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Are You Missing Out?

Don't Forget the Valuable Talent Pool Among Women!
Liz Selzer | Outcomes, May/Jun 2007

Leaders—effective leaders—seem fewer and far between, as more societal needs appear and more nonprofits are founded to address them. Unfortunately, it seems leaders are passed around from one organization to another, rather than new ones being developed to fill these positions.

So, where do we find the leaders we need?

I believe many prospective leaders are being overlooked, mostly because they're women. No, I'm not just another feminist tooting the female leadership horn. Theologically, I'm quite conservative. I don't believe in elevating women to leadership just because they're women. I do believe in elevating God's people to leadership who are called according to his purpose. Many organizations may have blinders on when it comes to selecting leadership, and they potentially miss half—perhaps more than half—of the qualified candidates.

When I first started at MOPS International, I had no idea the depth of leadership that existed quietly behind the scenes. I found 25,000+ leaders throughout the United States and in 29 other countries around the world. These women invest 15, 20, even 40 hours of volunteer work per week in this organization, lead large groups of women, inspiring them to maximize their influence with the women whose lives they were in a position to touch. I found these leaders to be trained and capable, and among the best-kept secrets in the nonprofit leadership world.

What Have I Learned?

I now know that:

• Women leaders are out there, but don't often see themselves as leaders. They need to be inspired to activate their influence to change the world around them.
  
  
• Women who've been leaders in the workforce are waiting for the right circumstances to return to part- or full-time work situations compelling enough for them to want to become involved outside their home again.
  
  
• Women often turn to education instead of leadership because it's a world in which they're welcome. Yet often, upon completing a given degree, they find commensurate employment opportunities few and far between.
  
  
• Women truly desire to learn and grow, but find few available resources aimed directly at them.
  
  
• Many women apologize for their leadership—"Oh yes, I'm just a Bible study leader, or a Girl Scout leader, or a PTO committee chair," … as if these positions required any less dedication, people savvy or leadership skills than a paying corporate position would require.
  
  
• There's a common frustration among women in Christian leadership, whether it's that subtle glass ceiling, the lack of support they feel to develop their leadership skills, the doors which shut as they try to implement change in an organization, or the common denial that, when they work, what they do really counts. Often women and the men they work with see a woman's leadership as a hobby, something to pass the time but not to be taken seriously.