Women In Business

In 1995, none of the Fortune 500 companies had a single women CEO among them. As a classic commercial once penned, “you’ve come a long way baby.”

 

Fast forward to January 2015… And there are now 25 women CEO’s who are at the leadership helm of Fortune 500 companies. In fact, according to the latest research by the women’s leadership group “The Club”, as of January 2015 women account for 51.4% of management and professional occupations.

 

Since the dawn of the twenty first century, women have been at the forefront of entrepreneurial business launches. This clearly accounts for the fact that there are currently 10.6 million business enterprises that have 50% (or higher) ownership by women.

 

A study conducted by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman (http:// blogs.forbes.com/jackzenger) in 2011 found that women were seen as better leaders “…at every level, more women were rated by their peers, their bosses, their direct reports, and their other associates as better overall leaders than their male counterparts – and the higher the level, the wider the gap grows.”

 

Additionally, there are other studies that find that companies with a higher representation of women in their management ranks have higher employee productivity and are more “profitable”.

 

From the stand point of personal experience, I have observed that there appears to be a far greater interest on the part of women in acquiring formal leadership development training. Moreover, women tend to immerse themselves in the leadership training more earnestly, while coming to the workshops more prepared.

 

When I observe women in business today, there is a great deal of focus on women empowering other women, especially in the form of mentoring, business groups and networking. Women seem more willing to openly share the keys for their success. I find this willingness to be a remarkable leadership trait that is enabling women leaders to pull other women up by their bootstraps and equip them to join the leadership ranks as well.

 

As a woman colleague stated to me several years ago, in order for her to achieve the level of success that she desired, she had to juggle three full time jobs… her career, her family and her home.

 

There is an old adage which says that “necessity is the mother of invention”. Just perhaps, it was my colleagues three full time responsibilities that served to sharpen her time management, setting priorities, communication, problem solving and decision making skills among others.

 

The other key attribute that I have also observed in women leaders is their ability to strike a more appropriate degree of “work-life” balance.

 

At a both a personal and professional level, I have a great deal of respect and empathy for women is business. Given my profession, this would be most understandable. However, it comes from a deeper awareness in that I have a permanently disabled wife and adult son which has caused me as well to juggle those same three full time responsibilities of career, family and home.

 

All of the available research continues to confirm that we now live in a time where women are fast becoming the most talented and respected leaders in their organizations. They garner more respect and cooperation, build better teams and are more adept in assessing the talent and resources that are required to achieve their organization’s goals.

 

As your valued resource partner, we stand ready to assist your organization, its leadership and your people to… Learn more… Do more… Become more.

Copyright © 2015 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC