RESEARCH PAPER

AUSTRALIA 5. Internationalise Women’s Experiences

PROFILE OF A 6. Equalise (and Enhance) Transition Support

7. Make HR Policies More Family Friendly
Research Report by:

ELIZABETH S. CHAN
SUCCESSFUL And in addition, guiding principles for What
GENERAL MANAGER,
MELBOURNE,
DDI AUSTRALIA
FEMALE LEADER Women Can Do;
1. Make Intentions Known
DDI’s global study Holding Women Back1 2. Consider Multinational Assignments
revealed some interesting trends about what
keeps women out of the corner office— 3. Counteract Behaviour Stereotypes
including the fact that the deck is stacked 4. Don’t Wait for Opportunities
against women from early in their careers when
5. Stay Positive
they aren’t placed on the same development
track as their male peers. This caught our Building on these global recommendations, we
attention. Specifically, Holding Women Back re- sought to understand, from an Australian per-
vealed that organisations were not even handed spective, what were the key enablers of success
in their treatment of male and female leaders. for senior female leaders. We know the statistics
The women—more than one-third of the glob- don’t look good from an equity and diversity
al sample of over 12,800 leaders2—had not standpoint but we did not want to enter into
progressed nearly as far up the management the very complex terrain of the
ladder as the men. This discrepancy isn’t a sur- gender debate. So, this research has been
prise; it did however prompt our special investi- specifically conducted to deliver the Profile
gation. This global research delivered a series of a Successful Female Leader.
of best practices for organisations in Helping And it started with a conversation—21 conver-
Women Move Up; sations to be precise—with some of the most
1. Formalise Succession Planning exceptional women we have in Australia, across
industries including mining, FMCG, govern-
2. Recognise Performance Equally
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

ment, engineering, insurance, postal services,

3. Democratise Development banking and finance, communications,
education, and property development.
4. Provide Women with Mentors
The standout quality of these discussions was
the openness and authenticity of
1 Howard, A., & Wellins, R. S. (2009). Holding Women Back: Trou- the women we spoke to. Each was incredibly
bling Discoveries─and Best Practices for Helping Female Leaders Succeed.
Pittsburgh: Development Dimensions International. generous and candid in sharing their hard-
2 Data for the Holding Women Back report was pulled from a learned lessons, failures, successes, philosophies
larger study on male and female leaders. See Howard, A., & Wel- and perspectives. To give you some insight into
lins, R. S. (2009). Global Leadership Forecast 2008|2009: Overcoming
the Shortfalls in Developing Leaders. Pittsburgh: Development Dimen- the calibre of women we were speaking to,
sions International.

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© Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMX. All rights reserved.
 when we asked the question ‘Do you feel as if whether you are male or female?’ The answer is
you’ve been held back in your career progres- not a simple one. DDI has found very little by
sion because of gender?’, 96% said that they way of significant gender differences in our as-
hadn’t been held back at all. These women took sessment of male and female executives. This
full accountability for where they were and how lack of substantial difference is supported by
they got there and many echoed Jo Mithen’s other findings.3,4 We are suggesting however,
(CEO, Monash College) philosophy: “You only get that there are certain differential focus areas for
one shot – so have a shot today – what’s the worst that female leaders to succeed. This information was
can happen?” Often, when they didn’t get what derived from those ahead of their game sharing
they needed or wanted from a role, they had the the key enablers of their success. Defining
courage and conviction to move on. these differential focus areas early will better
enable aspiring female leaders to pinpoint devel-
Throughout this paper we will share the per-
opment, and provide organisations with insight
sonal attributes, capabilities, and importantly,
into the types of practices to institute in order
organisational factors that contributed to their
to capitalise on a greater breadth of organisation
success and ensured sustainability of their ongo-
talent than is currently being tapped (indeed it
ing career progression.
could be argued that aspiring male senior execu-
For the last 40 years, DDI has not only been tives could equally benefit from a review of this
defining success profiles, but selecting, develop- profile, but that is another study altogether).
ing and accelerating leaders against them.
The Profile of a Successful Female Leader is a little
different though.
Figure 1. The Profile of a Successful Female Leader is comprised
Because we spoke with women across diverse of the following enablers: personal attributes, capabilities
industries with equally diverse and unique knowl- and organisational support.
edge and experiences, we have not included these
typical success profile elements in our research,
as the profile would end up being broad and ill-
defined. Instead, we are taking the position that
what is necessary for women’s success at the
most senior levels is a combination of personal
attributes, capabilities and organisational support. Af-
ter all, one can have all of the attributes and
capabilities necessary for success but if the or-
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

ganisation doesn’t create or allow challenging

development opportunities, or have leaders who
place value on nurturing talent, rapid progres-
sion and acceleration is unlikely, regardless of
gender.
This brings us to a controversial topic that is
best addressed before we explore the success 3Fox, C. (2007). When it comes to leadership, there is no gender.

profile in more detail. ‘Isn’t this success profile Australian Financial Review. 10 November 2007.
4
going to look exactly the same regardless of Desvaux, G., & Devlllard, S. (2008). Women Matter 2: Female leader-
ship, a competitive edge for the future. France: McKinsey & Company.

