Lessons from the helm: Women heads of state on leadership

Less than a week after Hillary Clinton announced that she was suspending her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Laura Liswood tossed one of the central issues of Clinton's campaign out to an audience of women business owners: What does it take to make a world leader? And more pointedly, what distinguishes male leaders from female leaders? Liswood is the founder and secretary general of the Council of Women World Leaders. Her audience was some 800 members of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) in Phoenix for the group's 30th annual national meeting.

Less than a week after Hillary Clinton announced that she was suspending her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, Laura Liswood tossed one of the central issues of Clinton's campaign out to an audience of women business owners: What does it take to make a world leader? And more pointedly, what distinguishes male leaders from female leaders?

Liswood is the founder and secretary general of the Council of Women World Leaders. Her audience was some 800 members of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) in Phoenix for the group's 30th annual national meeting. What better time to evaluate women's progress and struggles as leaders, she asked. Liswood, who is also senior advisor at Goldman Sachs and Co., a global investment bank, is qualified to comment.

Just what does it take?

Liswood's life took a turn about 12 years ago when she began to ponder what would it be like having a woman president, and what would it take to get there. A book idea formed. Why not meet with the world's women prime ministers and presidents, interview them about their path to power, and whether it would have been easier had they been male? She knew that securing these interviews would be tough.

"I am not Barbara Walters. I am not from CNN, and I'm not a journalist. But how will I know unless I ask?" she said. The idea came together. No one offered her tea, but then not one turned her down either. Part of this was surely Liswood's charm, but she is also persistent and wouldn't relent until she got her interviews. "I asked one man; do you really want your boss to be the only female politician excluded from a book on the world's female political leaders?"

The assistant secured the interview. And Margaret Thatcher was evasive. "Mrs. Thatcher told me to come back after I had met with everyone else," Liswood said. "What better motivator for me to secure the other interviews? Without it, I wouldn't get to meet her." With interviews set up, Liswood and a camera crew from CNN met with the world's women leaders.

The list included Tansu Ciller, the former Prime Minister of Turkey; Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland; Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark — former Prime Minister and acting Prime Minister of New Zealand; Violeta Chamorro, former president of Nicaragua; and Hanna Suchocka, former Prime Minister of Poland. Her work resulted in "Women World Leaders: Fifteen Great Politicians Tell Their Stories," first published in 1995 and revised and republished last year by The Council Press.

The book delves into the women's leadership styles, family backgrounds, values and working habits. It also addresses the public's expectations of women versus men, and how the women themselves view their power. "Women World Leaders" launched Liswood into a series of new projects. The Public Broadcasting Service produced a TV documentary on her work. The videos of women leaders were shown at the Fourth World Conference in Beijing in 1995.

In 1996, Liswood co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders, an organization composed of women who hold or have held the office of president or prime minister, head of state or government for nine months or longer. A spinoff of the book, the council now has 36 members. Ireland's President Mary Robinson chaired the first gathering, with Iceland's President Vigdis Finnbogadottir serving as founding chair.

Liswood was asked to be Secretary General. Then in 1998 Liswood helped establish The White House Project, a non-profit group helping American women run for presidential office. For Liswood the book and the organizations that followed were life changing, empowering and inspirational. "I was in awe of the women I met," she said. "Not all were great leaders but all had the courage to stand in front of the crowd."

Lessons from the helm

Through her interviews with female political leaders, Liswood learned what deters and then what helps women lead. President Mary Robinson of Ireland observed that women are less hierarchical than men and that women question whether they are good enough or have the right to speak on issues. "Only after explaining their own personal context and experience with a certain topic do they feel entitled to comment," President Robinson said. "You will never hear a male political leader do this."

Another said that women apologize more than men when delegating work and tasks to staff. "When we need something done promptly we explain why, rather than just asking it to be done," Liswood said. "Part of this is good manners, but it is also apologetic." Another leader pointed out that women feel the test of their leadership is whether men follow, but men don't think women must follow them as a requirement of leadership.

Liswood also realized how little even intelligent people know about global women leaders. Kim Campbell, Canada's former prime minister, told Liswood about a meeting she attended with other prime ministers. She offered $100 to any who could list each of the women leaders' names. Not even Bill Clinton could complete the list.

Lessons from male-dominated industries

Liswood's work at Goldman Sachs revealed more distinctions between male and female leaders. She is amused that men who yell at each other at work remain friends, often minutes after the spat. Fallouts are business, never personal. Women are not like this at all, Liswood laments. "We can hold grudges for months, even years, but perhaps this isn't helpful," she said. She also suggested that although it makes women uncomfortable, disagreement may not always be viewed as a negative.

"People like seeing their leaders in combative roles," she said. "It makes them feel safe." Women are hindered by the perception that they can't lead. Liswood referenced a study cited in Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink" reporting that 57 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are men over 6 feet 2 inches tall.There is no research correlating leadership ability with skeletal structure, Liswood said. Something else is going on: "We all think that height qualifies someone to lead. Women are typically shorter and therefore aren't instantaneously viewed as leaders until they prove themselves."

Gladwell's other research on national orchestras confirms this. Responding to pressure to increase the ratios of women performing in national orchestras, many now conduct blind screen auditions. The screen prevents judges from seeing the performer's gender and forces them to focus purely on their music, eliminating sex bias. "We've seen a 60 percent rise in woman performers since blind auditions have been introduced," Liswood said. The audience cheered.

Hope for change

Each female leader Liswood met with was upbeat, positive and hopeful. Most were also gracious and funny. Corazon Aquino, former president of the Philippines, was constantly badgered by male politicians about whether she possessed the same essential qualities that a male leader had. Aquino quipped: "I have no experience in lying, stealing or cheating like our male presidents have had. But then perhaps this better qualifies me to lead the nation well."

Liswood also mentioned the "power of the mirror." Role models for women leaders remain few. Only four have followed another woman to lead their country - - Ireland, Bangladesh, New Zealand and the Philippines. "It is hard for women to know what they can be unless we actually see it," Liswood said. Liswood learned from Vigdis Finnbogadottir, former President of Iceland, that because of her 16 years in office, 80 percent of young girls under age eight think that only women can be Prime Minister.

Little boys of the same age think that the position is off limits to them, because of their gender. Liswood said that women are generally better listeners than men, and that this comes in handy for political leaders. Women also bring different kinds of people to the table and every women leader she met had passion, ideas, focus, persistence and resilience.

Most also entered politics not for the sake of it, but because they had a cause that they deeply believed in and wanted to fight for. "These traits come naturally to all great people, man or woman," Liswood said to the crowd who gave her a standing ovation. "There isn't a glass ceiling up there," she said pointing to the conference hall roof. "There's just a thick layer of men — but we can push through it."

Bottom Line:

• There are over 37 current and former women Presidents and Prime Ministers, heads of state and government in the world.
• Before Laura Liswood co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders in 1996 there was no international forum for women leaders. There are presently 36 members.
• Role models for women leaders remain few. Only four have followed another woman to lead their country (Ireland, Bangladesh, New Zealand and the Philippines).
• In Iceland, where Vigdis Finnbogadottir was president for 16 years, 80 percent of girls under age eight think that only women can be the nation's leader. Most boys of the same age think that they wouldn't be elected if they tried. President Vigdis is the world's first woman to be elected as president.