Helping Women to See Themselves as Leaders | An Interview with Dr. Susan R. Madsen

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally ran in April 2020. Professor Susan R. Madsen is the Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. Dr. Madsen is considered one of the top global scholars and thought leaders on the topic of women and leadership and has authored or edited nine books and published hundreds of articles, chapters, and reports. She is a well-known speaker in local, national, and international settings. She is also the founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project and has worked for years motivating more women in Utah to graduate from college and to lead and influence more profoundly. At the time this was recorded, Dr. Madsen was the Orin R. Woodbury Professor of Leadership & Ethics in the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University. A returned missionary, she received a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, master’s from Portland State University, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Madsen and her husband Greg are the proud parents of four adult children and six delightful grandchildren. Links Utah Women & Leadership Project Everyday Bias, by Howard Ross Why Gender Matters, by Leonard Sax Let Your Life Speak, by Parker Palmer Share your thoughts in the Leading Saints community Read the transcript of this podcast Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library Highlights 5:40 Women feeling a calling or purpose in both religious and secular settings gives them more confidence 8:40 Either/or socialization for women has become powerful in Church culture over the past 60 years 11:30 Research into sister missionaries started with the purpose of learning what influences women's goals and aspirations to become leaders in their homes and communities 13:50 What leadership skills have women developed through mission service? How do they use them now? What other opportunities do they wish they would have had? 17:50 Men are more likely than women to see themselves as leaders 19:00 Competencies and leadership skills women gain from serving a mission: public speaking, conflict management, courage, interpersonal skills, problem solving, planning organization and accountability, confidence, spiritual growth, empathy, giving and receiving feedback, grit and resilience, mentoring, teaching, critical thinking, listening, personal growth and awareness, accepting others, time management, training others, teamwork, foreign language skills, intercultural competencies, goal-setting, managing people, work ethic, serving others, taking direction, independence, patience, decision-making and judgment, standing their ground, leading by example, self-discipline, adaptability, lifelong learning 27:10 Connecting these skills to leadership for women: "We have to be leaders" * Serving a mission helps women see themselves as leaders