A recent article published in the Toronto Star looked at the impact of women's leadership during a crisis. It highlighted recent research on women’s leadership during the pandemic that showed that women were better leaders during this time.
"According to critical mass theory, a group needs 30 per cent representation to make a tangible difference to a culture. Women currently hold 29 per cent of university presidencies in Canada, and are just reaching the threshold needed to truly advance change."
Canada has many examples of strong women leaders, especially in academia, where female university presidents have been leading and making critical decisions. The article looked at multiple case studies of these presidents and assessed how they approached handling the effects of the pandemic at their respective universities.
For instance, President Annette Trimbee of MacEwan University stressed the importance of flexibility during decision-making. Trimbee also took the initiative to lead an independent task force for the City of Edmonton focused on community safety and wellbeing.
As the article mentioned, female leaders are often, criticized for being ‘too masculine' or ‘too feminine’. This article put the spotlight on Canadian women leaders who have shone during this time through their ability to “absorb chaos, maintain stability and communicate hope”.
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