It is amazing! It is amazing, after all the has been written and all that has been done by organizations and individuals regarding women leaders, that we still hear so much ambiguity in discussion about the lack of progress in the percentage of women leaders in business. We do know what the barriers are and we do know that if these barriers are addressed they turn into success factors.
- Number One- for a number of very tangible reasons many women do not have the same access to career development and advoacy as their male counterparts. In most cases this is not because women are consciously being held back. There are many subtle factors in play that we must understand to make progress.
- Number Two- Lack of Visibility. This visibility issue has two parts to it. There are not enough female role models and women leaders are often not as visible as male leaders. The impact of lack of visibility is a very significant and underestimated part of the problem.
- Number Three- Career & Work Life Integration. I believe this item is most misunderstood. Often, when working with organizations and women leaders there is a misconception that “work/life balance IS the entire story behind the barriers to the advancement of women leaders. This causes many issues in making progress. In addition, women themselves often hang onto this term “work/life balance” . In my personal experience as a female leader and in working with many female leaders – balance is the wrong goal. Creating a life vision that integrates work as part of a desired life plan is the goal.
Each of these barriers to success have been researched and addressed in many organizaations. Proven solutions for organizations interested in more diverse leadership teams and the maximization of all talent do exist. Solutions for individuals seeking a new or improved path to leadership do exist. Stay tuned to learn more indepth about each of these areas, why each is an issue and most importantly- what we can do about it.
M Bennett
MLBennett Consulting
mlbennettconsulting.com
Mary L. Bennett
Organizational and Talent Development Consulting-Leadership Development, Sucession Planning, Diversity & Inclusion, Women's Initiatives, and Executive Coaching. Twenty Years as an executive in the accounting and consulting industry provides a foundation for a practical approach to real business solutions.
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In my experience, an important aspect of visibility is having one or more “champions” who know you and recommend you. Mentors are a critical success factor too but not all mentors are champions.
Multiple books were published on this topic. They all seem to suggest various approaches for a professional woman to take to assert herself as an equal to her male counterparts but there isn’t a quick fix to breaking through the “glass ceiling” in most organizations. I personally don’t feel that I need to take steps to “look” the part(really resemble a man); but I have to assert myself in meetings and interactions with senior (male) managers. This did not come easy, as culturally a woman is not supposed to be “strong”. I say strong in quotes because really it almost comes across to some male counterparts as argumentative when a woman manager asserts her point of view. And many of us have to work with men, and more often then not these men are from a generation where many women were not in the “provider” role… Great topic, Mary!