Women Leaders on Leadership: Much to Laud, Much to Lament

What do women leaders have to say about leadership? This Executive Action, Women Leaders on Leadership: Much to Laud, Much to Lament, reflects on comments by Canada’s most senior and influential women executives at the Third Women’s Executive Forum. It looks at what women have to say about leadership and the challenges facing leaders—what holds true, what is new and what is overdue. Participants believed that too much energy has been expended on public sector accountability, and that debate should move on to other issues vital to the public interest, such as service delivery and provision of the right services. Areas crying out for leadership and investment include Aboriginals, the environment, health and education. On the whole, participants agreed that leadership is often still poor, despite its recognized importance, and that a gap exists between what leaders want to achieve and what they are achieving.