Enlightened Power - the ‘new’ reflective style of leadership
On March 13,The Fletcher School hosted “an evening of enlightened power”, bringing together women from the world of business, academe and public policy to share their experience in leadership. The event was sponsored by The Program in International Business, Global Women, The Association of Tufts Alumnae, Tufts University Women's Studies, Tufts Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, and The Women's Center at Tufts University.
The term “Enlightened Power” comes from the 2005 book of the same name, a collection of essays edited by Lin Coughlin, Ellen Wingard and Keith Holihan which explores the possibilities of a reflective and collaborative style of leadership as promoted in the Enlightened Power Project. According to Coughlin and Wingard, “companies are striving to create progressive, values-driven organizations that positively impact revenues and reputation”. They argue that this demands a new vision of leadership, a “deeper power” characterized by collaboration, cooperation, communication and open dialogue – “traits that women, in particular, have brought to leadership roles [but] that are effective for all leaders and organizations.”
The session at Fletcher brought together Coughlin and Wingard with three women who, in widely varying settings, have evolved their own approaches to leadership: Mary Puma, Chairman & CEO of Axcelis Technologies, Inc; Evelyn Murphy, author of "Getting Even. Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men and What to Do About It”; and Masuda Sultan, co-director of NGO Women for Afghan Women and author of the recently-published book, “My War at Home”. The evening’s discussion at Fletcher wove in and out of their diverse stories, connecting experiences of leadership and exploring Coughlin and Wingard’s notion of “deeper power”.
The basic notion of “enlightened power” is that all leaders – both men and women – can choose to exercise authority in an inclusive manner that transcends conventional notions of control and dominance. Leaders in the “enlightened power” mold, Coughlin explains, avoid hierarchies and dictatorial structures of management. They see themselves and their organizations in human terms and are conscious of their impact on others and on society, as well as their goals. They promote inclusive decision-making and embrace diversity. Coughlin, who is also
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Cendant Corporation, argues that leadership under this model has “tectonic” impact--promoting productive organizations, fulfilling workers and benefiting stakeholders in society at large.
Speaking of her own experience as a CEO, Puma emphasized that “when companies get this right, it has a direct impact on the bottom line.” In a globalized marketplace, she argues, it simply makes sense for companies to get views and contributions from as diverse a talent pool as possible. That means not only open recruitment, but an inclusive approach to consultation and decision-making so that the company benefits from the talents of all its employees.
Ellen Wingard, co-author of “Enlightened Power” and a member of the faculty of Duke University’s Institute for Women’s Leadership, goes further. In her view, it is important not to read enlightenment power as “soft” leadership. “This is not just about reducing stress, or even improving organizational results. Enlightened inclusive leadership is a necessity to develop strong leaders capable of confronting the crises of an increasingly polarized society”. In Wingard’s view, “(I)t’s all about how to affect change. Change is messy: it requires hard decisions about infrastructure and operations and people. So it all comes back to women’s ability to cultivate trusting and trusted relationships. When you can engage people around their fears and aspirations, you create a snowball effect that makes extraordinary things possible.”
Masuda Sultan agrees. “It is when you reach out to unlikely characters that you can really affect change.” Sultan has spent years as an advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan – a place she says, where “deeper power” achieves unexpected results. With “Women for Afghan Women” and other organizations, she organized advocacy for women's rights in the new constitution and helped local groups produce the Afghan Women's Bill of Rights, (since endorsed by President Hamid Karzai). She attributes the success of these efforts to an approach that is, above all, inclusive. “It is too easy for aid agencies to treat women – especially the less educated - as victims, and to stereotype women into powerless roles: carpet-weaving, needlework co-operatives. In fact, Afghanistan needs to use its women as entrepreneurs, recognize the contribution they can make to politics and business, and as leaders in their own communities”.
Evelyn Murphy rounded the evening off with a challenge to the (mostly female) audience. For the founder and president of the WAGE (Women Are Getting Even) Project, enlightenment is about women recognizing their own worth. ““There is no one style of women’s leadership”, she says. “It comes in all styles and packages. But however you do it, please make sure through all of your life that you get paid what you deserve and what you earned”. Murphy explains: “Women in the US earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. Over a lifetime, it’s a 2 million dollar difference for a woman with a graduate education compared to a man. Every woman is vulnerable, no matter how smart and successful. Ladies, you have the laws: take responsibility for shaping the organizations you work in. Gather your case, gather your allies -- including the men -- and go straight to the top.” With this final thought, an enlightened and motivated audience streamed out into the night.
