There has been a lot said about how women have done a better job leading during the Covid-19 crisis than men. Between March and June of this year, women were rated by those who work with them as more effective. The gap between men and women in the pandemic is even larger than previously measured, possibly indicating that women tend to perform better in a crisis. In fact, women were rated more positively on 13 of the 19 competencies that comprise overall leadership effectiveness.
But as we’ve observed even before the pandemic, women have proven to be better leaders, irrespective of the stream they are holding respectable positions in. Also understanding the fact that women are even capable of fixing something which is already broken, the world has always relied on women, to bring a balance to society. In turn, showing the world how to be true icons of leadership and achievement, women like Sudha Murthy have displayed their real prowess as educationalists and corporate geniuses, doing so, they easily secured their spots on the long list of Indian Role Models.
Throwing the spotlight on such women highlighting those education leaders, who not only excelled as prime motivators but also helped their respective institutions move freely, despite the current times of uncertainty revolving around the education sector. Furthermore, when discussing the careers of such women education leaders, there’s a phenomenon referred to as the “glass cliff.”, which is obviously related to the term glass ceiling, which describes the invisible barrier to advancement that women often face when they are up for promotion to the highest levels of an organization. The “glass cliff” describes the idea that when an institute is in trouble, and a female leader is put in charge to save it, she always overcomes the barriers surrounding her, and thereby, comes out as a solution to the invisible glass ceiling.
Not limiting their reach to certain areas of expertise, women education leaders who have been featured in this edition, namely – India’s 20 Pragmatic Women Leaders in Education Industry, have undeniably become icons, giving back to the educational fellowship relentlessly. And, it’s a service opportunity for us as well, considering the month of March to be the month celebrated in the name of women. We talk about their achievements and giving them a platform to showcase their work, we analyzed them on several factors, basing our study over the period of 2020-21.
By confessing about me being a staunch feminist, I truly believe women are the solution to the crisis we are facing, and it’s high time we give due credit for their hard work and dedication, they’ve put in over the years. Dedicating this issue to women in general, I look forward to reading and knowing about more such women in the near future, and will always guarantee to give my best, in helping women leaders get their true recognition, that they always deserve.