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 act differently because they were in a leadership
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
position. Importantly, they were clear about when
The women we spoke with consistently demon- their work or personal life should take prece-
strated personal attributes that have clearly dence at different stages in their lives.
enabled their success, provided them with the
> Ambition: Put simply, women should “be ambi-
emotional resources to overcome obstacles,
tious” and “aim high” (The Hon. Patricia Forsythe,
and allowed them to address the complex chal-
Executive Director, Sydney Business Chamber).
lenges that often came their way. Interestingly
Interestingly though, very few of the women we
though, 33% did say that they felt they had held
spoke to were chasing a quick ascent to a CEO
themselves back, and this brings us to the first
role. Rather, they demonstrated a commitment to
attribute.
delivering business results, to finding the next
> Courage: Primarily this emerged in terms of challenge and to building a portfolio of skills, ex-
women taking calculated risks on themselves. periences and knowledge by consistently putting
The adage we heard repeatedly was: ‘a man will their hand up for new opportunities. Remember
look at a role, decide that he can deliver on 50% of it and that “there’s no obstacle that can’t end up being a stepping
go for it anyway; a woman on the other hand will look at stone to something greater if you can work out how to get
the same role and although she may be able to deliver on over it.” (Trish Unwin, Manager HR Strategy &
80% of the requirements, will focus on the 20% gap and Organisation Development, Australia Post)
decide she’s not ready for it.’ Wearing a mantle of
> Conscientiousness: Talent alone is absolutely
fearlessness, backing yourself and having the te-
not sufficient and there are no short cuts. These
nacity to get back on the horse when you fall off
women all worked very, very hard to get to senior
were all presented as critical characteristics in the
levels in their career. “Be prepared to work
move up the ladder. Sylvie Vanasse (Director of
hard…don’t think you are somehow going to get there by
People, Parsons Brinckerhoff) offered the follow-
good luck and good judgment and being nice to people at
ing advice when women do hold themselves back
all times, because you won’t.” (Trisha McEwan, GM –
from that next opportunity: “when you feel envy,
Human Resources & Communications, Orica).
question why you haven’t gone for it yourself.”
> Self Insight: This emerged as a key personal
> Passion: “When I’m happy at work, it makes every-
attribute in terms of the importance of playing to
thing else in life hum” (Jo Mithen). We also heard of
your strengths and understanding your develop-
the importance of “having a connection to an underly-
ment areas. Knowing what you’re good at and
ing purpose’” (Christine McLoughlin, Company Di-
where your gaps are helps you to “understand your-
rector and Head, McLouglin Advisory), “needing
self and what is right for you, not what the organisation
value alignment” (Jo Mithen) and ultimately choos-
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

thinks is right for you.” (Louise Doyle, formerly

ing a job and career that you actually want to de-
Group Executive HR, National Foods).
vote your energies to – “I’m a true believer that if you
enjoy what you do . . . your performance will be higher and An astute reader may notice the absence of a
you will be more successful.” (Colleen Harris, Execu- key attribute here – Confidence – and its absence
tive General Manager – Human Capital Strategy, requires explanation. Self-belief and confidence
NAB). were presented as important enablers of senior
> Authenticity: Be true to yourself in the pursuit
leadership success but less frequently called out
of your goals, and understanding and accepting
than the characteristics we cite above. That’s
of who you are. The women interviewed did not
because rather than being discussed in depth,

