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Is This the Age of Women in Leadership?

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As Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns for office, we’re reminded of how far women have come in leadership—and how much further there is to go. Her candidacy reflects a broader shift, signaling that we may be entering an era where women at the top aren’t an exception but the norm. Yet, the numbers reveal that we’re still not there.

While 52 women now hold CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies—a milestone in itself—they still represent only 10.4% of all Fortune 500 CEOs. Of these, less than 1% are women of color. These statistics highlight the persistent gap, especially considering that companies with women in leadership roles outperform their peers by 30%. The benefits are clear, so why does progress remain slow?

It’s important to recognize that women in leadership drive innovation, resilience, and growth. They often bring a fresh perspective to problem-solving, empathy in decision-making, and a collaborative leadership style that fosters inclusivity. Studies have shown that diverse teams make better decisions, and with women at the helm, companies can access untapped potential that ultimately benefits their bottom line.

But the road to leadership isn’t without challenges. Women, particularly women of color, still face systemic barriers such as wage gaps, unconscious bias, and limited access to mentorship and sponsorship opportunities. Despite the obstacles, trailblazers like Kamala Harris show what’s possible when these barriers are broken.

As we move forward, both in business and politics, it’s crucial to continue fostering inclusive environments that harness the full potential of diverse leadership. This means supporting policies that promote gender equity, investing in leadership programs for women, and actively working to create spaces where all voices are heard and valued.

As we head into another election year, let’s take a moment to reflect not only on what women have accomplished but also on what can be achieved when we actively support the rise of women in leadership. The numbers may not yet reflect the full potential, but the trajectory is promising.

Is this the age of women in leadership? If we continue to make deliberate, strategic efforts, it very well could be.

 

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3 Types of Personal Assessments That Help Leaders Understand Their Teams Better

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3 Types of Personal Assessments That Help Leaders Understand Their Teams Better

Understanding team dynamics is critical for leadership success. When leaders grasp how individuals think, work, and interact, they can foster a more effective and harmonious workplace. Personal assessments offer valuable insights that can enhance communication, collaboration, and overall team performance. Here are three types of personal assessments that can significantly help leaders understand their teams better:

1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widely recognized personality assessment that helps individuals understand their personality preferences across four dichotomies:

  • Introversion (I) vs. Extraversion (E): This dimension explores where individuals draw their energy from—either from solitude or from interaction with others.
  • Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N): This aspect assesses how people prefer to take in information—whether through concrete, factual details or through patterns and possibilities.
  • Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): This dimension focuses on decision-making styles, determining whether individuals prioritize logic and objectivity or personal values and emotional considerations.
  • Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): This part looks at how individuals approach structure and decision-making—either through planned and organized methods or flexible and adaptable strategies.

Understanding these traits allows leaders to tailor their communication and management style to better fit each team member. For example, if a leader knows that a team member is an introvert, they might provide more time for reflection before meetings or create an environment that allows for quieter contributions. This personalized approach not only fosters better relationships but also enhances overall team effectiveness.

2. DISC Assessment

The DISC assessment focuses on behavior and communication styles, categorizing individuals into four primary types:

  • Dominance (D): These individuals tend to be assertive, results-oriented, and confident. They thrive in environments that offer challenges and opportunities for leadership.
  • Influence (I): People in this category are often sociable, persuasive, and enthusiastic. They excel in roles that involve teamwork and communication.
  • Steadiness (S): Individuals who score high in Steadiness are usually patient, calm, and good listeners. They create a stable work environment and are supportive team members.
  • Conscientiousness (C): This group values accuracy, quality, and analytical thinking. They prefer to work in environments that require attention to detail and adherence to rules.

Knowing where your team members fall within this framework helps leaders manage personalities effectively and foster collaboration. For instance, if a team consists of several Dominant individuals, a leader might need to establish clear guidelines to prevent conflicts while allowing room for healthy competition. Conversely, understanding the Influence types can help a leader encourage creativity and open dialogue in brainstorming sessions.

3. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Assessment

An Emotional Intelligence (EQ) assessment measures an individual’s ability to understand and manage their own emotions and the emotions of others. EQ encompasses five key components:

  • Self-awareness: Recognizing one’s own emotions and how they affect thoughts and behavior.
  • Self-regulation: The ability to manage and control one’s emotional responses.
  • Motivation: Understanding what drives oneself and being able to pursue goals with energy and persistence.
  • Empathy: The capacity to comprehend and consider others’ feelings and perspectives.
  • Social skills: The ability to manage relationships and navigate social networks effectively.

Leaders who know their team’s emotional intelligence levels can create a more emotionally supportive environment, which leads to higher employee satisfaction and better teamwork. For instance, if a leader recognizes that a team member has low empathy, they can provide additional support and training to help that individual develop stronger interpersonal skills. An emotionally intelligent leader is also better equipped to handle conflicts, as they can address emotional undercurrents while promoting open communication.

Conclusion

Using these personal assessments can help leaders build stronger, more cohesive teams that thrive in a collaborative environment. By leveraging tools like the MBTI, DISC, and EQ assessments, leaders can gain deeper insights into their team members’ motivations, behaviors, and communication styles. This understanding enables them to foster an inclusive culture, enhance team dynamics, and ultimately drive organizational success.

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5 Ways to Effectively Communicate Corporate Values with Employees

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Corporate values are essential to building a solid foundation for lasting success. Often perceived as the glue that holds organizations together, they are integral to team cohesion, strategic focus, and work-culture development. Without them, businesses are inundated with low performance and productivity, high turnover rates, and a lack of clarity. However, having core values isn’t enough. They must be effectively communicated and embedded within an organization’s DNA to produce desired results.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have re-established their values to align with new ways of working and interaction, inclusive cultures, and to promote employee retention. Let’s explore five ways to ensure your values are presented, ensuring your business is on track for sustainable success.

  1. Show more than telling. Implementation of core values starts from the top down. Leading by example is one of the most effective ways to communicate core values. The more employees see leadership intentionally exemplifying values, the more apt they are to take personal ownership. For example, if a core value is an inclusion, leaders must exhibit unbiased and inclusive behavior with every employee.

  2. Establish Core Value Shout-outs. Core values are often the behavior drivers in an organization. When leadership or colleagues recognize individuals actively “living out” values in the workplace, it motivates others to do the same. A great way to establish core value shout-outs is through company awards designed around them.

  3. Communicate values often. Repetition brings revelation. Leaders should weave core values throughout day-to-day business communication. A helpful and organic way to put this into practice is via staff and one-on-one meetings and project planning.

  4. Keep it simple. Company values and how they are communicated should be as simplified as possible. Be succinct and provide clear examples without over-complicating the message. Employees should be able to quickly and easily memorize values without having a cheat sheet in their back pocket.

  5. Facilitate employee workshops. Uniting as a team to explore values, behaviors, and what is and isn’t working is a timeless way to communicate core values. Sometimes values need to be altered and giving employees the opportunity to provide input increases inclusivity and belonging. 
3 Principles Leaders Should Apply to Build Unity in Divisive Workplaces

3 Principles Leaders Should Apply to Build Unity in Divisive Workplaces

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“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth

One of the greatest traits leaders can cultivate throughout their workplace is unity, particularly in today’s workplace climate. Over the last couple of years, many organizations have witnessed spikes in workplace division, discord, lack of trust, and overall lack of engagement. Much of this can be attributed to recent political, health, and social justice events that continue to divide Americans and the world-at-large.

Creating a united work culture built upon trust, equity, and respect isn’t impossible; however, intentional planning, action, and sustainability is required from leaders and their employees. This isn’t to say conflicts or disagreements won’t arise, but leaders and employees should be equipped to resolve discord quickly and effectively when they do.

