Standing On The Shoulders OF Giants
When looking at a group of International School Leaders you would be forgiven for initially observing that there is parity between the numbers of males and females; a fair representation of both. Scratch the surface, however and you realise that the majority of the women are in supporting leadership positions: Assistant Heads, Deputy Heads, Primary Heads and a few Secondary Heads. Very few females hold the top positions in International Schools. While the current system provides strong male role models for our boys, it tells our girls that their role in life is to be secondary, of being in support.
Currently less than 30% of the top positions in FOBISIA Schools (Federation of British International Schools in Asia) are held by women. Compare this with the 25% of Head teacher positions which are held by men called either John, Paul, David, Nicholas or Simon. The vast majority of International School Leaders are middle aged white men - usually British.
This made me curious. What are the reasons behind this? Is it that boards and committees are reluctant to hire women for the top jobs? Do they assume (rightly or wrongly) that parents would struggle with a different style of leadership? Is it easier to stick with what works? Or is there an ‘old boys network’? Are recruitment procedures rigged against women? Or is it the women themselves? Are they reluctant? Scared? Unambitious? Preoccupied with other priorities and commitments? Unattracted to a pressured and powerful role which takes them further from the students they have spent their lives serving? How much can this be blamed on unpaid work at home? How much can be blamed on menopausal symptoms? And what actions and responses are possible in order to make even the smallest change?
We might think that this is how it has always been and that it is impossible to break through old traditions and mindsets. But if all women had that attitude, then we wouldn’t be wearing trousers, travelling alone, spending our own money, or working in schools in the first place. Change can happen, one small high heeled footstep at a time. (Please note: high heels are optional!)
I set out to find out what other women knew, to draw on their experiences, what has worked for them and what they would recommend for others. What I found, when reaching out to other women (both those I knew and complete strangers) was that they were open, honest, trusting and keen to share their stories. I witnessed great strength of character, resolution, determination, humour, humility and a deep sense of purpose within each of them.
In sharing their collective wisdom, I hoped to support other women in understanding the current landscape and give them the opportunity and necessary tools to strive for leadership themselves - should they choose it. In no way is the intention here to replace highly skilled, effective, visionary and brilliant male leaders - of which there are many! My intention is to see how we might level the playing field, create equity and ensure that the students of international schools benefit from the very best of leadership, regardless of gender.
The stories that I heard were all too familiar and sometimes shocking - though many contained pearls of wisdom which I will share here. The full findings and stories were shared with the delegates of the inaugural WISE Conference (Women in International Schools Empowerment) held at the British International School, Manila in February 2024. Their shared anecdotes and thoughts are also included here.
Shared observations:
External Factors
Boards and committees have a preference for white men
There is an ‘old boys club’ where decisions are often made behind closed doors
Principals tend to be Secondary Heads (which are more likely to be male)
Primary experience is not taken as seriously. Very few Primary Heads are appointed for whole school positions
The higher proportion of unpaid family work completed by women has an impact
Ambitious women are judged differently, especially by other women
There is a negative impact from taking time away and returning to work after having a family
Things are slowly improving
Internal Factors
Women often lack self confidence
Women can struggle with imposter syndrome or perfectionism
Men tend to be more strategic & ambitious
Women have different priorities, ambitions and external pressures
Clarity needed about what strong female leadership looks like
Many women don’t actually want top roles because of what they currently look like
These observations and thoughts are not new and are not restricted to the education sector. A study on Ambition and Gender at Work completed by the Institute of Leadership and Management came to very similar conclusions. Their studies found that the leadership gender gap was caused gender differences in:
Career clarity
Hopes and expectations
Gaps in expectations
Crisis of confidence
Risky pitch
Interrupted work
A balancing act of priorities
Women setting up their own businesses
It has been well documented that women are less likely to take a risk and apply for positions unless they are confident that they meet all of the selection criteria. The study found that “20% of men will apply if they only partially meet a job description, compared to 14% of women. Women prefer to play safe – 85% of women would only apply if they met the job description ‘fully’ or ‘pretty well’.” Is this issue a lack of capable women putting themselves forward, or a large number of incapable men applying for the top positions? Or is this simply a misunderstanding about the recruitment and selection processes themselves?
The article concludes by suggesting that the answers lie in:
Coaching for confidence
Using role models and mentors
Talent Management
Flexible attitudes to the work environment
Rethinking recruitment and selection procedures
As an Executive Coach myself, my experiences have led me to strongly agree with their suggestion that: “Coaching stands out as an ideally flexible solution here, which can naturally be tailored to the more emotional aspects of leadership development. Whether delivered via external coaches or through one-to-one sessions with a trained and qualified manager, the support that can be provided in these relationships is a powerful way to build managers’ self-belief, crystallise career ambitions and encourage them to take measured risks.”
This positive embracing of coaching was evident during the WISE conference, when many of the candidates opted for short coaching sessions. WISE also runs a mentoring programme for female leaders and aspiring leaders which is becoming increasingly popular. Just as teachers learn through teaching, the act of mentoring is beneficial for both parties and can be useful in expanding networks.
The women who I spoke with recommended enhancing chances of selection and promotion by doing the following:
External solutions
Have mentors in education & other fields
Play up qualifications and previous work
Skill up - take on more training and qualifications
Be intentional about professional partnerships
Create formal and informal peer groups
Do your research and choose schools with progressive attitudes
Be sure of your purpose
Internal solutions
Build your confidence and sense of self
Know your own authentic leadership style
Become more empowered
Be tougher and have more self belief
Do lots of inner work
Listen to praise
Take the risk - just do it!
There are many methods which we can use to do this inner work: journaling, talking with friends, reading and reflecting and working with a mentor. The most impactful and effective way to understand and change ourselves however is by working with a coach.
As Marcia Reynolds wrote in Coach The Person, Not The Problem; “Coaching is valuable because none of us transform our thinking on our own.” She also reminds us that “the most intelligent people need the most help thinking about their thinking.” - John Dewey.
When considering how we can each support others in our network, many of the women I spoke to remembered a time when someone had seen leadership potential in them and pointed it out. A genuine compliment goes a long way. We can all be looking for ways to celebrate and promote brilliant work by others. In the book Raise Her Up by Debra E. Lane and Kimberly Cullen, we are reminded of the quote by Adrienne Rich: “The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate her actual possibilities” By applying a mindset of abundance, rather than competition, we can all benefit from the lift. School leaders that I spoke too also suggested the following actions:
Raising others up
Notice, praise and promote leadership potential in both males and females
Advocate for others and use your networks to promote and connect others
Train your staff and build awareness of effective leadership skills
Build cultures and systems which work for women (flexible and considerate)
Mentor others - we learn best when we are teaching or mentoring others
Share role models of strong female leaders from all walks of life
Be a role model yourself!
As Melinda French Gates succinctly states in The Moment of Lift, “We women have to lift each other up - not to replace men at the top of the hierarchy, but to become partners with men in ENDING hierarchy”. Our students deserve the best leaders that are out there, regardless of their age, gender, race or sexuality.
