How Does Your Company Encourage Female Leaders?

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Permalink Reply by Jim Beeler on July 5, 2011 at 9:12am

I am an independent consultant, but from businesses I mingle and work with, I see few females in "true" leadership positions.  More often I see females in assorted assistant positions that are sometimes confused with salary vs. leadership.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Flaugh on January 18, 2012 at 12:25am

Natalie,

Great question. I have worked mostly under female leaders. How can they advance to be in top senior positions? The same way their male counterparts did it, up the ladder. Unfortunately it can be a long process. I personally believe that the system will eventually work itself out in the long run. It is a systemic issue and change is usually never an easy thing, especially when long held beliefs and attitudes are involved.

As for the present: being as supportive as possible, looking inward and tearing down personal bias, giving them opportunities to grow and treating them like their male counterparts (as equal human beings). With that said, the organizations I have worked in typically focus on raising awareness through diversity programs, building a supportive culture and implementing a mentor program in which females are identified as heirs apparent.

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