“Reflections on 20 Years of Female Leadership Training (2003-2023): The Path to Inclusive Leadership”

After studying and working in Japan, Germany, and the US, I returned to the Netherlands in 1996 for a new job. What immediately stood out was the glaring lack of women in leadership positions. Friends who had started their careers in the Netherlands shared their disappointment about the gap between their ambitions and reality. They had experienced limited opportunities, a difficult balance between work and caregiving, and often encountered a harsh, masculine corporate culture. All of this seemed barely sustainable if you worked part-time, but part-timers were not taken seriously for leadership positions. It was a vicious circle for many women around me. My frustration grew when I saw men I had studied with, who I didn’t consider particularly capable, landing on boards of directors. And so began my search for a way, or how, we could help both women and organizations in their careers. This led to the Female Leadership training. A training that has evolved over the past twenty years with developments in our country.

The First Five Years – Struggle with Slow Emancipation in the Netherlands (2003-2008)

Actor Frank Lammers in Linda (2006) about working women: ‘I have deep respect for my parents who are from another generation and arranged things differently. Just: father works, mother stays at home. In that sense, I think: screw feminism. My mother’s self-aware sacrifice has done me a lot of good. I can’t afford it, and neither can my wife, and I don’t blame her and I don’t blame myself. But I do think it’s necessary that someone stays home for the children.’

Despite the gender equality preached in the Netherlands, the deeply ingrained influences of traditional gender roles are still noticeable during this period. Unconscious outdated gender role patterns still prevail, as mentioned above by Frank Lammers. Many women feel that they should not send their children to daycare too often. Moreover, their partners are often still reluctant to take on caregiving duties. Women who chose a career and thus deviated from traditional expectations faced significant social pressure from both their environment and their supervisors.

The Second Five Years – Insights into Unconscious Biases (2008-2013)

‘In 2010, Esther was invited by a Protestant organization that wanted to examine their unconscious biases. Esther proposed having the participants discuss their potential unconscious biases in small groups, but there was hesitation to speak openly. Esther suggested that participants could anonymously write down their thoughts on notes. These notes were then read aloud to the whole group. This led to shocking statements, such as: “Women are less intelligent,” “Because of menstruation, women cannot hold leadership positions,” and “God did not intend for women to lead.” This left both women and some men in the group astonished. Having an open discussion about this proved impossible.’

This anecdote, documented by a journalist, illustrates how deeply rooted the unconscious biases were in the Netherlands at that time. Between 2008 and 2013, organizations embraced our Female Leadership training, and diversity became a more prominent theme, but it was challenging to convince leaders that diversity requires an effort from all leaders. Many organizations focused on “fixing” women. To make gender diversity a broader dialogue, I sought help from Harvard professor Mahzarin Banaji, who introduced me to the concept of Unconscious Biases. This turned out to be the key to creating a broader and deeper conversation about leadership, inclusion, and diversity with the goal of truly giving diverse talents the same opportunities.

The Third Five Years – The Pleasant Self-Image of the Dutch (2013-2018)

In 2017, Prime Minister Mark Rutte remarked during the formation of his new cabinet, which included remarkably few women: ‘We were faced with the choice of either choosing quality or women in the new cabinet.’

Regarding women in leadership positions, the Netherlands still lags far behind many other countries during these years. Our research from that time shows that the vast majority of senior leaders unconsciously still consider men much more suitable as leaders than women. The Dutch self-image of tolerance and diversity does not seem to align with people’s actual attitudes and behavior. Although Dutch leaders perceive themselves as egalitarian, deeply ingrained biases influence reality. This makes it particularly challenging to address these unconscious biases.

Due to that unjustified pleasant self-image, corrective action is needed in the Netherlands to address unconscious biases. To achieve results in terms of inclusion and diversity. Multiple studies show that sharpening processes around recruitment & selection, evaluations, promotions, and decision-making are essential to reduce unconscious biases. This may be challenging for those who believe they can function well without strict rules. Nevertheless, a stricter approach is needed in our country to truly achieve results in terms of diversity and inclusion. Some organizations have succeeded in taking effective steps in this regard, proving that it is indeed possible. As a result, women and diverse talents advance more quickly within these organizations.

The Fourth Five Years – Focus on Inclusion (2018-2023)

In 2022, Joris Luijendijk remarked: ‘Diversity is very threatening for less talented seven-spotters.’

The societal and organizational dialogue around diversity is changing. The labor market is tightening, and new generations are making their voices heard. Organizations are becoming more flexible towards the wishes of employees, which also benefits women and other diverse talents. Men are gradually becoming more involved in caregiving tasks. The Covid pandemic reinforces these trends, and the Black Lives Matter movement brings privilege and exclusion to the forefront. And that is necessary: the Dutch often show little awareness of the inherent advantages that some people have, which others do not.

Professor Gloria Wekker has addressed this issue in her work ‘White Innocence,’ and Joris Luijendijk brought attention to this topic again with his book ‘The Seven Spots.’ This is slowly starting the dialogue in the Netherlands. The facts speak for themselves: only 3% of the Dutch population possess all seven privileges, yet the vast majority of important positions in organizations, government, and politics are occupied by this group. Is this because they are truly superior, or does having many privileges stem from a kind of courage and self-assuredness that we sometimes confuse with real qualities?

A New Era – Inclusive Leadership (2023 and beyond)

UCLA Professor Matthew Lieberman: ‘Only 1% of leaders have the right combination of leadership qualities that lead to connection and results. For the other 99% of leaders, there is work to be done.’

In 2023, organizations face numerous challenges, from climate change to technological developments and labor shortages. Leaders must confront these challenges with their people. What we already knew from much research is now also evident in organizations: the idea of what good leadership is is shifting. In addition to achieving results, leaders must also be able to connect with their people. The concept of inclusive leadership is becoming more prominent, and some leading organizations are actively engaging with it. Male and female leaders are learning together how to be both daring and caring as leaders.

Our Inclusive Leadership training, which we provide to both female and male leaders, is gaining traction in many organizations instead of the Female Leadership training. Topics include: dealing with power, unconscious biases, ingroups, privileges, exclusion, cultural differences, and psychological safety. Women in the Netherlands, who often had to work harder to be accepted as leaders, are now leading the way towards an inclusive approach to leadership. I look forward to more inclusive leadership training to do justice to all talent and for an even better result.