The very things that make women good mothers also make them good leaders, said Cheryl Byrne of CU Source.
The executive director of the training wing of credit unions in Canada said women are multi-taskers, are goal oriented and focus on what it takes to get the job done.
“You know you can do anything and if you can’t, you can go and buy it,” said Byrne, addressing a women’s networking breakfast May 17 at a national credit union and co-operatives conference in Saskatoon.
She said more women are needed in the upper echelons of co-ops, where they would bring their natural abilities as “server leaders.”
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They see the value of teamwork, fundamental to co-operatives, and are naturals at developing teams in communities and the people within them.
They understand the people they serve and help them to reach their goals through their leadership capabilities, she said.
Byrne encouraged women to rail against a doormat mentality, which is a tendency to serve everyone else’s needs.
“You need to act to start serving yourself and show that example to your daughters, sons and fellow women.”
Byrne said women are often hesitant to step up into the ranks of business co-ops like credit unions, gravitating instead to female-dominated school councils. Byrne blamed that on poor self-confidence and feelings of intimidation when on male-dominated boards.
Lynnette Houston, general manager of Earl Grey Credit Union in southern Saskatchewan, said women often see barriers instead of opportunities.
Married to a farm equipment salesperson and raising a young family, Houston embraces the moves necessary to advance her career.
She has lived in towns in Alberta and Saskatchewan and has moved steadily up the ranks from her early days as a clerk.
“There are barriers but they’re not insurmountable,” she said.
Houston welcomed the many moves as opportunities to broaden her training, knowledge and skills base.
“We have to challenge ourselves and never become complacent,” said Houston.
Co-operatives also need to raise their profile among younger generations, she said. That can happen through classes and job internships and by getting more youth on co-op boards.
“We need young people to know there is a role for them,” Houston said.
“Women are not seeing (co-ops) as a career option.”
