Boardroom consultancy IDDAS launched a report today - "Women improve boardroom effectiveness" - offering an insight into the views of female directors of FTSE 100 companies.
IDDAS spoke to a fifth of women sitting on FTSE 100 boards, asking them what lay behind their success. Subjects covered included how women are recruited, how they broach difficult subjects, what holds them back, and the impact of being the only woman on the board.
Key findings include:
- Women are so rare at this level that they tend to operate under a constant spotlight, which drives them to perform exceptionally well
- Female directors are especially good at promoting teamwork on the board.
- Women are happy to raise tough issues, and are able to do so in a non-confrontational way
- Women tend to be less ego-driven than men, and committed to the organisation's goals, rather than their own agenda
The report concludes that the characteristics of successful women directors are:
- Social intelligence
- Courage and resilience
- Breath of view
- Energy and drive
Less helpful characteristics:
- Low self confidence
- Perfectionism
- Telling executives how to do their jobs
- Challenging and aggressive behaviour
Helen Pitcher, IDDAS chairman, said: "Women clearly add huge value to the boards they sit on. Organisations should be more creative in the way they evaluate the particaular combination of skills, experience and personal qualities and individual brings to the board."
