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
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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 33:45 How can we encourage women to act with confidence in
leadership roles when men are present? Increasing internal
confidence and changing societal systems Look deeply at
opportunities that are available and asking, can women do this?
Creating male allies: men who are aware and desire to be more
inclusive 37:00 Women are socialized to keep quiet in a group with
men 38:50 Leaders who understanding the differences between men and
women create more powerful action and teams 42:50 A Mission
President's wife is a leader: to develop leadership identity, women
need to see other women leading 45:15 Yearning for sisters to be
included in leadership and missionary training 48:15 Talking more
about Mother in Heaven and recognizing a connection to her 52:30
What are returned sister missionaries currently doing to use their
knowledge and skills? All of those skills apply to leadership in
the family and Church roles, and they have also translated them
into leadership in their careers