A significant component to jumpstarting workplace unity is leadership responsibility and ownership. As previously mentioned, mutual effort is required from employers and employees, but a thriving culture of teamwork and unity begins with a leader accepting the responsibility to drive necessary change for desired results. A leader’s behavior either promotes unity or division. Consider the three principles below to steer your team’s unity in an advantageous direction:

  1. Create a Cohesive Vision: Where there is no vision, there is no meaningful direction. If employees don’t feel as though they are working together for the common good, they are less likely to strive for unity. Consistently communicate the strategic vision and expectations to help employees move forward in one accord.

  2. Invest in Professional Team Development Efforts: Sometimes there are challenges only professionals and subject matter experts can help solve. Alchemy Consulting Group development process leads “groups” to work together as “teams” by identifying teamwork barriers, discussion and action planning, and realization of different styles of team members. The primary outcome of the team development process is an organization that is more effective in carrying out its mission and more successful in accomplishing sustainable bottom-line results.

  3. Create collaboration and avoid competition: Leaders should take the “one band, one sound” approach. Encourage individual value and uniqueness, while focusing the organization’s success on teamwork. Leaders should give individual recognition where appropriate, but avoid incentivized competition. Teamwork still makes the dream work. 
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion You Can't Do It on Your Own

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: You Can’t Do It on Your Own

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Throughout my career, I’ve seen many companies struggle to cultivate scalable and sustainable Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion strategies, along with tackling unconscious biases head-on. Many don’t know where to begin, lack sustainable infrastructure, or are often applying “one-size-fits-all” antiquated  methods that are more statistical than people-driven.  

No matter what an organization’s pain points are, nothing excites my team and I more at Alchemy Consulting Group than giving organizations tailored tools to build capacity and manage resources for mission and people-driven results. Diversity is more than demographic numbers and filled seats. In order to thrive in this area, companies need innovative perspectives to think and talk about diversity, while equipping employees at every level with proven skills to foster equity and inclusion in the workplace, effectively.

For over 25 years, I’ve partnered with corporate, government and nonprofit entities bridging the gap between objectives and execution through robust coaching experiences that drive workforce transformation. Focus areas include DE&I, unconscious biases, leadership & team development, and communications. Each area is approached with real-time data assessment for custom solutions built to last. The process is facilitated transparently, involving people from across organizations to help identify strengths, development needs and issues. 

Communication, consultation and education is key to developing clear and concise solutions from a straightforward approach.

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How to Build Unity in Remote Work Teams

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Over the last two years, many companies transitioned to remote and hybrid work modes during the global COVID pandemic. For large tech companies seasoned in driving high-performance remote teams, this conversion has been another day at the office. Other organizations whose employees once thrived on in-person communication and interactions are now experiencing some negative impacts of remote work arrangements. 

One of the significant concerns leaders have faced during this shift is maintaining a healthy and unified work culture where trust, accountability, and ownership are still the foundation and fabric. Many want to know how to keep their employees engaged with one another and the work, and it’s not impossible! However, it does require intention, strategy, and commitment from leaders and employees.

Whether in-person or remote, it’s important to remember that authentic workplace relationships don’t happen overnight. They are cultivated through genuine experiences that take place over time. Below are three powerful ways to strengthen employees’ unity, trust, and productivity in any remote workforce. 

  1. Host routine video calls. Encourage real-time team transparency and interaction just as you would in a traditional office setting. Videos are a great way to do that. Relax if you hear a baby crying or a dog barking in the background for a few moments. It’s not the end of the world. Be empathetic, kind, and patient with one another. After all, you’re in this together, right?

  2. Create shared habits. Employees are people, not robots, and remote work experiences must be humanized to the best of a leader’s ability. Get your team’s ideas and feedback on this! Ways to facilitate shared rituals include virtual coffee hours, weekly discussions on the most exciting projects, orchestrating a virtual watercooler, etc.

  3. Implement collaborative software. “Companies that utilize team collaboration applications report significantly increased group and personal productivity, have a faster time to market, and execute projects [quicker],” suggests Wayne Kurtzman, research director at the International Data Corporation (IDC).