Villalobos-Russell: For women in leadership, a perilous path
Every year, The Salvation Army offers spring and fall educational courses to its employees. After eight months in my role as director of the Vail Extension Center and as a natural, lifelong learner, I wanted to enroll in at least one class. When I signed up for the course, “Women in Leadership,” it seemed a bit redundant considering I’d already attended similar seminars.
What I didn’t know then was the empowering effect that virtually engaging with my classmates and teachers on a weekly basis would have. As students, we all shared relevant discussions, personal experiences and even ideas, drafts and outlines of how to implement a systemic change in The Salvation Army’s National and Territorial leadership structure to create more egalitarianism. This course was an eye-opener, and I was sold (again) on waving the feminist flag.
I learned about the double-bind theory from Gregory Bateson and others that explained the quandary of two conflicting messages when one message supersedes the other. For example, female leaders often experience a double bind when they take charge. They may be perceived as competent leaders, but are also disliked. When they are emotive, communicative and nurturing, they are perceived as likable but less competent.
To quote America Ferrera’s character in the “Barbie” film, “You have to be a career woman, but also always be looking out for other people. You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood. But always stand out and always be grateful. … You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. And it turns out, in fact, that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.”
It has taken us, as a society, years to dissipate the many stereotypes about women that have existed for millennia. Education, feminism and societal pressure provided women with a voice to disrupt the status quo.
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Moreover, women from minority groups (including LGBTQ, Indigenous and people of color) have historically been directly and indirectly oppressed by systemic and narrative policies. As a native Latin-American woman, it was a blessing (but not the norm) to be selected for a leadership role in this progressive day and age, in such an open-minded part of the Rocky Mountains. I love collaborating with so many smart, strong and capable female leaders in Eagle County, but for several years, I’ve noticed a disparity.
While our community has a diverse, full-time resident population, there are institutions and corporations in which local, educated Latin-American women are not represented in top leadership positions. For example, having worked in education for more than a decade, I can attest that there are dozens of talented, intelligent female teachers of Latin-American heritage who easily could lead and represent some of the student populations of their same heritage. Yet many of the district leadership positions in the region do not represent the students they serve, limiting a better, more genuine connection with at-risk families. These realities are common topics of conversation among local Hispanics but are taboo or one-sided in other societal sectors. Discussions of inequality, preconceived notions and fair representation of minorities should not be frowned upon. We need to have these conversations openly, across multiple settings.
The leadership course I took reaffirmed that the range of issues women experience doesn’t arise from our gender, heritage or style of leadership but from fixed mindsets, old values and unconscious biases that society and employers perpetuate. It reaffirmed what I’ve learned during the past 20 years: We all have biases and stereotypes, although the lenses by which we judge others may differ. It’s been educational and humbling to know that I, too, have frequently been part of the problem and that I must consciously address my role daily.
I am open to having these uncomfortable conversations with anyone in our community, especially with other local community leaders, in a respectful and understanding manner. As a resident of Eagle County and a proud member of our community, I want to be part of the change.
Monica Villalobos-Russell is the director of the Vail Valley Salvation Army. Email her at monica.villalobos@usw.salvationarmy.org.
