Co-gender CEOs the new power couple?

Barbara Annis, a leader in gender-intelligence research, isn’t afraid of stirring the pot, especially if it helps to create a world where women are more equally represented in the C-suite.

As we speak, she's driving down a street somewhere in Copenhagen after delivering a talk to the city's chamber of commerce on ‘cracking the code’ on gender equality.

It seems even in a country as progressive as Denmark, companies struggle with gender-balance issues. Women make up only about 12 per cent of that country’s corporate executive force.

“It’s insane,” Annis said of the disappointing numbers.

That doesn’t stop her from imagining a very different future for women. Indeed, her latest revolutionary proposal calls for business minds around the globe to embrace the concept of co-gender leadership. That is, a woman and man running a company with equal responsibility, whether in the role of chief executive, chief financial or chief information officer.

The discussion is directly linked to the findings of a new study released by the Women of Influence Inc., in partnership with both Annis and Thomson Reuters.

The report, entitled Women Leaders Breaking Through in Their Careers, examines how North American’s most senior executive women got to where they are now, how they define their leadership skills, their level of satisfaction in their careers, the challenges they experience in their careers and the actions they are taking to progress.

Ultimately, the purpose of the report is to give women clear steps they can implement immediately to help drive them up the corporate ladder, said Carolyn Lawrence, CEO of Women in Influence, a Toronto-based advocacy organization.

Avoid the victim mentality

Among the key lessons from those who’ve made to the top: Don’t fall prey to a victim mentality.

While more than half of the women surveyed reported having struggled with male-influenced cultures and business practices, particularly when seeking to be recognized and valued for their different thinking, none viewed themselves as victims of the system. Rather, they remain focused on devising solutions to help them successfully navigate the male-dominated culture.

The report also found that, contrary to popular belief, women are not opting out of senior positions to try and achieve better work-life balance. Only 20 per cent of those surveyed cited this as their greatest barrier to advancement.

Rather, women’s ambitions are more likely stunted through weaker self-promotional and strategic networking skills compared to men, and difficulties related to effectively negotiating the chain of command.

The importance of being yourself

Alex Johnston, CEO of Catalyst Canada, an organization that has done its own leading research related to women’s advancement, said some of the report’s findings echo sentiments she’s heard recently from various women in power.

In particular, Johnston said she was encouraged by research showing that most successful women they are comfortable being themselves in the workplace and no longer feel pressure to behave like men to get ahead. Rather, most respondents (84 per cent) said their authentic strengths, including relationship building and fostering a more collaborative work environment, are highly valued by their peers.

“It’s interesting that, in so many events we do with senior women (executives), authenticity is a word they use all the time,” said Johnston. “That’s not a message we would hear over and over and over again 10 years ago.”

Johnston said that experience is not universal. Certain sectors, notably mining, gas and oil and IT, remain heavily male dominated to the point where a cultural shift towards embracing different leadership styles has yet to take place in a meaningful way.

“It is a pretty patchy quilt,” she said.

As for that provocative discussion on co-gender leadership? It’s designed to get corporate leaders thinking differently about barriers to women’s advancement, and how to better facilitate gender balance.

It’s also not as far out as it sounds.

German computing giant SAP has already proven shared leadership can be a real strength. In that case, the company’s executive board is run by two men, Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe.

Each man brings his own authentic strengths to the table as co-CEO, making for a formidable team. Annis sees the same possibilities for a corporation guided at the very top by principles of gender collaboration.

“I speak to CEOs all the time and I plant the seed,” Annis said. “It will happen.”