Elevate more women into leadership positions
Q: How can we elevate more women into leadership positions in our organization?
ACE Advises: This is a great question. Even though women make up more than half of our population, they hold less than 30% of leadership positions. Studies have proven that companies with women on their corporate boards are 42% more profitable.
Some people advocate requiring organizations to meet a gender quota. Unfortunately, while quotas may increase the number of women serving in leadership positions, results have not proven favorable. We aren’t making gains in equality, knocking down stereotypes or narrowing the gender wage gap.
Attitudes need to shift; women need to be elevated, celebrated and valued for what they bring to the table. This starts with leaders making a focused effort to shift the culture, standards and attitude of their organizations.
You can start by focusing on five areas:
1. Educate: Give women skills and resources to compete in the boardroom environment. Give them opportunities to attend classes, professional development workshops and seminars.
2. Elevate: Mentor women who show talent to prepare them for promotion and leadership.
3. Eliminate: Squash out gender stereotyping, job roles and attitudes in your organization.
4. Energize: Get excited about the benefits diversity can bring to your organization.
5. Evangelize: The many benefits of having a diversified leadership team include 25% greater likelihood of sustained profitable growth; ability to set a higher bar in quality standards; being mission-centric; and following an ethical code.
Get excited about those benefits and tout them with your organization. Diversifying your leadership team should be a desirable outcome. It’s a “no-brainer.”
Priscilla Hansen-Mahoney, president of the Association for Consulting Expertise, can be contacted at priscilla@blazingtrailscoaching.com.
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