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The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World

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Agostina Chemello of Porch.com provides this article as a companion to the interview Research Findings on Women’s Access to Leadership Development.

From influential politicians to tech geniuses, Forbes’ 2017 ranking of the “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” runs the compass of everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Ivanka Trump to Angela Merkel and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg.

Ranging in age from 28 (Taylor Swift) to 92 (Queen Elizabeth II) it’s clear no woman is the same. There’s not one quality that helped these women climb to the absolute peak of power in their industries, it’s worth asking—what qualities do they share that’s helped set them apart?

To find out, we used IBM’s Watson™ Personality Insights API to examine speeches, interviews, and even social media commentary to decipher the more natural elements of their personalities. With only a few exceptions, every woman on Forbes’ list has been analyzed here. Read on for a more intimate look at these leading ladies.

Powerful Personalities

According to IBM’s Watson Personality Insights model, there are five core characteristics that help define how a person engages with the world. These include agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, emotional range, and openness and are made up of personality facets that help individualize each person’s values and actions.

Across Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful women in the world, openness was the most common personality trait. Described by IBM as “the extent to which a person is open to experiencing different activities,” openness includes a person’s imagination, artistic interests, and overall intellectual curiosity. Across all 100 women, two were particularly inclined toward this trait: Ranking at No. 72 Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief at The Economist; who has helped grow the publication’s reader base by 20 percent, and Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucasfilm at Disney.

Emotional range and conscientiousness were also the most prevailing “Big Five” traits, personified most clearly by women like Safra Catz (the co-CEO of Oracle) and Nikki Haley (the Indian American ambassador to the United Nations). And while agreeableness wasn’t the most prominent “Big Five” trait, Beyoncé, Anna Wintour, and Oprah Winfrey are still using compassion and cooperation to their advantage.

Industrious Individuals

Women’s day-to-day responsibilities may be different, but the skills required to make it into politics might not be so different from tech. Sympathy, intellect, and liberalism topped the list among women in politics including Germany’s Angela Merkel and the U.K.’s Theresa May. The same is true for media and entertainment where Oprah Winfrey, Anna Wintour, and Bonnie Hammer top the list of the most powerful women anywhere in the world.

A Cut Above the Rest

Of course, there’s more to what makes these women special than the “Big Five.” Other facets of their personalities have helped them stand out in, and in some ways disrupt, the industries they lead.

From the politically savvy to tech giants and entertainment superstars, the path to power for the top 100 women on Forbes’ list is unique. While what has helped them get to where they are today is different, the personality traits they sometimes share aren’t. From Oprah Winfrey to Theresa May, they sometimes share characteristics like intellect and liberalism (challenging the status quo) even if they execute them differently. Each of these women proves that even in male-dominated industries, breaking away from the norm can pay off in big ways.

Read the full article at Porch.com.

About the Author

Agostina Chemello is a guest writer from Porch.com.

Photo by:  Jude Beck on Unsplash

 

Do We Need New Competencies in the Boardroom and C-Suite?

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This article is an excerpt from the Future Boardroom Competencies 2020 Report compiled by Competent Boards and provided by Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO and Founder.  This is part 1 of a 2-part series and is a companion to her podcast Future Boardroom Competencies.  The entire report, Future Boardroom Competencies can be downloaded here.

FOREWARD

There is no telling what will define the business landscape post-pandemic. However, the trend remains clear. The foundation on which our global economic systems and governance practices have been built is nearing expiry.

With a heightened sense of urgency surrounding environmental, social, and humanitarian problems, there is an elevated sense of societal pressure on leading organizations and their board of directors to take action.

The future of good corporate governance has begun to outgrow the notion of transactional thinking with respect to decision making. Serving board of directors must apply a strategic approach to meeting the growing expectations of shareholders and all other stakeholders. An approach that requires deep reflection on purpose, analysis of strategy, and consideration of all perspectives in an effort to achieve short-term profitability and long-term sustainable value creation.

As the world enters a period of reset, board members should not only equip themselves with the necessary competencies to meet new expectations but should also be willing to adapt their own outlook through a strong willingness to learn.

