Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj
HEC Paris is committed to excellence and impact in research, teaching and thought leadership while delivering transformation and support in addressing disciplines that matter in today’s complex global economy. HEC Paris is ranked as the number one European business school in the 2021 by the Financial Times (FT).
Innovation thrives in teams that are diverse but importantly, also inclusive. Data presents a compelling case for the benefits of gender diversity; however, many organizations have a long way to go to benefit from gender diversity. As organizations rebuild, we focus on why gender diversity must be at the heart of transformation. Research shows gender diverse teams demonstrate 25% above average profitability (McKinsey, 2020) and a 38% increase in innovation revenue (BCG, 2018). These indicators are a clear business rationale for gender diversity.
Innovation needs out-of-the-box thinking
Today’s world has more complex problems that are not easily solved by what we did yesterday. Adjusting to the pandemic volatility, business leaders are seeking different ways to anticipate disruption. Innovating thinking creates new solutions to complex problems, but it doesn’t happen by change. Out of the box thinking occurs when teams build on their cognitive diversity to work together and creatively explore new thinking. Effective innovation doesn’t happen by chance, it’s built on strength of experience, knowledge and conscious leadership.
Her Excellency Reem Al Mansoori, Undersecretary at Qatar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, and HEC EMBA alumna, highlights the importance of innovation; “Knowledge is the fuel for innovation, and since women represent almost 50 percent of our society, we need educated, capable, and motivated women in the workforce to turn our society’s challenges to opportunities by becoming future entrepreneurs, innovators and artists.”
How inclusive leadership triggers innovation
Innovation thrives in teams where diverse experiences and thinking combine for solutions. Building a diverse team is important, however the leader’s role is paramount. Leaders who create inclusive cultures allow colleagues to feel safe in expressing different ideas. Inclusive cultures are built on safety and trust, allowing individuals to share new thinking, and challenging group think – as the most senior person, the team will defer to the leader.
In Qatar, a strong population of female graduates provides the foundation for diverse and innovative teams.
There is a bigger piece to this puzzle - creating a robust pipeline of qualified women who can advance into leadership roles. Qatar has a strong base, with 58.6% female labor participation (World Bank, 2021) - the highest figure in the Arab World - the foundations for transformation are strong. My 2015 book ‘Championing Women Leaders’ co-authored with Lady (Kitty) Chisholm identifies two important resources for women to succeed into leadership positions; the support of a champion – a senior leader advocating for the individual - and the chance to move into new roles that provide different opportunities.
The impact of role models, and in particular women in senior leadership positions, is key to adjusting how we see successful teams. Women achieving leadership roles is not straightforward, but the biggest shift comes through two areas; changing mindsets and specific resources to support women.
Sheikha Alanoud Al Thani, Deputy CEO and Chief Business Officer of Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFC), and HEC Paris in Qatar EMBA participant, explains the impact of advancing women into leadership roles. “I was given the chance, as the first female and the youngest person in this executive role by my CEO. I’ve translated that opportunity into the highest growth trajectory consistently. This is a good thing for the organization, my performance is also about bringing in different perspectives.”
QFC commits to gender diversity through policies leading to 13.5% of its senior level positions being held by women, compared to 8.2% of Qatar’s financial sector (KPMG, Qatar 2021). Sheikha Alanoud continues, “It’s not just about strong female leaders that inspire others, but it’s also a testament to the changes in society. Reforms guided by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in terms of human and community development through education, equal opportunities, family welfare and regulation, have seen women establish themselves as a formidable part of Qatar’s workforce. Working in leadership positions means deserving respect from male colleagues for our contribution to the economy. We see more women in leadership positions today and this is not due to a quota system. Women are being given the chance because they are performing well, and the country benefits from this talent.” Expansion in QFC’s female workforce (11%) outperformed overall company employment growth between 2018 and 2019.
Diverse teams and inclusive leadership create the framework for innovation, and agile thinking is essential to it. Creative and agile thinking stems from education, and with a strong female student population, Qatar is well placed to nurture entrepreneurial thinking and create the foundation for effective innovation among diverse teams.
Hend Zainal, Executive Director of Strategy, Management and Partnerships in Qatar Foundation’s Higher Education Division and HEC EMBA alumna, is an advocate of agile thinking in leadership. Hend brings to her work the notion of ‘multiversity’ education, providing students with the opportunity to cross-fertilize their thinking by combining courses from different universities and providing exposure to various thinking approaches.
“We need a new way to consider leadership, a renaissance approach, where current and future leaders combine different disciplines to find innovative solutions. Higher Education leadership has been male-dominant sector throughout history, despite the fact that the oldest continually operating university in the world, The University of Al-Qarawiyyin - was founded by a woman, Fatima AlFihri. Women in higher education and other business sectors have the ability to bring empathetic and multidisciplinary perspectives and a different understanding into the needs of all users, whether they are students or customers and create systematic and innovative change that effectively addresses their needs.”
Successful innovation must spread across society which requires organizations with diverse teams to lead in achieving 2030 Vision goals. HE Reem Al Mansoor underscores why women must be at the heart of the transformation: “Women are powerful advocates for the voice of our society and have deep understanding of the challenges. Having a diverse work-force, therefore, will enable Qatari organizations to be creative and deliver innovative solutions that make everyone’s life better.” Gender diversity in leadership is at the heart of progress and the momentum for our economy and society to innovate and prosper creatively.
Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Associate Professor, HEC Paris in Qatar: Innovation, leadership, and diversity expert.
Associate Professor, HEC Paris in Qatar: Innovation, leadership, and diversity expert.
