Where are the Women Leaders at the Leadership Tables of Kingdom NGOs?
May 2019
Last year when a dear sister, and admired senior executive stepped down from her very influential leadership position in a Faith Based NGO, I wept. No longer would little girls around the world who could look upon the top of that organizational chart and see someone who looked like them and think “maybe me someday”. I wept, because after 20+ years of doing leadership development in this sector, I’ve seen the needle move, far, far too little in making space at the table for women executives.
The reality check of recent stats:
· Over 50% of the ones NGOs rescue from trafficking, build houses for, extend micro loans to, enroll in child development programs and bind the wounds of in refugee camps are women and girls.
· Over 50% of the ones who directly serve those trafficked, homeless, wounded, and are the primary beneficiaries of NGO services are women.
· Over 50% of the decision makers to donate to FBNGOs are women
And yet….
· Less than 3% of US Faith Based NGO CEOs are women
· Less than 10% of these executive teams are made up of women
· Less than 15% of these boards are made of up women
· Less than 20% of the top 3 layers of these organizational leaders are women (1,2)
Even with the mounting corporate sector research that says organizations thrive and grow when there is gender diversity in leadership (3). In 2019…. HOW CAN THIS BE?
Are we contradicting ourselves?
Most US Faith Based NGOs want to see the communities we serve empowered and the people we serve released from spiritual, material, physical and emotional poverty… AND the poverty of a marred identity that says “because you are materially poor, you are less than…” How is it we can say to the little girl child we serve “we want you to be released to be all God has created you to be… future Uganda president, future teacher, future pastor…” and yet we say to the female staffer in Uganda, “you cannot be a senior leader in this agency. You cannot be a country director, or our future CEO.” Is this not a total contradiction in our message?
Are there business benefits of Diversity around our Leadership Tables?
Yes, yes, yes. Recent years have resulted in consistent research and realization that public corporations that have diversity around their leadership ranks enjoy far greater ROE and ROI performance indicators. Greater innovation is linked to diversity in leadership. Yet, even with the mounting corporate sector research that says organizations thrive and grow when there is gender diversity in leadership, the faith-based NGO sector in the US still lags far behind in its leadership diversity. (3)
Looking at Jesus as the model – leave your doctrine at the door
We need only turn to Jesus as our model of embracing and empowering women for ministry. He modeled respect for, and inclusion of, women in all spheres of His ministry, and often the most important “first responders” roles.(6) In His ministry He surrounded Himself with BOTH women and men in service to the Kingdom. It was counter-cultural… I know. But is that not what we are called to be when God calls us to be His Peculiar People in 1 Peter 2:9? (4, 5)
“But it’s not cultural in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in America to have women leaders…” This is not a western ideology. I’ve studied global leadership. I’ve lived in Africa. I’ve led and taught people from 83 countries of the world. In a massive global study (66 countries) of the leadership qualities we admire most, the following were most highly rated across the globe: a) Being trustworthy, honest and just, b.) Having foresight and planning ahead, c.) being positive, encouraging, motivating and building confidence and d.) being communicative, informed, and a team integrator (7). Of these, all four areas are considered feminine leadership qualities that male executives would do well to emulate (8). My words are NOT western ideology. They are Kingdom ideology. The ideology of 1Peter 2:9 that says I have called YOU to be a PECULIAR people… set apart from the way this world, and our cultures, operate to reflect MY kingdom values.
“Why should I have to give up my seat for a woman?”
Hear me again, that is NOT what this is about. It’s about expanding the table for a more balanced, and Kingdom-reflecting table. Kingdom community is based on ALL of the ones God created to bring their talents and gifts to bear (9). The elimination of male leaders would NOT be Godly, nor would it represent a Kingdom table. But if your power is predicated on the oppression and exclusion of the ones who are ALSO made in God’s image, who are ALSO called to bring their gifts of preaching, teaching and leadership to bear on the enterprise, if that is the basis of your power, then that does NOT reflect the Kingdom of God and you need to either repent and ask forgiveness or step down from your seat today. You choose.
“Well at least we have one… One VP, One Board Member, One Executive Team member who is female….” One is not enough.
· She becomes the excuse to become accepting of an imbalanced leadership table
· She becomes the proxy for the few other women leaders in the organization – a very unfair position to cast on anyone
· She becomes the poster child for either good leadership, or used as the excuse for bad leadership and why there aren’t more than one.
· Her different leadership style will continually be critiqued through a gender-biased lens of male counterparts (10).
One Is Not Enough.
“We tried having a woman leader, it didn’t go well”….
