Sexual harassment is a leadership problem
Workplace sexual harassment has been a problem for decades. Centuries, actually. But the recent spate of allegations of harassment against public figures is a good indicator of how entrenched these abuses of power are. Harassment is insidious, and the damage that it does to the victims, as well as to the organizations that employ them has been well documented. Such harassment does much more than harm the victims’ psyches. Women who are harassed often leave their employers, taking with them their knowledge, skills, and experiences. Such exits can also erode any leadership paths upon which they were set.
Because of the dearth of women in senior leadership roles, harassment claims often go unacknowledged and unaddressed. In spite of the evidence of the financial impact of harassment—in terms of settling claims, losing/replacing talent, reduced productivity—unless those costs are realized immediately, the harassment, and the perpetrators are allowed to continue.
Sexual harassment is not a “women’s issue.” It is not pink. It is not cute. It is an abuse of power. It is a form of bullying and control. It is an issue of leadership. There are many thoughts on the “whys” of workplace sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Is it because men seek to reinforce social norms? Is it used as a tactic to marginalize female colleagues? Is it a tactic to establish or maintain authority?
The answer is yes, to all of it. Many companies and social scientists want to delve into the reasons that women are subject to such harassment. I contend that the reasons are not as important as the action that leadership takes. Many times, the “action” taken amounts to nothing substantive. For example, the bullying by star performers is often excused and accepted. Hey, his numbers are good, so we don’t want to mess with him this quarter. This sends a clear message to all employees about leadership values and priorities. It reinforces the idea that victims are little more than collateral damage, with only themselves to blame.
The pervasive problem of workplace sexual harassment has complex causes, rooted in societal gender norms and expectations of roles. But the solution to this problem is pretty simple. First, parents, teachers, the world: teach boys and young men that girls and women are not objects. Reinforce that women owe them nothing just based upon the fact that they are male. Teach them not to harass and bully. Business leaders—beginning with CEOs—need to do more than merely update sexual harassment policies and offer sensitivity training. They need to create a culture that does not tolerate harassment, not only because harassment has a negative impact on the bottom line, but more importantly because it is bad business. To further reduce incidents of harassment, companies need to recruit, hire, train, and develop more women for leadership roles. The tired excuse that women’s careers move to a slow track because of family obligations is like blaming the intern, so 1990s. Women do not need policies to “protect” them from harassment from co-workers. They need the opportunity to be in leadership positions in which they can affect real change.