Women Rising to the Top: Shattering the Glass Ceiling

Very few people rise to the top of the corporate world. Of those who do, proportionally even fewer of them are women. So what’s special about the women who do make it to the top? As they say in ballroom dance, “Both partners make the routine look effortless, but the women do it backwards and in heels.”

It’s no secret – many female executives will tell you they’ve had an uphill climb in their career. Most of them will tell you that at some point, they’ve confronted gender bias, discrimination and open resentment from both their male and their female colleagues.

Despite these challenges, each has blazed her own path to success. And many of them got there by taking advantage of what women naturally do best: empowering others.

Running an effective organization requires that leaders not only turn in a first-rate performance themselves, but that they inspire their employees to superior performance as well. This is, of course, true no matter what the leader’s gender.

Even today, though, female leaders are still faced with issues not encountered by their male counterparts. Often, for example, women are still forced to prove their competence in ways men don’t. They work relentlessly to dispel stereotypes, encounter skepticism about their qualifications, and often have to deal with favoritism and cronyism woven into the corporate culture. Those who are successful have found ways to cope with these challenges by leaning into their leadership skills.

Top female executives showcase their unique talents while empowering and encouraging members of the organization. Using their unique blend of skills, these leaders are able to shift the perspectives of others – in effect, leveling the playing field. Perhaps more importantly, though, the organization benefits through increased morale, decreased attrition, productivity gains, and successful outcomes. All of which mean real money to the business.

But there just aren’t very many of these women at the top. And who are the role models, mentors, and experienced guides who will help usher the next generation of talented women into leadership positions? Turns out, there aren’t really enough of these either.

As a coach, I see many of the skills I use every day reflected in this small but very successful population of leaders and mentors. These include things like:

• Optimal Communications Skills – they practice active listening and ask powerful, open-ended questionsnn • Blended “Masculine” and “Feminine” Leadership Styles – these leaders are assertive when necessary, but also manage collaboratively and are compassionate with their employeesnn • A Focus on “We” not “Me” – they negotiate cooperatively, focusing on solutions that will benefit all involved

Through mastery of these skills, as well as a genuine desire to include everyone’s viewpoint, female executives have gained a seat at the leadership table. By empowering others, they build trust within the organization and inspire employees. These women understand that their legacy is only as powerful as the employees they serve.