Challenges of Women in Leadership

PRISCILLA D. NELSON

Having been asked to write this article from a cross-cultural perspective I chose to begin by drawing an analogy between the famous nursery rhyme “Alice In Wonderland” (or at least some blend of the many versions now published) and women in leadership roles. Not everyone knows the story of Alice In Wonderland so let me begin by giving a brief overview of the story and, if you will, a few metaphors which seem appropriate.

Lewis Carroll wrote this story in 1865 about a little girl who travelled into a magic world in chase of a white rabbit that she followed down a rabbit hole. She meets numerous characters such as the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, the Mock Turtle, the Cheshire Cat and the March Hare; all guests at a fantasy tea party. Each character contributes to a myriad of opportunities with complicated scenarios and outcomes. It’s a delightful children’s story and it has served as the topic of many management studies. Numerous analogies have been drawn between