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 it was much more observed by the interviewing these sponsors and champions, particularly
panel. These women presented as poised and internal, who help to open doors when the
self-assured. We saw neither overt aggression opportunity arises. For example, a key enabler
nor outright arrogance, but a poised, credible for Sylvie Vanasse was being “blessed with a wonder-
and confident approach. ful mentor – someone who believes in you more than you
believe in yourself.”
Personal attributes such as courage, passion,
authenticity, ambition, conscientiousness and > Drive for Results: “You are only as good as the
self-insight are innate and by their nature chal- things you deliver; you can’t just have one win and then
lenging to develop. Our point of view is that cruise through” (Maria Tassone, GM Academy Op-
these attributes become the baseline elements erations, NAB). This is all about tangibly demon-
required in the pursuit of senior leadership strating business results and doing so consis-
roles. Achieving success without them becomes tently, “because nothing speaks more loudly than the role
incredibly difficult – imagine the personal strain you are doing and the results you produce” (Kirstin
of ascending without confidence, or inspiring Schneider, Manager, Talent – Corporate Human
your team without them being able to see your Resources, Australia Post). But it doesn’t stop at
passion, ambition and drive. the result, leaders need to own their successes
and be able to confidently communicate business
At the same time though, the Profile of a Success-
impact from their efforts. An example of this
ful Female Leader extends beyond just personal at-
drive comes from one leader who, in her first
tributes to the capabilities required to support
strategic leadership role took the company from
effective performance at the senior level. In
insolvency to profit generating in the first 12
contrast to personal attributes, capabilities can
months, with 25% net returns year on year after
be developed over time, through both formal
that point.
development and exposure to key challenges
and career experiences. > Building Organisational Talent: Establishing
systems and processes to attract, develop, en-
CAPABILITIES gage and retain talented individuals; creating a
Whilst we could list all of the competencies that work environment where people can realise
we frequently see in executive profiles, their full potential. What we did not see were
regardless of gender, what we have called women who were only interested in their own
out here are the must-have capabilities and growth agenda. Rather, there was a focus on
differential focus areas in the context of female building the talent around them, taking risks on
leadership success. others and building natural successors that “enable
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

you to move on with your career” (Anne O’Keefe,

> Cultivating Relationships: Initiating and
Head of Human Resources, Zurich), whilst en-
maintaining strategic relationships with stake-
suring that your efforts and impact in previous
holders inside and outside the organisation.
roles remain sustainable.
89% of respondents cited that an enabler to suc-
cess as a female leader was having mentors, > Personal Growth Orientation: Actively pursu-
champions and internal sponsors to act as sound- ing development experiences to improve inter-
ing boards, to challenge thinking around key personal and business impact. Active pursuit of
business initiatives and approaches, and to sup- ongoing learning, training and education to en-
port professional development and growth. It is sure currency of skills whilst being able to dem-
onstrate the value in deploying them was deemed

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 critical. The leaders we interviewed were also Interestingly, another important capability that
very well aware of the steps they needed to take came up during group discussions but was not
to gain critical new experiences, often had firm touched on during the interviews was the need
views of what they needed and wanted to do, and to be visionary as a leader. Being visionary has
had the networks and options available to be able been defined as “the ability to sense opportuni-
to pursue them. The development experiences ties and threats, to set strategic direction, and to
discussed were also incredibly varied, from inter- inspire constituents”.5 That study found female
national experience, to residential Executive leaders were perceived as less visionary com-
MBAs and challenging in-company projects. pared to male leaders, and this capability became
more important for leaders moving from mid-
> Business Savvy: Demonstrates a keen under-
level management to more senior leadership
standing of basic business operations and the
roles. When questioned, the women in our study
organisational levers (systems, processes, de-
were unequivocal in the view that being vision-
partments, functions) that drive profitable
ary was a crucial capability in leadership roles.
growth. “You can’t advise people on leadership if you
Although we didn’t include this in our original
don’t understand the business” (Jude Hollings, GM –
list, we felt that this would make an interesting
People & Organisational Development, Kangan
extension to the discussion.
Batman TAFE). This keen understanding is piv-
otal in building a respected leadership brand and Having defined the differential personal
goes hand-in-hand with being able to demon- attributes and capabilities of effective senior
strate tangible business results. As such, we female leaders, it is crucial to note that these
strongly recommend that this capability is nur- leaders did not operate in a vacuum. What
tured early in leaders so they are better equipped comes next is the importance of a supportive
to define and pull the levers required to drive and organisational culture in accelerating the growth
enhance organisational performance. Developing and realising the potential of successful female
this capability also provides additional benefits as leaders.
Alex Badenoch (Executive Director – Talent and
Organisation Development, Telstra) sees it: “I ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT
found that no matter what, male or female, the greatest Our global research provided a series of best
thing I can do about breaking into networks is about un- practices for organisations in Helping Women
derstanding the business.” Move Up. Our findings in this study echo many
An important point that came up was how suc- of these practices and in particular, our research
cessful women who focused on the capabilities indicated that having mentors at work,
supportive leaders, and flexible work
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

described above were able to make use of

their self-insight to make the right decisions at practices were essential. These in-company
critical points in their careers, such as leaving resources are so critical because they enable
a job when it was not suitable. To sum it up, senior female leaders to structure their time,
“ultimately having the right people around you, and approach and focus appropriately depending
being in cultures that are supportive of that and are on the work and non-work priorities at play at
willing to back you sometimes, even when you don’t the time. For many of them, real success is de-
necessarily have the on-packet credentials…that really fined by the achievement of a work-life balance.
helps you to accelerate and drive and build your
5
confidence” (Alex Badenoch). Ibarra, H., & Obodaru, O. (2009). Women and the vision
thing. Harvard Business Review, 87, p. 62.

