When we talk about female leadership, the conversation isn’t about exalting women over men. The real conversation is about balance, creating space for a wide range of voices in a workplace. 

Karis Copp, editor at FuturePrint, invites a group of female leaders to dive deeper into this topic, discussing their experience as leaders in the print industry at the FuturePrint Leaders Summit. In this panel discussion she is joined by Amanda Newman from Tharstern, Rosie Whitelock from Bonacia, Kristi Duvall from The BoxMaker, and Holly Steedman from Integration Technology.  

Effective leadership is about more than guiding teams and organisations. During this panel the conversation went beyond that, tackling topics such as diversity, perceived and genuine limitations, partnership, as well as unconscious bias. 

Why is it important to have a diverse team?

A diverse workforce allows for a greater pool of skills within an organisation. Amanda Newman highlights the concept of two main personality types. First, “the guardian”, whose role is to analyse risk and challenges in more structural and financial terms - 70% of people with this personality type are men. Second type is the “nurturer”, which is represented by women in 70% of cases, who consider how the workforce would be affected by certain actions. In practice, a board of directors consisting only of men or women will be missing out on the unparalleled opinions brought by both personalities, which are so essential for the executive decision process. 

Why won't women apply for certain jobs?

It is known that women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet all the criteria, whereas men believe they can simply learn whatever their experience may be missing. Kristi Duvall shares that she didn’t see any limitations in her career. The attitude of “just going for it” helped her to gain the VP position that she holds today. It is a great example of a small shift of perspective that can lead to a successful career.

What does social bias mean for women in the workplace?

Despite huge social development over the past few decades, we are still affected by gender bias. Holly Steedman highlights the fact that people still use labels such as “manly” or “girly”. This societal stronghold remains an unconscious behaviour for many.

Men are often expected to be strong and women to be giving. While those characteristics can be valuable, it is time to accept that female leaders can still thrive without the need to mimic the leadership style of men, but rather create their own. 

Can we balance home life and a career?

Balancing a home life as a successful woman can be challenging. Rosie Whitelock explains that during COVID, 7 out of the 10 women in her leadership team worked from home and looked after the kids, while their husbands went to the office.

A strong partnership is a significant advantage. Many people are able to be successful in their careers because of a supportive spouse helping to manage the workload at home. 

How do we shape the future of print?

In order to attract a diverse team, businesses need to be attractive to the candidates. It is especially true for the print industry which doesn’t get the same exposure as big techbrands such as Apple or Google.

That’s why creating a strong company culture by offering mentorships or employee engagement programmes is hugely beneficial to young people, who are now more purpose driven than ever 

It is clear that female leaders experience certain challenges in their careers, but the discussion unveiled just how many advantages can be brought to the company with a more diverse workforce with women in positions of power -  the future of female leaders in print is looking bright. 

To watch the full panel discussion from the FuturePrint Leaders Summit click here: https://www.futureprint.tech/futureprint-leaders-summit-geneva-2022-videos/women-in-print-panel-discussion