Women and Leadership – 3 Corporate enablers to support you!
Kick start your leadership journey. Many workplace barriers still exist for women aspiring to leadership roles, as demonstrated by the number of women (un)represented at senior levels. At a system level an incredible amount is happening towards creating enabling and facilitative organisations for those who have the desire, skills, ability and qualities required to be an executive:
Leadership (Top Team) Commitment
There is top down support in most organisations. The 21st Century needs highly effective great leaders who can galvanise a company to meet performance objectives, achieve a vision, have emotional intelligence and humility.
HR initiatives are being hard wired into corporate-dom through diversity inclusion policies, employee engagement surveys, accountability through balance scorecards performance management.
Talent Pool & Career Management recruit identify and develop high potential individuals. Women’s networks, mentors and individual coaching provide support as needed.
Any woman who truly wants to succeed in a corporate environment, can! Having navigated a successful career in an extremely homogenous environment on the trading floor of an investment bank in the early 90’s. The only focus was on achievement of goals with total passion drive and determination, this was reflected in language, behaviour and action. Proactively seeking out new opportunities, gives not only breadth of experience, but enormous growth and learning. Along the way, finding mentors through networking and asking for guidance is also vital.
Successful women inherent characteristics
- Focus on goals; sheer grit
- Strong drive; take risks
- Communicate to be heard; be courageous
- Leadership Managerial Skills; be adaptable
- A plan for their career; have purpose
The future for women in business looks bright, especially as Millennials assume senior positions, lots of change will occur to reflect their work and societal attitudes. However, women need to be aware of how they can help themselves if they truly aspire to a successful career.
Finally, it is important to reflect on potential inhibitors to career success:
Cheryl Sandberg, CFO Facebook recently spoke at a TED talk
“Women leave before they leave. A lot of women who want to have a successful career and are planning a family at some point in the future may not volunteer themselves for certain projects or promotion.”
Men expect, Women hope.
It is not enough to keep your head down, work hard, achieve goals and hope that you will be rewarded. Women need to put themselves forward for more senior positions, ‘expect’ rather than ‘hope’. If you have passion, determination confidence and the ability, you can achieve anything you want to do. Step into your power and ask for what you want to help your success.
I would love to hear about your own experience on this subject