Leading authentically changes the narrative from surviving to thriving

The leadership landscape is a stark testament to persistent gender disparities. According to the Grant Thornton Women in Business 2024 report, while women now occupy 33.5% of senior management roles (a modest increase from 32.4% in 2023), the journey to the top remains bumpy. Twenty years ago, women held just 19.4% of senior positions, marking slow but incremental progress. Yet, a more troubling trend may be emerging: female CEOs in large corporates have dropped from 28% to 19% in the past year.

The reasons listed in the report are revealing. Female leaders at larger corporations cite public pressures, overwhelming caring responsibilities, and the exhausting expectation to conform to traditionally masculine leadership styles.

TransUnion CFO Sharon Naidoo believes in equipping women in leadership to break down these deeply ingrained corporate narratives. Her message is both a rebellion and an invitation: to create workplace environments where women don't just survive, but genuinely thrive.

After all, in corporate leadership, women face the unique challenge of just trying to survive. We've often been conditioned to navigate a world not originally designed for our voices, perspectives – or leadership styles. We've learned to adapt and to become chameleons in boardrooms that have historically echoed with male voices. Yet, true leadership isn't about fitting in. It's about creating spaces where we can genuinely show up, where our authentic selves are not just tolerated, but celebrated.

Breaking the invisible barrier: Imposter syndrome

According to a 2023 KPMG study, a staggering 75% of executive women report experiencing imposter syndrome – that sneaky, persistent internal dialogue questioning your capabilities, despite demonstrable success to the contrary. This psychological phenomenon is not a reflection of competence, but a byproduct of systemic environments that consistently undervalue women's contributions.

Yet, paradoxically, women consistently demonstrate leadership qualities that outperform traditional metrics:

• Women score higher in emotional intelligence

• They demonstrate more effective communication skills

• They excel in collaborative leadership approaches

• Build more cohesive team environments

• Women leaders show greater empathy and adaptability - soft skills in ever-increasing demand

Leadership beyond surface level

Naidoo shares three critical dimensions in workplace dynamics to help you understand leadership beyond just the surface:

Equality: The foundational layer

Equality means fair treatment for all, with no exceptions. For women, this represents more than a corporate policy. It's a hard-won battle for basic professional dignity, to be treated as an equal. It ensures that opportunities are technically available, but doesn't address the deeper systemic challenges women face.

Equity: Addressing systemic barriers

Equity evolved from equality as a more nuanced approach to fairness. It acknowledges the unique challenges women face such as invisible barriers, bias, additional mental loads and the delicate balance of professional ambition and huge societal expectations.

Inclusivity: Creating genuine belonging

Inclusivity goes beyond fairness and adjustments to create a real sense of belonging. It's about creating spaces where women don't just participate, but truly thrive.

Headroom vs heartroom

We all know that women are much better at leading from the heart than men. But what does it mean? And why’s it important? Naidoo shares a powerful framework for understanding leadership spaces:

Headroom: The strategic landscape

Headroom is the mental space for strategic conversations where diverse thinking is not just welcomed, but considered essential. It's an environment that values intellectual contribution regardless of gender, background, or hierarchical position.

Heartroom: The emotional sanctuary

By contrast, heartroom is an emotional space of genuine psychological safety. Here, team members feel truly appreciated, personal narratives are valued (and encouraged), and vulnerability is seen as a leadership strength.

What is true, authentic leadership?

Naidoo believes that true leadership means listening beyond words. We must fully try to understand the unique perspectives of every individual within a team. Inclusivity thrives on diverse thinking. Leaders must create spaces where different views are welcome – both the mental space for strategic conversations and the emotional space, the heartroom, where everyone feels safe and appreciated.

• Naidoo challenges leaders to:

• Create spaces for these conversations: where team members feel confident sharing personal stories, ideas, and history

• Ensure all voices are treated equally, regardless of background, title or role

The power of self-awareness

Awesome leadership starts with self-awareness and authenticity.

Leaders set the tone for their teams. Their biases, assumptions and behaviors influence company culture. When leaders understand themselves, they create space for others to do the same.

This means that you have to do the hard work for yourself first:

• Challenge your personal perspectives and unconscious biases

• Understand how your own experiences shape your leadership

• Learn from team members, mentors and lived experiences

Practical wisdom for women leaders

1. Learn to love all the parts of yourself and treat them with respect and kindness, even when they don't seem like they belong. Allow yourself to fit the Lego pieces back in any way that makes you feel special and beautiful again.

2. Listen actively. Seek to understand different perspectives. Support your team's well-being, not just their productivity.

3. Be honest and transparent, even when it's uncomfortable. Admit mistakes and learn from them.

4. Leadership isn't about perfection. It's about progress, authenticity and creating environments where everyone can truly belong. Your unique perspective is your greatest strength.

5. Don't try to fit into predefined moulds. Instead, allow yourself to be beautifully, unapologetically you.

How to lead without fear

The journey from survival to thriving is not a destination, but a continuous process of self-discovery and empowerment. For women leaders, this means rejecting the survival mentality that has long constrained our potential. It's about overcoming those moments of doubt.

However, leading without fear doesn't mean the absence of fear. It means acknowledging them, understanding their roots and choosing to move forward with courage and authenticity. It's about creating the spaces Naidoo describes (both the strategic headroom and the emotional heartroom) where your unique perspective becomes your greatest strength.

The statistics may paint a challenging picture, but they are not a limitation. They are a call to action. Each time we choose authenticity over conformity, empathy over competition, vulnerability over perfection, we rewrite the rules of leadership.

So, are you ready to lead without fear? Your story is waiting to be written.