Is each feminine chief candy? Executives debate the function of feminine management within the company world

Panels at the event Agora é que são Elas, from EXAME and Movimento Aladas, discussed the role of the new leadership within companies and the importance of sorority and the support network for the rise of female careers

Is every female leader sweet? Or does that put more weight on the executives’ shoulders? It was with this provocation that Paula Puppi, chief transformation officer of WPP, started, this Thursday, the panel on contemporary leadership during the “Now it’s them.” EXAME event in partnership with the Aladas Movement for female entrepreneurship.

The debate had the participation of Julia Rueff, senior director of marketplace at Free marketand Luciane Dalmolin, sales director at Dell Technologies.

“Not every woman is sweet, after all, we are plural. And that goes for both the corporate world and all walks of life. At the same time, when we enter the job market, we tend to masculinize. I think the ideal is to find the path of authenticity. Being who we are, sweet or not, without having to wear masks”, argued Rueff.

In a context where soft skills, that is, behavioral skills are no longer just desirable and have become essential, especially for leadership, Dalmolin recalled that sweetness is not necessarily a greater socio-emotional skill.

“The emotional intelligence coefficient is, yes, a female superpower. Although there are men who also have this skill, I believe that when we put emotions on the table, we leverage this, we manage to stand out and grow in organizations. Without assuming characters, but gathering these skills to deal with the challenges, ”she declared.

Diversity as a competitive differentiator

According to the executives, valuing different teams is one of the hallmarks of today’s leaders.

“We still have a long way to go. But, I see that diversity has become an asset within organizations. Today, unlike what happened 20, 30 years ago, we are more aware that bringing people with different backgrounds expands the possibilities for discussion and problem solving,” said Rueff.

According to the executive, Mercado Livre has 38% of its staff made up of women, and in the marketplace area the number rises to 54%. “I’m sure it’s only because of this plurality that my team has been, year after year, reaching goals”, completed Rueff.

Dell, on the other hand, has several initiatives to increase internal and external gender equality. One of them is the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN), a program to support female entrepreneurship.

“This initiative was created by Michael Dell himself, because he understood that it was necessary to do something to help this army of warriors who open businesses, boost the economy and have no support”, said Dalmolin.

Internally, the executive mentioned that Dell requires that, in all recruitment processes, there is at least one female candidate. The action aims to increase from 34% to 50% the number of women who make up the multinational’s staff.

“Apart from that, investments in programs to prepare women for leadership because we know that, if something is not intentional, they will not be promoted. That’s because it lacks courage. We were created to be straight, perfect. Men are created to be bold. We need to remove this carcass and put ourselves in”, said Dalmolin.

Sorority and support network

Something that was in the speeches of both Dalmolin and Rueff was the importance of a support network and the concept of sorority, that is, women offering support to other women in a logic contrary to competition.

“Motherhood marked me as a woman. The process of leaving and returning from maternity leave made me understand what it was like to be a woman in the corporate environment. It increased my empathy and desire to help other women,” said Rueff.

Dalmolin commented that, especially women and leadership positions have the role of serving as a support network for other professionals. “We have a long way to go, bringing more women into companies. And once inside, creating spaces for them to support each other, creating this great network,” she said.

Also highlighting the importance of understanding that you are not alone was Tatiana Loureiro, entrepreneur and creator of the Empreendedora no Divã platform, who participated in the first panel of the event, alongside Traudi Guida, creative director at oáz.

According to Loureiro, who is also a psychologist, the Empreendedora no Divã project, in which she discusses entrepreneurship dilemmas, emerged from a personal outburst on Instagram.

“I’m turbulence, I go crazy, I think I’m going bankrupt. I thought I was the only one experiencing this whirlwind of emotions. But, when I started talking about it more, I realized that more people shared the same and I felt more welcomed in the role not only of an entrepreneur, but of a human being”, said Loureiro.

Source: Exam