The Rise of Women Leaders

The labor landscape of the United States is on the brink of a major a shift.  The information age of the economy is turning into the conceptual age.  To remain competitive, companies are leveraging design, creativity, and innovation.   The technical skills of the information age are no longer enough.  To add to that, the early waves of the Baby Boomer generation are beginning to hit retirement age, and while many are delaying retirement due to financial reasons, the next 5-10 years will see a mass exodus from the workplace.

What does this all mean?  It means that women will have an opportunity like never before to rise up in the business world.

Tuesday night, Monar facilitated an event for Northwestern’s Kellogg Executive Women’s Network (KEWN) titled The Coming Cataclysmic Workforce Shift: A unique opportunity for women professionals.  Yesterday we gave you a little preview in the form of some not-very-shocking statistics.  While women have come a long way in the workforce, there is still a long way to go.  The economy’s shift to the “conceptual age” and the aging of the baby boomer generation may be the catalyst that paves the road – as long as women know how to leverage their unique strengths that will help them succeed.

In preparation for the event, Monar sent out a survey to all members of KEWN.  What were their opinions of the strengths/weaknesses/advantages/disadvantages of being male or female in the workplace?  What will women need to do to get where they want to go?  Monar believes that there is no richer data then going straight to the source and we were right.  The responses that we received were insightful, thought-provoking, and at times a little bit sad.  In response to a question about the advantages of being a women in the workforce, over 20 respondents said that there were absolutely no advantages to being a woman in the workplace.

However, women do have advantages and strengths that they can leverage to get those top executive positions.  The women at the event discussed that women are naturally more likely to exhibit the “right-brained” skills that are valued by organizations entering the conceptual age.  Women are also more likely to possess the interpersonal skills that make someone a successful manager and leader.  On the flip side though, the old boys’ networks still exist and a woman has to balance her strengths as a female with the unique traits that make men so successful in the business world.

So what can women do tomorrow to start leveraging their strengths?  The first thing is to be honest with themselves.  Like Mike always says, Michael Jordan was a great basketball player, but no matter how hard he tried he was never going to be a great baseball player.  If you are a collaborative, idea person, but in a job/organization that values structure and competitiveness, chances are you are not going to rise in the ranks of that company.

Also, look at some of the characteristics of men that help them stand out.  Men are great at self-promotion and networking.  Step up and don’t be afraid to let others know about your contributions, instead of attributing them to the success of the group.  Otherwise, the guy in your team standing next to you will do it.  When it comes to networking, look at the sphere of influence surrounding you.  Who can you connect with that has influence in the company?  This doesn’t mean you have to take up golf as a hobby, but even just talking over a cup of coffee can help others get to know about you and your capabilities.

In the end, the KEWN event was incredibly inspiring.  As someone who is just entering my career, it was great hearing the discussions of women who are in leadership roles and are succeeding.  Even though I was there to help present the topic, it helped me realize that I need to be realistic with what I can offer a company and what a company is willing to offer me.  I know that to reach my goals I need to take an inventory of my strengths and the advantages of where I am in my career.  What weaknesses or disadvantages will I need to overcome?  Am I a basketball player or a baseball player?