority to attend to your spiritual, mental, and physical health.

Give yourself plenty of time in the morning to prepare for each day. Set up a morning routine that dials you in for a successful day. Not a morning person? Use the evening hours to get ready for the next day. Minimize stress and enjoy taking time to take care of yourself. You know what works for you!

IN CLOSING:

The voices of ethical women leaders can benefit a business, society, and the world. By recognizing the value women bring to the table, a new culture could be created in industry and the world.

Women’s morality has the potential to channel conversations in a more “ethically sustainable” direction. This is a compelling idea.

Conversation and debate should be encouraged to raise awareness of the value of ethical women in the organization. Employee Impact Groups (EIGs) are an excellent way to get this going in your organization. Ideally, these groups should be for the advancement of women but include men who are supportive and can participate as allies.

These groups offer the opportunity to support the differences and diversity of experience and the education and advancement of women in the organization. This is the perfect way to share knowledge, make new contacts, meet new like-minded friends in your organization, and ally yourself with supportive males. Win/Win?

If that doesn’t get you excited to get involved and build on your strengths, then I don’t know what does!