The world of work in the 21st century is changing dramatically for all people, including women. Businesses need to be agile and embrace change to stay competitive in a global market. Public sector organizations, including our school systems need to manage the complex changes their organizations must go through to continue to serve their constituents and prepare them for the challenges of the changing work world.
Questions About Leading in the Future
How do we lead these critical changes in our organizations? Who will be the leaders to guide the transformational changes that will keep organizations viable? What leadership roles will women play and do they have specific traits that match up well with a different approach to leadership that will be beneficial in this new era of change? What do leaders need to know to successfully lead change?
Editor's Note
Women Leading Change in Education
Gender equality is not only an economic empowerment it is a moral imperative.
- OECD May, 2012 Paris, FR
Though 72% of educators in K-12 are women, only 13% of superintendents, the highest leadership role in education, are women according to the AASA Journal.
In the corporate world, about 14% of top executives are women. (Forbes)
Women make up on average 16% of the members of boards
of directors. This is the seventh year with no growth in this
category. (Forbes)
Many countries require quotas for board membership, such
as in Sweden where women must hold 40% of board
positions. However, women hold only 25% of top
There has been a 20% growth in productivity as a result of falling barriers to women in workforce. (Forbes)
Why Organizational Development (OD)
All leaders today need to be able to use the theories and practices of Organizational Development Theory (OD) to be successful leaders of transformational change, whether they lead a small or large organization. The days of top-down, authoritarian management structures are failing organizations and a new approach is needed. Organizations will inevitably go through change. OD is a deliberately planned, organization-wide effort to increase an organizations effectiveness and/or efficiency or to enable the organization to achieve its strategic goal. OD interventions are about change so involve people, but OD also develops processes, systems, and structures. The primary purpose of OD is to develop the organization, not to train or develop the staff.