1. Embrace the Exponential INTERNET OF THINGS How women are
poised to succeed in an interconnected industry LEADING EDGE WOMEN
ON THE
2. IoT is a scenario in which objects, locations, and people,
each with unique identifiers, have the ability to transfer
information over a network without interacting with another person
or machine. Integrating sensors, devices, and networks enables our
lives in new waysfrom improving our physical well-being through the
connectivity of wearable fitness trackers, to easing our lifestyles
through connected appliances, vehicles, and other types of
technology on which weve come to rely. Organizations are taking
advantage of the benefits of IoT by exploring how connected, smart
technology can enhance patient welfare in hospitals, protect
workers in manufac- turing environments, and create wholly new
business efficiencies in supply chain managementamong other values.
The value that IoT can bring to individuals and enterprises alike
has created a market for innovation; IoT is projected to be a net
creator of jobsto the tune of 4.5 million by 2020.2 For the
evolving technology industry, which is projected to encapsulate
nearly 75 percent of new STEM jobs through 2020, it will be crucial
to identify the right leaders to guide this new workforce.
Successful IoT solutions provide creative integration of
technology, data science, security, and user engagement to solve
problems and provide new services. Developing such solutions
requires a particular set of attributes, such as strong
partnerships, high-quality user experiences, multi-faceted value
propositions, multi- purpose technology, and the ability to balance
evolving and unknown challenges. To maintain their competitive
edge, We are experiencing a rapid shift in tech- nology that is
changing the way we exist in the world. As the technology industry
evolves toward full-scale adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT),
there is an entirely new set of demands to compete in the global
innovation market. Leading the workforce of the future in these
innova- tive fields requires an increasingly unique set of skills.
In addition to the depth of technical rigor traditionally required
to lead in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
fields, leaders must have emotional intelligence, communica- tion,
and management skills to succeed in our increasingly connected
society. Whether by nature or nurture, studies have found that
women by far outrank men in measures of these essential soft
skills.1 IoT provides an opportunity for underrepre- sented
populations in STEM leadership womento find new value in their
industry contributions. Widespread initiatives to integrate women
into the workforce, including campaigns to promote the feminization
of labor and early STEM education initiatives, have sparked a
national conversation. However, evolving industry needs require us
to mature past awareness of the gender gap at the top level of STEM
fields and target the right kind of leaders to spearhead
innovation. Much like the convergent nature of IoT, transcending
traditional gender constructs in the technology industrys
leadership will require fundamental changes in the way we think and
operate; it will require us to rebuild an agile, integrated, and
connected industry model that allows our busi- nessesand our
peopleto thrive. SUCCESSFUL IoT SOLUTIONS THRIVE IN AN ECOSYSTEM OF
CONSTANT INNOVATION 1
3. employers need to fill their pipeline with high-innovation
potential leadership. Specifically, tech companies across the board
must fill a major gap in the industrys existing leadership
population: in addition to technical experts, companies need
leaders with non-traditional yet essential leadership
characteristics such as self-awareness and higher-order thinking.
By arming their first line of leadership with social architects, or
leaders who will shape the context in which others are able and
willing to innovate together, companies have a shot at unleashing
their workforces collective genius.3 An exciting paradigm shift is
occurring across the technology industry, said Susan Penfield,
Executive Vice President of Booz Allens Strategic Innovation Group.
As IoT becomes the norm, what were traditionally considered
feminine leader- ship characteristics, such as connectivity and
communication, are increasingly in demand. Leaders who embody these
characteristics are essential to build the interoperable workplace
of the future. How do companies target leaders with the specific
characteristics needed to build their innovation ecosystem? A good
place to start is by examining the diversity of skillsets of
top-level leaders. Female leaders rank higher in building
cooperative environ- ments and working out compromises; they also
excel in soft power (the ability to lead through persuasion rather
than coercion), among other key traits of collaborative and
reciprocal relationships.4 These characteristics are essential to
leaders who will shape organizations for successful innovation in
our connected society. As IoT becomes the norm, what were
traditionally considered feminine leadership charac- teristics,
such as connectivity and communication, are increasingly in demand.
SUSAN PENFIELD Booz Allen Hamilton 2
4. Research has shown that women often excel in roles that
require building relation- ships, networking, and mediation because
they place more value on these interper- sonal relationships.
