BALANCE FOR BETTER

There is an alchemy that goes on in the best boardrooms – as well as in the best teams. An alchemy that creates value from the combination of diverse individuals with differing views. It amazes me that anno 2019 we still need a BalanceforBetter hashtag. This beautiful hashtag is used globally in celebration of March 8, International Women’s day 2019. Meanwhile research is piling up confirming that balancing our boardrooms, and for that matter balancing any table at which decisions are being made, significantly boosts financial and non-financial performance. So, what are we waiting for? Why is this not top of mind for everyone? How do we wake up every morning to a world where half of the population makes decisions on behalf of the collective? And not always the best decisions that is.

Why do so few women have a seat and a voice at our global decision-making tables? Seen through my anthropological lens I distinguish two belief systems where we can and must make a difference to truly empower women to unlock their full potential – the psychological and the cultural. At the psychological level we must bring out limiting beliefs to be able to change them and we must build confidence. Confidence to take up our seats at the table and the confidence to make our voices heard. Culturally, we need to challenge the current beliefs around gender and power. To name a few. Women lack leadership skills. Women in business are bitchy. Women lack ambition. Really???

My reality, working alongside the FuturewomenX team, is women are ready to step into the ring. Women in business simply makes for better business. We work with these women, so they experience their full potential. We build a global sisterhood, so these women are no longer alone. And, we enact systemic change as our women bring their future maker qualities to the global decision-making tables. #Balanceforbetter is #Businessforbetter.