Women in position: the power of female leadership

Working in a male-dominated sector

The IT sector is predominantly male, no matter how you look at it. Conclusion currently consists of 24% women and aims to further increase this share in the coming years. The female managers and directors certainly hold their own. Or do they?

Corianne Visser, Director of Marketing & Communication at Conclusion, has been in the IT sector for 18 years, and she still enjoys it very much. "Of course, I am motivated to contribute to breaking through the IT market as a predominantly male sector. As a female leader, I want to inspire others with what it brings you and how you should especially remain yourself."

For Kirsty van Beek, Director of Development at Conclusion Enablement, it doesn't matter whether there are more men or women working. "As long as we work towards the same goal. I have always selected people based on this. However, I do believe that as a woman in a man's world, you always have to go the extra mile."

Nicola Fitzsimons, Chapter Lead Data Science at Future Facts Conclusion, has mostly experienced equality when it comes to the ambitions of employees in the environments she has worked in. 'This gave me the space to be open about my goals and to make clear plans to achieve them. My experience has been influenced by the numerous female role models in my life. My mother, a full-time leader in medical physics, and my sister, who became head of marketing for a large international organization in Ireland at the age of 30, are inspiring examples for me. Additionally, female leaders in the c-suite of almost every company I have worked for have shown me that ambition is not determined by gender. Success is achieved through hard work, dedication, and your own vision of success.'

Yvonne Goorman, Director at Furore Conclusion, sees a different ratio in her market, healthcare IT. "The distribution at Furore Conclusion is almost 50/50. But I can work well in a predominantly male environment - like at Conclusion - and I also enjoy it. I do see more macho behavior in communication, but I don't personally mind that. Professionally, it doesn't bother me, and I think we sometimes go overboard with this socially. I can imagine that this is very personal and therefore has a different impact on everyone. In any case, I still see too few female leaders within Conclusion who can also serve as role models for younger women. Within Furore Conclusion, I have noticed that this is very important."

Petra Maréchal, Director of Pension & Wealth at Yellowtail Conclusion, has experience in multiple male-dominated worlds. "Before I started working in IT, I worked in the financial world for a long time. Both traditionally male-dominated fields. IT is a very fun sector to work in. I appreciate the decisiveness and pragmatism. The quick action and 'we're going to fix it together' mentality appeal to me a lot."

Female leadership

While some of our female leaders distinguish typically female characteristics, for others it is mainly about diversity in the broad sense or personal leadership.

Linda Beukers, director of digital transformation at myBrand Conclusion believes that having a diverse leadership team contributes to decisiveness and decision-making. ‘We are all human beings with our own drives, beliefs and communication styles. In my opinion, finding common drives and passion is crucial. Women have slightly different feelers than men and that is exactly what makes cooperation powerful and effective.’

Eefje Albers, director at Bright Alley (part of Conclusion) does not see feminine leadership as something only seen in female leaders. ‘I know men who show feminine leadership and women who show more masculine leadership. In a successful organisation, there should be room for both. A combination of styles ensures that there is sufficient focus on people, good cooperation and timely decisions.’

For Petra van Zeeland, director at Morgens Conclusion, diversity, inclusiveness and complementarity are crucial. ‘It is not just about the differences between men and women, but rather about integrating diverse perspectives to achieve the most valuable results.’

Besides more considered decision-making, Corianne also sees more creativity and thus innovativeness as benefits of a mix in leadership, which includes female leadership. ‘That applies to leadership, but really to any team that wants to be effective and successful,’ she says.

Petra Maréchal sees female leadership as a set of traits with more long-term focus. ‘Building real relationships, listening, empathising and actively inviting dissent to improve the bottom line. Ultimately, this leads to a more future-proof direction for a company. Pretty important it seems to me.’

So many women, so many styles

It's clear that each of the women have their own leadership style. But, being able to connect, is one quality they all share.

Yvonne tries to reach jointly supported decisions within her MT. ‘And I try to be socially ‘in’ the team, so be approachable for all colleagues, including our juniors. Without becoming ‘one of the guys’ in the process, I do keep some distance in that. I strive for an open culture in which people can be themselves, dare to make mistakes and admit them, are constructively critical and take responsibility. At times, I am also clearly the figurehead and ‘the boss’ where necessary.’

Petra van Zeeland's motto is ‘hard on substance, soft on relationships’. ‘I have a listening ear, am connecting and steer for results, but I also give a lot of autonomy to people.’

Linda characterises her style mainly as coaching leadership. ‘High-performing professionals should not be told what to do, but let them experience for themselves what is best to achieve the objectives. I strongly believe in high-performance teams. That depends on mutual trust, and that is what I work on. When great results are achieved, I don't need to be on the podium myself, but instead I am super proud when the team is in the spotlight. That is perhaps a female trait.’

A role model: me?

Whereas most of our leading women do not consider themselves role models for other women or answer hesitantly with ‘maybe’, ‘by now’ or ‘others see me that way’, we get a resounding ‘yes’ to this question from Corianne.

‘Certainly, I want to convey to other women: express where you want to go and what ambitions you have. Show what you can do! I like to focus on what it can bring you, not only within an organisation and to yourself, but also to your personal environment.’

Petra Maréchal's first thought when she thinks of role models is a superheroine or pop star. ‘That's not me. But a role model in the sense of encouraging others and giving a different perspective on what is possible, then I hope so. I myself wanted a nice challenging job, but also a nice family. When I started working, I saw that combination among men, but not actually among women in leadership roles. I am convinced that it is possible if you want it. After all, I managed to do it too.’

Women in charge

The increasing number of women in top positions is a hot topic, not only at Conclusion, but everywhere. What needs to happen in the Netherlands to book progress in this regard?

Eefje does not see the women's quota as the solution. ‘The percentages at the top will increase, but the question remains whether this will put the right people in the right place. Ultimately, we also need more women with the right skills in middle management, who are given the opportunity to grow to the top.

Inspiring examples, coaching, training opportunities, flexible working arrangements and better childcare arrangements in the Netherlands can help.’

According to Kirsty, increasing the proportion of women in top positions in the Netherlands requires a combination of policy measures, cultural and social changes and support from companies. ‘I personally believe that you deserve a role because you are good at your job and not because you are a woman,’ she says.

‘We need to change the narrative of seeing obstacles as unique to women,’ Nicola believes. ‘Instead, we need to encourage both young men and women to recognise and appreciate the qualities in each other that contribute to effective leadership. Women must lead by example and embody the change we want to see. They must be persistent and courageous, so that one day such questions will become irrelevant.’