Why We Don't Hire More Women Leaders
Not that long ago, FastCompany told us why we need women leaders in an article entitled "How Women Lead Differently, And Why It Matters".
Long excluded from traditional power structures, women lead differently than men. Restricted access to resources has made ingenuity a matter of survival for many; frustration with impenetrable oligarchies and inherited bureaucracies has instilled the value of transparency and creative, practical thinking in others. Women have been forced to operate from outside closed networks, which means they’ve had to adapt by creating their own worlds; they’ve learned to unite peripheral, disenfranchised communities into collectively organized and governed microcosms.
That all sounds pretty good, right?
There’s nothing genetically different about women that makes them good, better or best. It’s their outsider status from the corporate norm that allows them to create their own worlds and unite peripheral and disenfranchised communities into collectively governed organizations.
Couple that with the survival skills developed in response to a lack of access to resources and you’ve got leaders who break forms, eliminate bureaucracy, promote the talented and demote the brother-in-law with no imagination and few skills whose well-being is at the center of the CEO’s marginally happy home life.
Don’t be fooled. There’s a reason women haven’t raised themselves up into leadership positions across all industries anywhere near to 20%. Here are the top three reasons why today’s leaders – still mostly male – should dig their heels into the ground and continue resisting the emergence of a new class of leaders in American business. READ MORE ABOUT WHY WE DON'T HIRE MORE WOMEN LEADERS...
Thanks to Victoria Pynchon of our media alliance She Negotiates for contributing this article which was originally seen in ForbesWoman.
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About Women in the Boardroom
Our Vision - To create an environment where women can achieve their goal of leadership in their professional careers and through board service, while encouraging them to assist and mentor other women to join them.
Our Mission - To prepare women to do this by giving them knowledge, tools and connections to learn, advance and lead.
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WIB Spotlight - Marcia Nelson
SPEAKER AT OUR JULY 16TH NYC CONNECTIONS EVENT, CORPORATE PARTNER & WIB ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBER
You are our featured speaker at the July 16th Connections Event and will be presenting the topic "Become a Thought Leader". Why is this a "must attend" event?
Thought Leadership is a way to cut through the constant "noise" of business and social media. It helps you become a magnet for others -- they will come looking for you, rather than you having to go look for them. Thought Leaders have branded themselves so that they stand out in a particular niche market. The women who attend this presentation will come away with strategies and techniques they can use to develop their own platforms -- either to help grow their own businesses, or to position themselves to stand out for board membership, or both.
As the practice growth manager, you have been instrumental in your employer, Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP, becoming a Corporate Partner of Women in the Boardroom. Why did you feel this was important?
Anchin, Block & Anchin has a women's initiative in place, Anchin's Women's Initiative, but needed more structure to take it to the next level. WIB gives us a program we can leverage to support women in various levels and positions in the firm. We love having access to the previous webinars, with the flexibility to build a program that fits the needs of our women. These webinars also give us the foundation to help identify our leaders who are "board ready" or nearly so. Those women are able to attend the Connections Events, and continue to learn and grow while building relationships that will help them be more successful.
For more information and to register for the July 16 Connections Event with Marcia Nelson, click here.
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THIS MONTHS TOPIC: BOARD BIOS
How is a board bio different than a regular bio and resume?
The focus is on enterprise impact vs. roles, responsibilities and tactics. You begin with a strategic view of yourself, centered on why or what the strategic imperatives have been rather than what was required of you to accomplish a particular project, engagement or initiative.
What is the most important thing to include in a board bio?
A clean message on the value you will bring to a board. Emphasize the game changing strategies or initiatives you’ve developed, launched, and oversaw. This could be at the board level, company officer level, divisional level, as a partner, general counsel, etc.
Who can help me prepare my board bio?
Everything you need to prepare your bio resides in you. However, most of us need someone to extract what’s of most value, while keeping it clear and ensuring the content is targeted to what a board needs, not what an employer needs. A board coach familiar with excavating experience relative to boards in a nonpartisan way is really beneficial. You can learn more about board bios in the webinar featured in this newsletter.
Deb Nelms is the Director of Board Coaching for Women in the Boardroom. For more information on board bios and board coaching, contact Deb at [email protected] and reference Women in the Boardroom.
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