The findings of this report suggest that in order for board members and other executives to be future-ready, they must stay curious with a strong willingness to expand their knowledge and adapt to new conceptual interpretations. Moreover, board members should be constructively critical in challenging the status quo with respect and integrity.

Future-ready board members are highly focused on cooperative decision-making and inclusiveness. They have a demonstrated ambition to tackle systemic inequalities through actions that increase board diversity and promote a more equitable decision-making process. They are ready to apply their wisdom in making sense of complex information to effectively balance the needs of all stakeholders and adapt the strategic approach accordingly.

Any leader must understand the interconnectedness across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and how it relates to business strategy. Obtaining the relevant ESG and sustainability competencies is imperative for business leaders in understanding how future scenarios may expose the company to emerging risks or present further business opportunities.

I hope that you will find value in this report and use it to reflect on and further develop your competencies.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report provides an overview of the essential competencies, qualities, and traits the board of directors and other business professionals will need to navigate the dynamics of a global business landscape shaped by the greatest challenges of our time.

Organizations and the individuals that lead them hold the innate responsibility of delivering on a shared vision that drives long-term sustainable value creation while executing on short-term needs.

As global conditions come to normalize, we enter a period of great reset – for which the board of directors need to be prepared.

Using data collected via survey, this analysis evaluates insights from the Competent Boards global faculty and other business leaders in an effort to determine the elements comprised within a future-prepared board member.

The report uses the qualitative method to draw a comprehensive list which business leaders can use to reflect on their ability to effectively manage emergent risks and opportunities.

We asked four questions:

  • What does stewardship in the 21st century look like?
  • What does a future-prepared board member look like?
  • What new competencies are, or should be, demanded of board members?
  • What are the personal traits, qualities, and diverse perspectives needed in the boardroom?

The findings indicate that future-ready board members will need to apply a lens of curiosity that supports a culture of continual learning and strategy adaptation in order to meet growing expectations.

The survey determined that effective board leadership should be aligned with a distinct sense of purpose that is informed by a deeply-seated literacy of the material ESG challenges faced by the company.

Although an objective list of relevant skills and experience may apply to every qualified board member, the survey results indicate that the definition of a future-prepared leader may extend further.

According to the survey’s findings the personal attributes or traits within an individual’s internal value system may also play a role in defining a board member who is future-prepared.

As the COVID-19 pandemic shines a light on the many cracks within the foundations of our societal and governance structures, it becomes clear that the board of directors is expected to leverage their power and influence to take meaningful action.

The findings indicate that board members must reflect on their current outlook and set of competencies in order to identify areas for which they can develop their capacity to meet demands for extraordinary board-level stewardship in the 21st century.

Do you know of top ESG Competent Boards and Board Members?  You can nominate those you believe should be highlighted in the Competent Boards list here.

About the Author

Helle Bank Jorgensen is the CEO of Competent Boards, which offers the global online ESG Competent Boards Certificate Program with a faculty of over 95 renowned international board members; executives and experts.

A business lawyer and state-authorized public accountant by training, Helle helps global companies and investors turn sustainability into strong financial results. She was the creator of the world’s first Green Account based on lifecycle assessment, as well as the world’s first Integrated Report and the first holistic responsible supply chain program.

Helle has written numerous thought leader pieces, is a keynote speaker, and is interviewed by global media outlets.

 

Photo by Danielle Cerullo on Unsplash

140 Top CEOs Say These Are the Most Crucial Challenges for Future Leaders

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This blog is provided by Jacob Morgan, author of the book, The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade, as a companion to his podcast The Future Leader: Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade.

Leadership has always been challenging, but the future of work will bring fresh challenges to future leaders. Over the next decade, leaders will have to face obstacles and challenges not faced by current or past leaders. But what are those challenges?

As part of the research for my book, The Future Leader, I interviewed over 140 top CEOs from around the world and surveyed around 14,000 LinkedIn users. One of the questions I asked was about the challenges future leaders would face. From their varied and insightful responses, I broke the challenges down to two main areas: futurize and humanize.

Futurize

Future leaders can’t afford to lead their organizations by looking in the rearview mirror. They need to futurize, or bring their organizations into the future. But of course, it isn’t that simple. There are numerous challenges that fall into this category.

