How Fearless Women Lead: Cyberbacker President Shiela Mie Empleo-Legaspi Explains

Fearless Women Lead

Muhammad Zohaib

.Studies show that businesses benefit when they have a substantial percentage of women in leadership roles. When women serve on boards, they add new perspectives and different skills to decision making, which correlates with improved monitoring, oversight, and performance. Women even protect firms from risk and outperform men on tests of leadership skills.

So, why do so many women still doubt themselves and their ability to lead?

According to Shiela Mie Empleo-Legaspi, President of virtual-assistant company Cyberbacker, many women face external barriers, internal ones, or both. Based on her experience, however, women can overcome these obstacles, especially with support from their male colleagues in the C-Suite.

External barriers the workplace

Evidence suggests continued discrimination against women in the workplace in general. Between 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on women. Since our society relies on women to complete the majority of household and child-rearing tasks, for instance, many women abandoned their careers to cope with their other responsibilities.

Those who were able to stay still did not get promotions or raises at the same rate as their male colleagues. According to a 2020 study, men who worked remotely with children at home were three times more likely to have received a promotion than women working under the same conditions. Men in this group were twice as likely to have received a pay raise, and they were nearly three times more likely to have taken on additional leadership opportunities.

“Numbers like these suggest our society still clings to gendered preconceptions and an unequal division of labor,” Empleo-Legaspi said. “One wouldn’t do women any favors by suggesting this bias doesn’t exist. The challenges can be real.”

Internal fears

Continued discrimination in the workplace can foster feelings of insecurity in women themselves. A 2021 study found that women who experience gender bias at work feel less effective than their male peers.

“Women tend to internalize the problem and lose self-confidence,” Empleo-Legaspi explained. “This can have a negative impact on their performance at work, which may set them up for negative repercussions in the future.”

Empleo-Legaspi also observed that feeling like an imposter is common for women leaders. According to the 2020 KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit Report, 75 percent of women in executive roles reported suffering from imposter syndrome, and 85 percent believe women in corporate America commonly experience that condition.

Since the profitability of America’s businesses depends on women overcoming these self-doubts, Empleo-Legaspi offered practical advice for both women and their male colleagues, especially those who inhabit the C-Suite.

How women can overcome obstacles

“First of all, it can sometimes be wise to accept fear and listen to it,” Empleo-Legaspi said. “Fear can be a gift, a way our intuitive selves warn us to be careful. Are there actual stakes and a real reason to feel fear based on empirical evidence? If so, then the fear is acting as a welcome alarm bell. Do what you can to mitigate the challenges. If nothing’s at stake or there’s no actual, tangible reason to fear, however, then it’s probably time to let it go and move on.”

Empleo-Legaspi offered a couple strategies for eliminating unproductive, unnecessary fears.

“Remember why you got into your business in the first place. Tap back into that initial passion, and it will carry you forward,” she said. “When anxieties try to swamp me, I also like to remember how my work benefits others. When I think of all the good we do for our clients and employees, it becomes easy to brush past fear and get back to work.”

Finally, she advised women to ask themselves certain questions when hesitating to accept a leadership role: “Are you really so sure you can’t do it? Would it be such a terrible thing if you tried? What’s the worst thing that could happen if you failed? Wouldn’t even that be survivable? So, why not give it a go?”

“If there comes a time in life when you are being called to lead, keep in mind that you are being singled out for a reason,” she concluded.

The role of the C-Suite in uplifting women

Male colleagues, especially those in the C-Suite, can play a critical role in helping women not only accept leadership positions, but also thrive in them.

“The first thing men should understand is that women belong in leadership roles,” Empleo-Legaspi said. “Women aren’t in these positions just for the sake of appearances or as part of diversity initiatives. We have the skills, intelligence, and drive. When you come across women in leadership roles, please keep in mind that we earned them. These are our rightful places.”

Next, she advises male leaders to realize that unconscious bias exists.

“Part of being privileged is not knowing you’re privileged,” she explained. “It means taking your privilege for granted. To get out of this bubble, people in positions of authority should get curious about how life might be different for those who don’t enjoy as much power or status.”

Communication in safe spaces that permit honesty is key to this process.

“While it can feel uncomfortable to step out of your comfort zone, no one expects you to be perfect and have this all figured out from the beginning,” she advised male leaders. “Ask questions, listen, and believe what you are told. After all, you aren’t the expert on these people’s lives or the conditions they face — they are.”

In this way, the men of the C-Suite can motivate more women to take the lead, thereby boosting their company’s bottom line.

“Creating a more inclusive company culture is a complex and ongoing process,” Empleo-Legaspi said. “By being willing to engage in that process, you ensure your business isn’t just talking the talk. When your female employees see you match words with actions, they’ll gain trust in you. This will buoy their performance, which will benefit the whole company.”

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