By that same token, all men would have to lose their leadership seats because the stats on male leaders who don’t lead well, embezzle from the organization, and sexually harass the employees cannot be ignored. So if one bad woman leader means no future women leaders, then one bad male leader eliminates all males from leadership as well…. Try again.
“That executive position isn’t right for her given what’s going on in her life”
This is a rationale often used by male executives, likely unintentionally, when considering women for promotion who’ve just been married, just had children, or have elder care responsibilities. While it may seem like colleagues trying to “protect” their female colleagues, it actually takes away a woman’s agency to decide for herself and with her family whether an executive role is right for her during this stage of her career. Have you EVER heard your organizational leaders say “we shouldn’t promote him, he’s just had a baby”?
The corporate sector has become quite creative in making leadership roles work for men and women at all stages of their lifecycle, we can learn from them.
“We just can’t find any good women in our field.”
Can’t find ‘em? Then develop them. Examine the amount of money the industry spends on developing the existing male talent pool and leaders. Are we investing the same in developing the next generation of women for their seat in the executive suite? How much informal mentoring is happening on the bike paths, basketball courts and golf courses that excludes women from that opportunity for more development and exposure to executives? Are we creating equal opportunities for informal exposure and development of women? “If there’s a single barrier that affects all women, it’s exclusion from networks and conversations that open doors to further development and promotion” (11).
Stand up, step up and speak up…and then take action
To all the dear brothers out there who have tried, in words and actions, to support the expansion of the table to include more women leaders, thank you. But you’re not dead yet and you’re not done yet. You’ve read your Bible, you’ve seen the stats, you’ve heard the challenges from your sisters themselves… what are you going to do to help with the lift? Because we can no longer believe your noble, heart-felt words if they are not followed by courageous action. In fact, we’d rather you say nothing at all.
Don’t tell us you hear our plea and then do nothing to examine and change the recruiting, hiring, development and advancement practices of your agency to provide more opportunity for women in leadership. Examine the unconscious and secondary bias in the system that is creating barriers. Find ways to ensure diverse voices are in every endeavor, at every level and equally valued. Use your brain, your power, your influence to make a change, and then scoot over and make space at the table for the strong, strategic, God-loving, Kingdom-serving women who want to join you there. Women and Men together leading the Kingdom organization. (12)
Maintain the status quo and face the consequences
You can cling to history, heritage and the status quo, but it will be at your organization’s peril. There is insurmountable research that supports the business case for diversity of gender and nationality in leadership roles. More and more NGO watchdog agencies like Charity Navigator and major foundations are asking about diversity at the top of the organization in their ratings and in their grant applications. But even more importantly, if you want your organization to exist in the future, now is the time for change. Those thousands of Beloveds in my classrooms the last 20 years will not stand for lack of diversity in our organizations. God Bless the Millennials and their entrepreneurial spirit! Because they will help us change OR become tomorrows’ competing NGO that put the current NGOs out of business. Choose NOW which outcome you would rather.
Inspirations/Sources:
1. Accord Network – http://www.accordnetwork.org/ (review of orgs)
2. Curry, J. A. Reynolds, Women in Leadership National Study, http://www.gordon.edu/womeninleadership
3. CEB/Gardner: The Four Imperatives to increase the representation of women in leadership positions. Industry report, 2017.
4. Cunningham, L, D. Hamilton, (2000). Why Not Women: A fresh look at scripture on women in missions, ministry and leadership. Seattle, WA, YWAM Publishing.
5. Egalitarian Pioneers, Mimi Hadad, Christians for Biblical Equality - https://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/article/priscilla-papers/egalitarian-pioneers
6. Biblical Basis for Women’s service in the church, N.T. Wright – Christians for Biblical Equality https://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/article/priscilla-papers/biblical-basis-women%E2%80%99s-service-church
7. Javidan, M., Dorfman, P., deLuque, M., House, R.J. (2006). In the Eye of the Beholder: Cross Cultural Lessons in Leadership from the Project GLOBE, Pg. 67- 90 Academy of Management Perspectives, Feb, 2006.
8. Gerzema, J. (2013) Feminine Values can give tomorrow’s leaders an edge. Harvard Business Review, Aug 2013
9. Grenz, S. (2015) Created for Community: Connecting Christian Belief with Christian Living. Baker Academic
10. Ibarra, H., R. Ely, D. Kolb (2013). Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers, Harvard Business Review Sept 2013
11. Groysburg, B., K. Connellly (2013). Great Leaders Who Make Diversity Work, HBR Sept 2013
12. Women and Men Leading Together – DAI International - https://www.daintl.org/programs/online-learning/#course