Female leaders also rank higher than their male counterparts in key
leadership characteristics such as working out compromises, being
honest and ethical, mentoring employees, orga- nizing, and
exercising soft power.5 Though not an exclusively female trait,
women are more inclined than men to use soft power through tools
such as discussion, engage- ment, and inclusion. Leadership styles
often characterized as feminine may be exactly what the technology
industry needs to guide connectivity across the corporate
structure. Numerous studies show that companies with diverse
leadership out-innovate and out-perform their competitors.6 Senior
leadership with diverse sets of experi- ences, perspectives, and
backgrounds are better equipped to build a culture of community
that cultivates innovation based on the availability of unique
ideas.7 Studies show six leadership behaviors unlock innovation:
ensuring that everyone is heard; making it safe to propose novel
ideas; giving team members decision- making authority; sharing
credit for success; giving actionable feedback; and implementing
feedback from the team.8 Promoting individuals who embody
traditionally feminine leadership char- acteristics does not mean
edging out the INTEGRATING WOMEN INTO TOP- LE VEL LE ADERSHIP MAY
BE KE Y TO BUILDING CONNECTED ECOSYSTEMS 3
5. Promoting individ- uals who embody traditionally feminine
leadership characteristics does not mean edging out the male
competition Rather, it means complementing the unique qualities of
each individual to improve the groups intelligence and effec-
tiveness as a whole. ROSE SCHOOLER Intel Corporation 4 male
competition, said Rose Schooler, Vice President of Intel
Corporations IoT Strategy. Rather, it means complementing the
unique qualities of each individual to improve the groups
intelligence and effec- tiveness as a whole. As technology leaders,
we understand the necessity of integrated systems to build IoT
solutions. We need to drive this same concept among our people to
enable truly connected companies. However, women in IT hold only
nine percent of management positions and 14 percent of senior
management posi- tions in Silicon Valley startups, while they
maintain less than 25 percent of STEM jobs industry wide. Studies
indicate that perceived gender differences, rather than leadership
skill or ability, are the barriers to entry for women in the STEM
C-Suite. Countless marketing campaigns have aimed to empower female
leaders in an effort to increase female leadership in technology.
Many of these efforts encourage women to adopt what are
traditionally considered masculine leadership characteristics,
including aggression, authoritativeness, and deci- siveness,9 in an
effort to rise in the industry ranks. Author Nina Power argues that
when women (or men) demonstrate power by behaving like a man,10 it
reinforces the traditional strength-based measures of power instead
of recognizing the value in other leadership styles. Studies show
that regardless of gender, leaders who demonstrate their strength
without gaining the trust of others can undermine an organizations
creativity and cognitive potential, and cause employees to
disengage. On the other hand, leaders who facilitate trust,
communication, and information sharing among employees often
generate measurably higher economic gains for their
organizations.11 In addition to adding value to a company, female
leaders may have the insight needed to help positively influence
the culture and retain skilled female employees, a fleeing
demographic in the technology workforce. Despite an increase in
overall hiring, the 2015 STEM Index found the gender gap in STEM
professions had widened even further since 2000.12 According to
U.S. News & World Report, a job pool skewed heavily toward
white males has put the United States at a disadvan- tage compared
to international competitors trying to attract the same small pool
of highly skilled workers.13 Studies show that talented women often
feel stuck at lower- to mid-levels in STEM fields, and 54 percent
of women leave their STEM jobs by their late thirties.14 Companies
have realized this brain drain is an issue that needs to be
resolved if they want to meet the need for 6.6 million open STEM
posi- tions by 2022.15 According to a Harvard Business Review case
study, many women report mysterious career paths, leading to a full
40 percent feeling stalled in their careers. Systems of risk and
reward in [STEM] cultures can disadvantage women, who tend to be
risk averse.16 Fortunately, technological convergence is driving
cultural change, and IoT may provide women with an opportunity to
fill the industrys need for a new kind of leadership.
