By Amanda E.N Jojo

Zimbabwe CEO’s Network is set to recognize women who have done exceptionally well in their respective sectors as leaders under the Women in Business Leadership Appreciation Awards.

The network’s mandate is to significantly improve the success and lives of CEOs and Executives, their families and their companies, by providing interactive platforms such as the slated awards ceremony.

The awards ceremony will be held tomorrow at Miekles Hotel from 6 pm.
In an interview with State of the Nation, Zimbabwe CEO’s Network Business Development Manager Nyasha Mangezi said the network was born out of realization that executive effectiveness is dramatically improved in those rare cases when CEOs meet with industry peers.

“We are working on being the most customer-focused CEO and executive development organization in Africa and provide our members with the broadest and deepest range of products and services”

“Now to bring it to closer to home, Zimbabwe CEO’s Network has been running the Women in Business Leadership Awards since last year and many more years to come,” Mangezi said.

The world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic last year and business leaders were forced to adopt to the new normal, the pandemic slowed things down and perhaps brought in new a normality, but that has certainly not stopped the working world from being successful and making great accomplishments that are recognizable.

“The effects of the pandemic did not have any effects on the selection process because the criteria was mainly based on outstanding business performances such as demonstrated leadership and innovation, inspiration to others, degree of service just to name a few.

“Our inaugural winners were nominated, carefully vetted and approved by our board members who I must say come from different sectors,” Mangezi said.

Mangezi underscored the importance of recognizing women in leadership as it is a step in achieving gender parity.

“To address this issue, we must confront the importance of what behavior’s characterize effective leaders. Whether it’s the firm execution of authority over subordinates or the capacity to support and inspire them? When women lead, they provide different set of skills, imaginative perspectives and importantly structural and cultural differences.

“A woman who is currently not in a leadership role can be a daunting prospect entering such a high-profile role with current stigmas that may be attached, but those that achieve these roles will indeed inspire more women to enter the leadership roles,” Mangezi said.

Hence Zimbabwe CEO’s Network Women in Leadership Awards, carve a direction for all young aspiring women leaders to increase the global percentage and break new records.

“There is no doubt that we have seen women form different walks of life demonstrate passion, enthusiasm, and capabilities to take command of a situation when need be (let’s not look beyond our own mothers or female care givers in this case).

“We as women are able to make bold and wise decisions as leaders: this makes the team environment less authoritative and more cooperative, bringing a family like feel to the team. Thus, bring in a new culture within the business,” Mangezi said.

It is quite a common occurrence that women have been wearing different hats within their roles that is balancing successful careers, households and taking up the mantel of parental guidance alog with many other experiences.

“This all-combined helps women leaders to quickly adjust to new situations and focus on finding solutions to real life work issues,” she said.

She further highlighted the need to address the overlooked gender pay gap as it has been evidenced that when males and females start their progress from scratch, men are usually offered more opportunities leading to higher paying position and she believes that the gender pay gap can be transformed into an opportunity gap.

“When more women are employed in leadership roles this not only provides the benefits I have listed, but instead, help achieve a wider goal and close the pay gap more effectively.

“So all this then brings us back to what our vision is as Zimbabwe CEO’s Network that is to significantly improve the success and lives of CEOs and Executives, their families and their companies,” she said.