Perceptions of women business leaders may have shifted in recent years — but is there still a misunderstanding about female leadership?
In this video interview with Beet.TV, Kristi Argyilan, SVP, Retail Media, Albertsons Companies, said the distinction between the perceived styles of men and women leaders remains an open item for business to address.
Meanwhile, businesses still need to support women during their mid-career stage, she said.
Business Starts at Home
As well as examining whether they have the right support at home, companies also need to understand how to help women re-enter the workforce should they take time out, Argyilan said to Beet.TV Editorial Director Lisa Granatstein.
“I think, in general, especially for women mid-career, I think the big open question is, ‘How do we allow women to exit and re-enter the workforce?’ Because mid-career is also when you’re starting a family.”
Research for solicitor firm Cripps found 26% of respondents saidtaking a career break was a barrier to career progression.
The Importance of Male Sponsors, Partners
Argyilan added: “There’s still a misunderstanding of what female leadership looks like versus male leadership. And I think that that is still an open item to be wrestled with in terms of just allowing people to be great leaders in whatever way they do that and that it doesn’t have to look like one thing.”
Speaking about her own career path, Argyilan credits male sponsors for her progress to the C-suite.
“I think, in my experience toward becoming an executive, I think some of the things that have helped me have been the men that have sponsored me along the way and women who have kind of partnered right next to me so that I always had a network to be able to talk to,” she said.
Argyilan singled out the “unique” sponsorship of senior male executives and said she was “incredibly grateful” for the interest they had shown in her career progression.
Hopes for Sponsorship
Argyilan added that advertising has done “a pretty good job” of reflecting diverse groups of people, including different types of families, but warned there was a risk of over-stereotyping, particularly with regard to the portrayal of men and women.
“So I think that there’s some over stereotyping that goes on,” she said.
Looking ahead to next year, she urged business to “recognize the importance of sponsorship”, not to mimic how sponsors operate but for them to “realize their own dream”.
You are watching “Lift As You Climb,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series at Beet Retreat Santa Monica with She Runs It. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
