Women Heading for the Summit
Lately there has been renewed attention to the issue of promoting women to positions of senior leadership in the C-suites and on the Boards of large corporations. The dismal news is that after some early gains, women have made little progress toward equal representation at the top over the past two decades. So what is a talented, ambitious woman to do?It seems to me there are four key questions women need to ask as they contemplate the challenge of becoming a senior executive in a major corporation:
Do I want to play this game? Becoming a senior executive requires ferocious discipline and a single-minded pursuit of excellence. The game is highly competitive and political. It is not a path that offers what most people think of as work-life balance; instead, it requires considerable sacrifice. For some people, the rewards are worth it, but for many, there are better paths to fulfillment, meaning, and accomplishment.
Do I know the rules of the game? Many women make the mistake of believing that hard work is the key to promotion. Hard work is necessary, but it is only a small part of the game. Learning what the key criteria are, mastering the art of subtle self-promotion, and building a network of strategic relationships are examples of a few of the rules.
Can I compete? Do I have the right stuff? Playing this game to win requires a wide range of highly developed skills such quantitative analysis, business acumen, political savvy, the ability to inspire others, and an eye for talent, to name just a few. Fearless self-assessment is essential in order to build on your strengths and close any gaps.
Is the game rigged? Usually there is not a level playing field. Senior leaders, like many people, are most comfortable with people who remind them of themselves, which makes it hard for women to break in to the inner circle. And there continues to be out-and-out sexism that leads to under-valuing women's contributions and abilities. To compete, women need to recognize the barriers and confront or work around them.Asking and answering these four questions enables women to focus their energies to win.