6. IoT IS A PL ATFORM FOR WOMEN TO LE AD THE WAY TO A CONNECTED
SOCIET Y Traditionally feminine leadership characteristics and IoT
both comprise collaboration, connection, and high-level integration
throughout an organization. In female leaders, these characteris-
tics often manifest into actions such as networking with resources
to identify and solve business needs and bringing together teams of
matrixed, diverse staffboth of which are necessary to build
successful IoT enterprises. The technology industry has noticed the
value of this leadership style in a connected world. In a 2015
survey of nearly 3,000 Chief Information Officers (CIO), Gartner
identified a flip in leadership attributes: vision and inspiration,
not command and control, emerged as the most powerful leadership
attributes in a digital world.17 Furthermore, the study found that
75 percent of CIOs plan to change their leadership style within 3
years by ampli- fying their vision (47 percent) and reducing their
command and control (65 percent). Every major technology company is
building their brand of IoT solutions, and many have found that
technical expertise and past successes do not always equate to good
leadership in this new territory. said Nyla Beth Gawel, Principal
of Booz Allens IoT Initiative. The successful ones recognized early
on that emotional intelligence and communication are essential
characteris- tics in the leaders they select to cultivate this
change. These leaders are successful because they are able to build
an ecosystem that integrates the technical and human expertise
needed to build truly connected networks of innovation. The
technology companies that seek leaders with exceptional
collaborative qualities will be the companies to succeed in the
workplace of the future. Executives will be the glue in the
connected workplace, and those with the ability to influence and
lead through persuasion, rather than force, are uniquely positioned
to create the right type of environment that breeds ideas and
innovation. Female and male leaders who embrace their inherent soft
power now will realize success in the connected enterprise
structureand many successful IoT leaders have already begun setting
the tone of the IoT ecosystem. Every major tech- nology company is
building their brand of IoT solutionsThe successful ones recog-
nized early on that emotional intelligence and communication are
essential charac- teristics in the leaders they select to cultivate
this change. NYLA BETH GAWEL Booz Allen Hamilton 5
7. Interviews ROSE SCHOOLER Vice President Intel Corporation
SUSAN PENFIELD Executive Vice President Booz Allen Hamilton NYLA
BETH GAWEL Principal Booz Allen Hamilton Authors NYLA BETH GAWEL
Principal [email protected] ALISON JARRIS Associate
[email protected] www.boozallen.com/iot 1. Pew Research Center,
Women and Leadership, 2015 2. ReadWrite, The Internet Of Things
Will Need Millions Of Developers By 2020, 2014 3. World Economic
Forum, Is this what it takes to be an innovative leader?, 2016 4.
STEMconnector, STEM 2.0 An Imperative For Our Future Workforce,
2014 5. Harvard Business Review, How Diversity Can Drive
Innovation, 2013 6. STEMconnector, STEMconnectors Innovation Task
Force Releases STEM 2.0: An Imperative For Our Future Workforce,
2014 7. Forbes, Reaping The Benefits Of Diversity For Modern
Business Innovation, 2014 8. Forbes, Fostering Innovation Through a
Diverse Workforce, 2011 9. Harvard Business Review, How Diversity
Can Drive Innovation, 2013 10. University of Strathclyde Business
School, Gender differences vs gender diversity in leadership, 2015
11. Zero Books, One Dimensional Woman, Nina Power 12. Harvard
Business Review, Connect, Then Lead, 2013 13. U.S. News & World
Report, 2015 STEM Index Shows Gender, Racial Gaps Widen, 2015 14.
U.S. News & World Report, The Data Behind the 2015 STEM Index,
2015 15. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Reaching the Full
Potential of STEM for Women and the U.S. Economy, 2015 16. Harvard
Business Review, The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in
Science, Engineering, and Technology, 2008 17. Gartner, Executive
Summary: Flipping to Digital Leadership: The 2015 CIO Agenda, 2015
6
8. www.boozallen.com/IoT 2016 Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
C.02.061.16 03/01/16 About Booz Allen Booz Allen Hamilton has been
at the forefront of strategy and technology for more than 100
years. Today, the firm provides management and technology
consulting and engineering services to leading Fortune 500
corporations, governments, and not-for-profits across the globe.
Booz Allen partners with public and private sector clients to solve
their most difficult challenges through a combination of
consulting, analytics, mission operations, technology, systems
delivery, cybersecurity, engineering, and innovation expertise.
With international headquarters in McLean, Virginia, the firm
employs more than 22,500 people globally, and had revenue of $5.27
billion for the 12 months ended March 31, 2015. To learn more,
visit www.boozallen.com. (NYSE: BAH)