Encouraging women in leadership roles has been a major talking point for some time. It’s not just about equality, it’s about recognizing the skills and talents that women bring, which could change many industries. The tech industry, in particular, has often been perceived as less than welcoming to women. But things seem to be looking up.
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Anna Maksimova, the head of Security Governance, Risk and Compliance and Miroslava Ulianova, Incident Response Team Lead at the globally recognized tech company SOFTSWISS. Their insights reflect a promising shift. With Anna’s 16 years of experience and Miroslava’s valuable contributions enriched by more than 5 years of experience, they are a testament to the tech industry’s increasing receptiveness to female leadership.
This article delves into the perspectives of Anna and Miroslava, shedding light on women in tech leadership. They share valuable advice for aspiring leaders and provide practical tips for companies eager to boost their roster of women leaders.
Breaking Barriers: The Emergence of Women in Tech Leadership
For a long time, there has been a gender imbalance in technical roles with men taking up more positions. This trend hasn’t seen much change even today. However, there’s been a positive shift in attitude, as noted by both Anna and Miroslava.
Remembering her experience ten years ago, Anna talks about being denied tech roles due to her gender. Companies would often justify this by pointing to their male-heavy teams and a ‘male’ style of communication. But things are different now. Although fewer women pursue tech roles, they no longer face such gender-specific obstacles.
The women’s current company, SOFTSWISS, where Anna and Miroslava have been in leadership since 2023, is a good example of this positive shift. Initially, the company’s security department had no female representation. Now, the department has women in each of its three units. Even more, women are now in charge. Quite an impressive stride in a short time!
Challenging the Stereotypes
The issue of fewer women in tech leading roles is not just about company policies. Anna humorously admits, “You could say I’m part of the problem because I mostly hire men. But really, we just don’t get many female applicants for our department where technical skills are required”.
Reflecting on Anna’s point, Miroslava exclaims, “Despite women, according to modern studies, could be even better in technical disciplines than men. It just depends on the person, not their gender. And this is why women should not think themselves to be weaker than men in this way.” These words encapsulate the hope and progress the industry is fostering regarding gender diversity.
Anna and her colleague, Miroslava, believe societal stereotypes are the primary reason for the disparity. Few women dare to challenge these stereotypes, leading to a lack of female leaders in tech companies. This is because traditional cultures often don’t view tech as a field for women.
Anna uses her own experiences to illustrate her point. As a kid, even though she had plenty of dolls, she preferred playing with shields and swords. Anna believes the freedom she had as a child to choose what she liked enabled her to boldly break stereotypes later in life.
Both men and women should be open to discovering their capabilities and seeing themselves in different lights. The increasing presence of women in tech is a positive sign that outdated gender norms are slowly crumbling, promising more female tech leaders in the near future. As Miroslava notes, according to UNESCO research, global gender index is getting better everywhere nowadays.
The Illusion of Weakness
Another misconception holding women back from leadership roles, according to Anna and Miroslava, is the misplaced belief that men should be strong and women weak. This damaging mindset creates a major obstacle for women, commonly known as the impostor syndrome.
Imposter syndrome, a feeling of self-doubt, affects 80% of women in the tech industry. This fear often prevents them from applying for jobs unless they fit all requirements, while their male counterparts apply after meeting roughly 60%.
Anna offers an excellent tutorial on tackling this issue. ‘The longer I work as a hiring manager, the less I worry about a candidate having all the necessary experience and skills,’ she states, ‘Every new job should offer a fresh challenge to the candidate – they don’t need to meet all the necessary qualifications. What’s more critical for me is that a candidate has the capacity and desire to learn.’
Miroslava echoes Anna’s sentiments with her own professional philosophy. She emphasizes, ‘I generally prefer critical thinking and a live mind to a technical set of skills. Self-confidence also matters while gender does not’.
A tech company has the power to inspire and cultivate female leadership within the technology sector, for instance, by wording job listings with desired skills as “preferred” instead of “required” so as not to discourage female applicants. It’s recommended to develop job specifications for all necessary skills and focus on hiring for potential rather than past achievements. For example, emphasizing the need for strong collaborative skills and empathy for customers and colleagues, a characteristic often seen in women leaders, could be very beneficial. This strategy prioritizes a candidate’s capacities and skills over their previous positions, attracting more females into leadership roles in the tech industry.
Women and Communication in the Tech Industry
Anna attributes her success in the tech industry to her regular communication with her coworkers, both during and after office hours. On the flip side, a lack of communication makes many women feel isolated in the workplace culture of tech firms.
These feelings extend beyond isolation, as Miroslava points out. It’s about fostering a sense of community and acquainting your coworkers with you. Simply excelling at work doesn’t guarantee leadership. To truly resonate with people, you need to communicate and make yourself known to them.
Though female collaboration is crucial, we see fewer women at events and panels. This isn’t because they’re not invited. Many choose not to join possibly due to the discomfort of being the only woman, or fear of drawing too much attention.
Anna shares, “Initially, I felt nervous being the only woman among many men, wondering what would we discuss?”. But, she found that regular interaction with her team helped build trust. Over time, the focus on gender differences faded away.
She also encourages connecting with professionals outside the company. Anna herself has joined a network of female leaders. Since women are usually underrepresented in tech leadership, reaching out to other female professionals can be helpful. These networks foster mutual support and sharing of knowledge and experiences without any competition, as members might have faced similar challenges.
Adding to what Anna stated, Miroslava suggests that women climbing the corporate ladder should find female mentors who can offer their wisdom and share their experiences. While mentors are important regardless of gender, the impact can be particularly significant when a woman receives advice from another who has navigated similar challenges.
When Empathy Wins in Tech Leadership: A Unique Perspective
Are all gender-related problems solved that easily? Not quite, admits Anna.
To start, it won’t be easy to erase all gender-based stereotypes. For example, a woman leader expressing anger or joy will be more readily labeled as too emotional compared to her male counterparts.
Moreover, as tech positions are still male-dominated, any woman leader in a tech company will inevitably have to adapt to the male work environment.
However, there’s a silver lining. Women leaders come with a unique set of strengths, some even outmatching their male counterparts.
Anna highlights one such strength. She believes that a leader is not just someone who assigns tasks, but a person who employees can approach for advice, encouragement and to share their concerns.
Adding to the ideas of Anna, Miroslava underlines the vital role played by this strength. She believes that many female leaders are naturally empathetic. This not only gives a competitive edge but also shatters outdated gender stereotypes. This surge of empathy brings new abilities to the tech world. It also helps create a workspace that values and uplifts everyone.
Embracing female leadership in tech not only breaks down inadequate gender norms but also enriches the industry with unique strengths, fostering a more inclusive and empowering environment for all.
Executive Profile
Anna Maksimova is the Head of Security Governance, Risk, and Compliance at SОFTSWISS. She is an expert on ISO 27001, Security Awareness, IT Service Management, and IT Strategy.
