Women pioneering change: Shaping the future of engineering leadership

Leadership is gender agnostic, but are we creating a system where opportunities are gender neutral too? 

The tech industry has long been known as a male-dominated space. According to a recent report by the National Centre for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), women currently make up only 26% of the workforce in the tech industry, of which 23% of total tech c-suit positions are held by women in Fortune 500 companies. However, this is a significant improvement from the early 2000s when women only made up 9%.

Scientific studies have consistently shown key leadership traits such as Digital Fluency, Emotional Intelligence, Adaptability, Strategic thinking, and cultural competence—to be more likely found in women. It has been witnessed that women leaders have an innate ability to make a powerful and significant business impact—be it in driving innovation and new business opportunities or in spearheading inclusion and ESG initiatives. 

From the early pioneers who laid the foundation for modern computing to the trailblazers leading tech giants today, women's contributions to the industry have been nothing short of extraordinary. Historically, female brilliance in tech dates back to the 19th century with Ada Lovelace, often referred to as the world's first computer programmer. Her work on Charles Babbage's analytical engine laid the groundwork for modern computer programming and set the stage for women's influence in the tech world.

As the tech industry evolved, so did women's impact. Visionaries like Grace Hopper, the "Queen of Software," and her creation of the first compiler revolutionized programming and propelled computing into the future. These extraordinary women demonstrated that innovation knows no bounds, inspiring future generations.

Dialing up to our current times, Female leaders like Sheryl Sandberg, who was the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook; Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM; Padmasree Warrior, former CTO of Motorola Inc. and Jayshree Ullal, CEO & President of Arista networks to name few have shattered the glass ceiling and are leading by example. Their success serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for aspiring women in the tech field.

Undoubtedly, women are leading and driving the change across industries. They are breaking down barriers and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. 

It is, however, time for women when getting a seat at the table is not enough but TO BE AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE IN LEADERSHIP ROLES to drive the future forward.

Organizations play key role to help close the leadership gender gap. They can unlock the full potential of their employees and drive success in the long term by following some of the below practices and mindset shifts:

• Identify Potential leaders early - "Giving women key experiences early in their careers helps give them the runway to be able to develop themselves and excel and go as far as their skills and abilities and motivation will take them," said Valerio, author of the 2009 book Developing Women Leaders: A Guide for Men and Women in Organizations.
• Establish mentorship programs that also focus on sponsorship - "Research shows that sponsorship is more effective at helping advance into leadership positions than mentorship," Mattingly, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Mattingly Solutions, a workplace inclusion consulting firm, said. "Mentors are great as a sounding board and to provide guidance, but when the rubber hits the road, you need someone who will speak up for you when you're not in the room."
• Focus on Allyship - "It's a matter of recognizing our privileges, working through biases that we all have as humans, and then leveraging that privilege to either step up or step back or step in and help those who have historically been left behind when it comes to advancing into leadership roles," CEO of Mattingly solutions said.
• Promote workplace policies to thrive - We need to reduce disparities and create an environment of success for women to progress in their career trajectories.

Companies have diversity and inclusion at the core of their business – a value deep down in their culture. 

"Nothing about her without her". We need more women leaders in today's time. For women to be more productive and exhibit their underlying potential, organizations need to be their true supporters, promoters, and benefactors. 

As we celebrate Women in Tech, it's essential to recognize the challenges they are facing and the triumphs they have achieved. We should build the future for our posterity, which is diverse, inclusive & progressive.

The article has been written by Jyoti Radhu, Head of Software Development, Tesco Technology