Why Woman-Centeredness Matters for Everyone
Conversation with a Male Tech Leader
Why Woman-Centeredness Matters for Everyone
Dr. Alissa Gardenhire
September 5, 2024
In today’s diverse and evolving work environments, traditional DEI initiatives alone may not be enough. To create meaningful change, we must rethink our approach and recognize the vital role of woman-centeredness in leadership. But this isn’t just about focusing on women; it’s about how men and women can learn together from women to drive better outcomes and innovation.
A Conversation with a Tech Leader
Recently, I had a thought-provoking discussion with a friend who leads a tech company. Despite his open-mindedness and support for diversity, he expressed skepticism about how Centered Leadership, particularly its woman-centered aspects, could fit into his predominantly male organization. This conversation revealed two key issues:
Financial Constraints: His company is currently losing money, which limits their capacity to invest in new leadership development programs.
Male-Dominated Culture: The leadership team consists almost entirely of white men, and they have not yet fully embraced the transformative potential of woman-centered approaches.
The Essence of Leadership Centered
Leadership Centered is built on three foundational pillars: Inquiry, Intention, and Imagination. These principles encourage leaders to critically examine their contexts, understand underlying power dynamics (like patriarchy and racism), and imagine innovative ways to lead inclusively and effectively.
One crucial aspect of Centered Leadership is its woman-centered orientation. Our world is often shaped by male norms—think of cell phones designed for larger male hands or crash test dummies calibrated primarily for male bodies. These examples highlight how systems and products are frequently built with men as the default, creating discomfort and inefficiencies for women.
Woman-Centeredness: Not Just for Women
While Centered Leadership draws inspiration from the desire to empower women, its principles are not exclusive to women. Inquiry, Intention, and Imagination are universal tools for transformative leadership. Woman-centeredness challenges the status quo and creates systems that serve everyone more equitably.
Men, too, can benefit from learning within a framework that values and integrates women’s experiences and perspectives. This isn’t about marginalizing men but about enriching leadership by incorporating diverse viewpoints.
In the case of my tech leader friend, I wondered if missing female perspectives were hindering the success of his company. The "30 white guys" running the business had been successful individually, but the company had struggled financially. Could an exploration of different perspectives—those not traditionally centered—help? Given his references to rigidity in leadership regarding diversity, it just might.
Engaging Men Through New Perspectives
After our conversation, I texted my friend and asked whether he felt disengaged when I discussed woman-centered topics. To my surprise, he said he paid extra attention because the language and expressions I used were different from typical business conversations. This reaction reinforced that using compelling real-world examples from women’s experiences can engage men deeply and prompt their participation in conversations about change.
Learning Together for Genuine Change
It’s essential to engage all colleagues—including white men—in the learning process. Providing safe spaces for women and people of color is critical, but without involving men and ensuring they are present during key discussions, we cannot expect them to fully understand or address the issues. If they aren’t in the room when critical perspectives are shared, they may remain unaware of the challenges and the need for change.
This inclusive approach ensures that everyone, regardless of their background, can grasp the complexities of the issues and contribute to meaningful solutions. It’s a gap often overlooked in DEI conversations but vital for creating genuine, widespread understanding and progress.
Conclusion
The path to creating a better world involves embracing woman-centeredness as a way to enrich leadership and innovation. It’s about recognizing that things created with women’s needs in mind shouldn’t be labeled as merely “women’s things” but as contributions that reflect diverse norms and experiences. To truly advance, we must bring everyone along in this learning journey, leveraging the strengths and insights that all perspectives offer.