Men’s Role in Supporting Women in Leadership

March is Women’s History Month, and in honor of that, we want to share some ways men in the workforce can boost women in leadership. There has been an unfortunate history of men taking credit for women’s accomplishments. For example, the discovery of DNA was attributed to the science team of James Watson and Francis Crick, who won a Nobel Prize. It wasn’t until after the death of their collaborator Rosalind Franklin that the scientists revealed her significant contribution to the research. Today, men can and should support women in leadership roles by becoming allies. Here’s how.

Build a Diverse Leadership Team

For men in leadership positions within their company, they can start by creating a diverse leadership team. Ensuring that women are part of management will ensure that representative voices are heard. Learning more about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace will give everyone a framework for getting started.

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

As the Watson and Crick Nobel Prize shows, men have long been taking credit for women’s work. As a man in the workplace, you have a responsibility to shed light on the inequity of ideas. When a woman presents an idea or solution, don’t talk over her and don’t allow others to do the same. Create a culture where the person who offered the solution receives the credit for it.

Provide and Model Good Parental Leave Programs

Women in the workplace are often penalized for taking time off as parents. Whether that’s from the initial maternity leave or time off needed to care for children outside of work. Men in the workplace should model a good balance for parenting as professionals. Take the allotted paternity leave after the birth of a new child and demonstrate that time off for the care of a child is not penalized.

Provide Equal Access to Opportunities

For men in management roles, when opportunities for promoting other team members arise, ensure that you provide equitable access to positions in your organization. This starts with the initial hiring process and eliminating unconscious bias. It continues as someone demonstrates strong aptitude and suitability for being promoted. Ensure these decisions are made fairly.

Eliminate the Boys Club

Calling out toxic culture in the workplace is critical. Toxic boys club culture in the workplace comes in many forms, including:

• Men talking over women in meetings
• “Locker room talk” is permitted and even encouraged
• No salary transparency
• Women avoid disagreeing with male colleagues even if the disagreement is warranted
• Harassment is tolerated and swept under the rug

The first step is to make all male coworkers aware of these toxic traits and work on eliminating them and creating a more equitable space for women to feel comfortable and welcomed.

If you need help finding your next female top executive, let Frontline Source Group find her!