Existential Intelligence and the question WHY

Today in preparation of a event on “how to get more women in top management” I studied the theory of multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner. Where are the factors that let women to step out of the pipeline to the C-levels? Is it because women are not as good as others to “tell their story effectively”?

Shall we in that sense follow the path that Patty Azzarello mentions in her book Rise by : Do better – Look better – Connect better? I guess that will help to a certain degree but based on my experience as coach as well as my own personal story that stops when the question: WHY? starts to come to the mind. The elements of ethical leadership like integrity, values, believes and the social impact of decisions get dominant. If I would embrace those elements I would put them into “existential intelligence” in combination with the “intra-personal” one.

That we strike for purpose along with mastery and autonomy is also the outcome of Dan Picks research on what motivates us. So we eventually shall check what purpose female leaders see in proceeding to top management and if those answers to the question WHY are in-line with what “the other side” (eg share holders, board of directors,..) expects.

One knows, there is not one typical female or male representative, however looking at all 9 intelligence listed I conclude (for myself) that females ask more often why in relation to sacrifices on ethical levels then males.  Maybe because they relate to more of those intelligence at once? Who knows!  Kathrin