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MKTLDMIS100-02100MA © Development Dimensions International, Inc., MMX. All rights reserved.
 However, such a balance cannot be attained 1. Fail often, fail well. Know and understand
without a supportive organisation and flexibility what is important to you, and be very clear
of the work culture. on the goals you want to achieve. However,
don’t be afraid to fail along the way. “Success
The women we interviewed came from diverse is about working out what you want to do, not nec-
backgrounds with an equally diverse set of per- essarily driving for the name or title, but more about
sonal circumstances and family responsibilities. the richness of what you are doing.” (Kate Eas-
Regardless of the specific personal situations toe, Group Corporate Counsel, Asia Pacific,
female leaders are in, organisations must have George Weston Foods).
both a board and CEO who are committed to 2. Find someone who believes in you even
encouraging a culture that supports diversity more than you believe in yourself. These
of approach, thought, and practices. This is a mentors and sponsors will be able to pro-
critical starting point in terms of driving the vide you with insight, guidance and advice,
right attitude, but organisational leaders across even with challenges you haven’t yet en-
the leadership pipeline also need to be equipped countered. “Make yourself meet these people, and
with the skills to deal with such diversity – continue to meet them within the organisation”
to harness the value of diverse talent whilst still (Rilla Moore, Executive GM – Human Re-
driving clear performance outcomes “you need sources, Stockland), because if you choose
more than lip service but evidence from the organisation the right ones, they will back you when you
– granular information about what’s happening – both need it most.
data and stories.” (Christine McLoughlin). 3. Show your value, stand out. Demonstrate
results and make them visible. However,
In addition to organisational resources, highly
take note that doing a good job is not de-
effective senior female leaders also had critical
fined by long hours, but rather, by the out-
environmental resources available to them, ena- comes you deliver. “Earning respect and doing a
bling commitment and focus to their careers. good job of what you do gets you a long way.” (Joy
Many talked about the importance of personal Linton, Finance Director, National Foods).
relationships with friends and family – “an un-
4. Hunt the next opportunity down, don’t
spoken support that is without much acknowledgement”
wait for the tap. “Be prepared to learn at every
(Helen Newall, HR Director Australia, AXA),
single opportunity, even if it won’t be relevant
but one that is of great value in buffering both straight away” (Fiona Fleming, Group Corpo-
stress and pressure at work. For many of them, rate Affairs Manager, George Weston
success is defined by balancing work-life priori- Foods). Consider job rotations, international
ties, as this allows you to “give yourself some purpose job placements, and put your hand up for
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

in life other than work” (Hilary Crowe, GM – Peo- any other opportunities that come your way.
ple & Culture Business Banking, NAB). And remember, “women can be their own obsta-
cles.” (Cathy Manolios, General Counsel, Zu-
rich).
TOP TIPS FOR THE ASCENT
5. Take a portfolio approach to life. Build
Having spoken to some of our most exceptional
and strengthen your relationships through
leadership talent in Australia, we wanted to share
all aspects of life. When you build those
their consolidated list of the top tips for women networks at work, it’s not only about “know-
starting out in their careers: ing people, but knowing when to work with
them.” (Anne O’Keefe). At the same time,

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 don’t forget the importance of getting sup- ior leadership roles. As such, they lack the level
port from your family and friends. of exposure required to be successful in their
applications. Thus, similar to the tips offered
COMPARISONS WITH THE GLOBAL for the ascent, the main pieces of advice offered
RESEARCH to women who wish to enter board directorship
On the whole, the Australian women inter- are: concentrating on building public visibility,
broadening work experiences, and strengthening
viewed did not feel that they had been held back
both internal and external networks.
in any way by their gender. In contrast, the
global research showed that in general the wom-
CONCLUSION
en did not get the same development opportuni-
Having defined the critical personal attributes
ties as men, and felt that being a female had
and capabilities required for the success of sen-
hindered their career advancements. Both the
ior female leaders, the next natural question is,
Australian and global research highlighted the
‘What can we do with this information?’ Given
importance of organisational support during the that each of the participants in our research was
transition into new roles, and for moving so keen to share their perspective to support
through the ranks. Thus, a huge aspect of fe- other ambitious and driven women, the answer
male leadership success hinges on the degree to takes two forms.
which organisations help enable talent to reach
1. Attention goes to aspiring women who
their full potential.
can use this profile to understand the
key enablers of success as a senior fe-
THE REASONS WOMEN ARE NOT MAKING male leader. And rather than being dis-
IT TO BOARD LEVEL empowered by concepts such as the
Having taken the opportunity to explore this glass ceiling or glass cliff, we hope this
issue, we found that many women motivation- research has the opposite effect, and
ally just did not wish to be represented on board conveys a sense of just how much mas-
directorships. We heard on one hand of a pref- tery they can have over their careers
erence for involvement in business versus gov- should they choose. This report pro-
ernance. But on the other hand, we also heard vides clarity to what women can do to
of the challenges of breaking into a very tight strengthen their leadership profile for
network. Board membership is generally gained high impact.
through invitations and referrals, rather than
2. Attention turns to organisations. With
through advertisement. As such, if board in-
much debate currently circulating re-
volvement is a long-term goal, increasing your
garding quotas and the view that Aus-
public profile and developing networking skills
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

tralia is lagging behind the rest of the

should become a priority early on in your career.
world when it comes to driving diver-
Voice your desire to join boards and ask for re-
sity, this paper provides succinct guid-
ferrals from your sponsors so they are aware of
ance as to the initiatives, culture and
your interest and can provide appropriate direc-
approach required to enable organisa-
tion.
tions to leverage a truly broad talent
Perhaps one of the most interesting perspectives pool. And it’s not just about having spe-
that emerged was that women might actually cial interests groups in place, but ensur-
start applying for directorships too soon, typi- ing that leaders shape organisations that
cally in the not-for-profit sector, without first promote women to the top.
focusing on building a strong repertoire of sen-

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Michelle Gibson, General Manager –
DDI would like to thank the following women Leadership Strategy & Development, Rio
and their supportive organisations who partici- Tinto
pated in this research piece. We appreciate their The Hon. Patricia Forsythe, Executive
time and generosity in providing invaluable Director, Sydney Business Chamber
information.
Rilla Moore, Executive General Manager –
Alex Badenoch, Executive Director – Talent Human Resources, Stockland
and Organisational Development, Telstra
Sylvie Vanasse, Director of People, Parsons
Anne O’Keefe, Head of Human Resources, Brinckerhoff
Zurich Financial Services
Trish Unwin, Manager Organisational
CONTACT INFORMATION Cathy Manolios, General Counsel, Zurich Development, Australia Post
AUSTRALIA
Financial Services
1-800-035-604 Trisha McEwan, Group GM Human
Christine McLoughlin, Company Director Resources & Communications, Orica
E-MAIL [email protected]
and Head, McLoughlin Advisory
WWW.DDIWORLD.COM
(www.mcloughlineadvisory.com.au)
Colleen Harris, Executive General Manager – About the Author
Human Capital Strategy, NAB Elizabeth S. Chan, is General Manager, Mel-
Fiona Fleming, Group Corporate Affairs bourne, DDI Australia. With a background in
Manager, George Weston Foods organisational psychology, Elizabeth brings her
expertise to a broad portfolio of clients, from
Helen Newall, HR Director Australia, AXA local and national engagements to complex
Hilary Crowe, General Manager – People & global initiatives. Her portfolio of experience
Culture Business Banking, NAB extends to the delivery of senior level talent
strategy, executive development, global compe-
Jo Mithen, Chief Executive Officer,
tency framework implementations, performance
Monash College
management, selection system design, and busi-
Joy Linton, Finance Director, National Foods ness strategy execution.
Jude Hollings, General Manager – People & This study was a true team effort, and the au-
Organisational Development, Kangan thor would like to acknowledge the invaluable
Batman TAFE contributions of the following people.
PROFILE OF A SUCCESSFUL FEMALE LEADER

Kate Eastoe, Group Corporate Counsel Asia

Pacific, George Weston Foods
Research Advisors
Kirstin Schneider, Manager, Talent – Corpo-
Sophia Andritsos, Jan-Louise Godfrey, Shannon
rate Human Resources, Australia Post
Horan, Bruce Watt (Managing Director), Shirley
Louise Doyle, Formerly Group Executive HR, Zhang
National Foods
Project Management
Maria Tassone, General Manager Academy
Julie Hogan, Stacy Infantozzi (design and layout
Operations, NAB
concepts)

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