Women in Shipping Watch—Expert Thinking on the Gender Perspective in Leadership
For some, leadership is motivation, for others inspiration. Until recently, women were rarely seen in senior leadership positions as these positions have predominantly been held by men and men were therefore stereotyped to be more effective leaders. Research has examined whether or not there are sex differences in leadership; what it is evident, whatsoever, is that a lot of progress has been made on our professional lives over the last 50 years, bridging the gap between males and females.
Our special column is dedicated to women in the maritime industry, asking them to provide feedback on the following question:
“Given the ongoing discussion for the role of women in shipping do you think that we need more females in leadership roles or more leaders acting on a female mode and why?”
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Jeanne M. Grasso, Partner, Blank Rome
As an industry, we need more females in leadership roles. We also need more male leaders to acknowledge the importance of diversity in the workplace. Diversity is key to the success of any business, as is being yourself and not trying to be someone you are not. Leadership comes in many forms and involves integrity, respect, professionalism, transparency, and trust, among other qualities that are gender neutral. That said, men and women are different. While women can bring the same professional skillset as men to our industry, women also bring different perspectives and viewpoints, which add value, oftentimes allowing a company to better understand and respond to customer and client needs. Research over the years has made clear that companies with diverse workforces perform better financially. That alone should be enough of an incentive to expand the role of women in the maritime industry.
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"Women in Shipping Watch—Expert Thinking on the Gender Perspective in Leadership," was published in Safety4Sea on June 1, 2018.