Women Who Lead

Credit unions are known for being a friendlier-than-average environment for female executives. For whatever reason—some suggest it’s because of the collaborative, care-giving raison d’être of CUs—women tend to occupy more of the staff positions overall, and are often better represented in the higher ranks than they are at other financial institutions. But it’s still not a walk in the park.

“I would agree with the assertion that CUs are more woman-friendly in terms of their fundamental values,” says Susan Geear, VP/innovative education and leadership at DDJ Myers Ltd., a CUES Supplier member and strategic provider based in Phoenix. “Where I continue to see some of the challenges is really in the C-suite level. Women are making headway, but we still are not necessarily making as much progress as we would have hoped.”

Geear says going through leadership branding exercises (such as those offered in the “Leadership Brand and Shadow” and “Women Who Lead” courses through CUES Elite Access) can be especially helpful for women in middle and upper management who seek tools and clarity to help them get into executive positions. Beyond that, there are several other steps women can take to break what remains of the glass ceiling.

1. Stamp out impostor syndrome. Geear says women often must be encouraged to “speak their value”—to be forthright about the value they add to the organization, and to not shy away from their own accomplishments.

Hugh Blane, president of Seattle-based Claris Consulting, Seattle, agrees. Lapses in self-confidence are a fact of life for C-level executives of both genders, he says, but men may hide it better.

“The only downside that you have to being a woman in an executive leadership position is that you don’t believe in yourself nearly enough,” he says. “You’re going to have a moment of doubt, but the reason they gave you the job is that they believe that you are 100 percent the right person for that job.”

2. Cross-train. Deedee Myers, Ph.D., founder and CEO of DDJ Myers Ltd. and co-founder of the Advancing Leadership Institute, says sometimes women don’t reach the executive level because they’re clustered in areas of the credit union that are traditionally more heavily female. To rise in the ranks, they need to gain broader experience.

“My hope for women is that we start working in areas besides retail and HR,” she says. “We need to get expertise cross-functionally in order for women to really move up that ladder and be seen.”

3. Don’t get caught up in gender stereotypes. Kathleen O’Connor, Ph.D., associate professor at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, Ithaca, N.Y., says that when articulating their leadership brand, women should be honest about where their strengths lie and not automatically ascribe to themselves attributes that are traditionally thought of as being female.

“I think that we shouldn’t limit ourselves to gender-stereotypical strengths or gender-stereotypical values,” she says. “Not all of us are nurturing, right? There are some [managers], both men and women, who will say compassion, integrity in personal relationships, and trust are very, very important to them as leaders. But then there are other women who will say honesty, transparency, and results orientation are most important for them.”

4. Use cultural conditioning to your advantage. On the other hand, women are often brought up valuing and excelling in certain traits, and those can turn into leadership strengths.

“You’ve got the advantage of not only being technically brilliant at whatever your job is, but you can do the people side really well also,” Blane says. “Most men have to learn that, but most women know it or can adjust very easily toward it.”

Because of their cultural upbringing, female leaders may also have better listening skills—something leadership coaches say men often need to work harder on.

“When they listen deeply and really find out what’s important to others, that’s when they’re most effective,” says Geear. “They can … develop allies and champions as a result of that.”

5. Ask for help ... and then pass it on. Myers says some women are brought up to be very independent, getting far into their careers without ever learning how to ask for help. Being self-sufficient is great, but it can become a weakness at the executive level, where collaboration and deal-making are key.

“I think it’s really incumbent upon us as females that we need to be asking for help at work,” she says. “We need to have what we call good practice partners. Then, help coach and be a mentor to other women, because you’ve been on this path before.”

Jamie Swedberg is a freelance writer based in Georgia.