Short-Term Vs. Long-Term Thinking

Many leaders think quarter by quarter to please their shareholders and investors. We’ve been conditioned to think in the short term and expect fast results. Future leaders need to be focused on long-term success for both the organization and the people. This requires courage!

Adapting to Technology

New technology is coming incredibly quickly, and it often seems like once we’ve finally mastered something, it’s outdated and there’s a flashy new solution. Leaders need to pay attention to technology and be able to change their perspective to understand what new developments are most important and what else is coming down the pipeline. Technology is not just for IT professionals.

“Today’s leaders need to either decide to embrace new platforms and technology or be prepared to be left behind.” John Legere, Former CEO, T-Mobile

Keeping Up With the Pace of Change

The world is changing incredibly fast, and future leaders will be challenged to keep up. They need to embrace change, stay agile, and be open to new ideas. Whether we look at climate change, globalization, technology, demographics, cyber security, geopolitical issues, competition, or any of the other numerous trends shaping our lives and organizations, it’s clear that change happens quickly and happens all the time. We will experience more change in the coming decade than we have experienced in the past hundreds of years.

“The pace of change is faster and while you don’t have to know everything, you do have to know how to get it. The commitment to being a lifelong learner, I think the premium on that is much higher now for our leaders.” William Rogers, CEO, SunTrust Banks

Moving Away from the Status Quo

Just because something worked in the past doesn’t mean it will still work in the future. Leaders need to be confident and bold to take risks that move away from the status quo just because that’s how things have always been done. Leaders must move away from the mentality of “follow me to greener pastures because I’ve done it and I’ve been there,” to “follow me into uncertainty, I don’t know the path but I have a vision of what we can create and together we will make it happen!”

Humanize

We tend to put a lot of emphasis on technology, but a company can work without technology; it can’t work without people. The challenges of humanizing involve balancing humans with technology and ensuring your people are prepared to succeed in the future. We can’t forget that business still fundamentally operates and exists because of people. What we are seeing now with COVID-19 is a very clear example of that.

Leading Diverse Teams

Not everyone in the world looks and thinks the same, and your organization should reflect that. Diverse teams bring in new perspectives. Future leaders need to put together teams of people with different backgrounds, genders, races, sexual orientations, and belief systems to work together towards a common goal.

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent

People are an organization’s biggest asset, but many companies face the challenge of finding and keeping great employees. Instead of job candidates trying to convince organizations they are the best choice, now leaders and organizations must convince potential employees they are a great place to work.

“We’re moving from an era of lifetime employment to lifetime employee ability where if your people don’t feel that they learn and progress and they’re up to speed in their areas of expertise, they will leave you because they will become themselves obsolete.” – André Calantzopoulos, CEO, Philip Morris International

Reskilling and Upskilling Employees

How we work and the tools we have are changing rapidly, and many employees find themselves not having the right skills to do their jobs or thrive in the future. Leaders face the challenge of knowing how best to upskill employees and give them what they need for future success.

Doing Good

People want to be part of organizations that care about more than just making money. But in many cases, the leaders and shareholders are conditioned to think more about profits than doing good in the world. Future leaders need to make sure their work is improving the world and then share that message with others.

Making the Organization Human

With automation and a focus on efficiency, many organizations fall into the trap of focusing on results instead of people. Each individual matters, and future leaders need to understand their employees as people, not just cogs in the machine.

“A leader of the future will have to be astute enough to balance automation with the human touch. They have to decide what types of tasks to automate so that they can spend more time on high-value activities. But also decide which businesses will continue to benefit from human judgment.” – Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson, of Biocon

These challenges are widespread and require serious effort. Based on the survey I did with LinkedIn looking at 14,000 employees around the world, most leaders and organizations aren’t ready to face these challenges. The good news is that we still have time, but we need to start now to develop future-ready skills and mindsets.

 

About the Author

 Jacob Morgan is a four time bestselling author, keynote speaker, and futurist who explores leadership, employee experience, and the future of work. He is the founder of FutureofWorkUniversity.com, an online education and training platform that helps future proof individuals and organizations by teaching them the skills they need to succeed in the future of work. Jacob also hosts the Future of Work podcast, a weekly show where he speaks with senior executives, business leaders, and bestselling authors about how the world of work is changing.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay