What is the leadership, and what are its symptoms? Is it possible/worth to look for the difference between the female and male leadership? Why until now the expression “female leader” can cause the indulgent smile in our society? In the summer during the program with the participation of the prominent, active and professional women from Ukraine and the United States “Success. Leadership. Inspiration” in Lviv Business School of UCU (LvBS) the participants discussed these and many other important questions and concluded that around the leadership there are many harmful stereotypes. Can we destroy them and how to do it? To search for the answers LvBS launches the project “Women’s leadership: to become an engine of the change”, where the famous women will share their own experience of the leadership, will tell about the challenges in their professional and personal life, and will tell the stories of success.
The first in a series of publications is a blog by Maryana Voznytsya, head physician of Lviv Oblast Children’s Clinical Hospital “OKHMADYT”. Next is the text of author:
“From the moment, when I decided that I am ready for the responsibility to head a large hospital, I received a lot of very similar and the same type questions:
- And what does your husband think about you submitting for the competition to take the post of the chief physician?
- How will you manage to deal with children?
- Do you know that you will have irregular working hours?
- Why do you need it?
- Looks like simple questions, but could you imagine the man to be asked this?
Then, at sessions, in meetings, after I became the “Chief”:
- It is hard, right?
- Have you already changed your mind, regretted?
- How the husband endures that?
- Do the kinds see the mother?
Female and male leadership varies even in the questions asked to us! As well as with the way how the women are met, greeted, what is expected from them.
In most cases, women are not welcomed by the hand, accordingly she is just passed by with nodding towards her. Or she had her hand kissed while given for handshake (when she just expects to shake it!), or hug and kiss, or some compliment is said (of course, we appoint the meeting only for that).
One of the first big meeting, where I go with a new rang. Summer beginning. I think, however shortly, what to dress. I stay satisfied with my choice. People also draw my attention that “you should have white top, black bottom”, skirt and all that. And all this on the background of a large number of shirts that spread on the stomach, of the absolute and the irresponsible casual of the majority – despite the somewhat other events rank.
Once one doctor told me that the chief doctor obliges women doctors to look perfect at the morning “the P.T. break”, because for the men it will be more pleasant to go into the hall, where the women are groomed and beautiful… and this, therefore, can improve their performance…
According to many, only offended to the whole world woman may have ambitions. This for sure was preceded by the “images” and other very “objective” reasons. The success is sure the “revenge” for someone. All happy normal women think only about how to organize their personal life, giving birth to many children and wait for her husband from work in the good spirits.
The most important is that I do not exclude that everyone defines happiness differently! However, if a woman wants to have an active position not only at home, then for some reason there are much more questions and some “terrible story”.
I often receive question, how did it happened that you have chosen this way for yourself? Hem … it is a general question, and when and from what starts the women’s leadership?
In the kindergarten near the tutors there is always a discreet little girl, who brings the group into the holidays, know the words of the poems of all children, supports and leads. In the school the monitors also usually are the girls, who know how to negotiate with the biggest bullies … The same also in the universities, institutes. The responsibility of women is mainly higher, their ability to sacrifice one’s own time and deeds is too absolute…
And then there comes a time when the question “when married?” is stated and many actively seek the answer for it. In the understanding of the majority, the moment of leadership, responsibility and building of a family are not compatible. Or, when you have to choose a place to stay, then the priority is the place more favorable for the man career. The woman here often chooses a passive role, because it is customary for a woman to be “behind the man”. And then sections, children circles, etc. Who does it? We can count a lot of such daily routine examples. And active life position, the leadership remain on the pages of the old photo albums and on the certificates about the conferences and the schools dated with past …
Although, is it about the women’s leadership keeping a family, bringing up children and providing the comfort in a family? And it is so. You just should have a choice. And this choice should not surprise anyone. And still you need to find the strength not to pay attention to that, because you can be a victim of the stereotypes and complexes of the society, and therefore of own one.
Fortunately, there are changes in the process. And women become other. And men. And the leadership is determined by the level of the responsibility for a variety of processes in the various areas.
Since the leadership is a willingness to the responsibility and it does not depend on sex.”
Wait for the next materials of the project “Women’s leadership: to become an engine of the change” soon.
See also: Top-10 theses of the Conference on female leadership in LvBS
