Diversity Woman Magazine

SUM 2015

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

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w w w. d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 27 Point of View > Fresh Insight W hen addressing the gap between the 45 percent of women who are in the workforce and the 25.1 percent who are in top leadership roles, * the blame game is a favorite pastime. Tere is no doubt that an in- grained corporate culture and the subconscious bias of male manag- ers contribute signifcantly to the leadership gap and must change. But if we woke up tomorrow in a Utopia where all the movers and shakers in Corporate America became vocal advocates for the development of their female talent, the gap wouldn't be bridged. It might be narrowed, but not bridged. Why? Because one of the major contribu- tors to the leadership gap would still have gone unaddressed: the limitations that women impose upon themselves. Only when women let go of the negative self- perceptions and the behaviors that thwart their own advancement will their represen- tation at the top accelerate. Having worked with hundreds of high- potential women over the past 21 years in our WOMEN Unlimited programs, I have observed, over and over, three leadership- resistant behaviors. Unfortunately, women often think these behaviors are career advancers, when the opposite is the case. Holding on to nonleadership tasks: Too often, women believe that doing a good job will get them a better job. Not so. Competency is presumed. What matters is the type and variety of tasks embraced. In order to progress to leadership, women must free themselves from the same-old approach to tasks. Instead, they must reca- librate their skills and behaviors to those of a senior leader. For example, as a woman engineering manager transitions to a busi- ness manager role, she needs to understand Rosina L. Racioppi the broader corporate landscape. If she stays tethered to her technical expertise, she will not fully embrace her larger business role. Clinging to a "one right way" approach: Research has shown that women are often more uncomfortable with risk and ambiguity than men. Tis may prevent women from pursuing the best business solutions. Teir perspective remains inward, on themselves, rather than outward on corporate success, clearly a career-limiting stance. Failing to reach out for help and input: Women may feel that asking for help and seeking advice are signs of weakness, a throwback to their early career when solo successes were perhaps an advantage. Not so. As a woman advances her career, she needs to orchestrate the appropri- ate solution, rather than trying to fnd it herself. Reaching out for help and input becomes increasingly necessary, because as the issues become more complex and less tactical, she most certainly will not have all the answers. By embracing collaborative solutions and acting on them, she can ac- centuate what she knows, rather than what she doesn't know. As we work to close the leadership gap, we as women must look to ourselves as well as to others. Without changing our core values and beliefs, we must revamp how we look at work, how we defne our roles, and how we contribute to corporate growth and proftability. Te glass ceiling is there to be shattered. We just have to take a good, hard whack at it. DW Dr. Rosina L. Racioppi is President and CEO of WOMEN Unlimited, Inc. As we work to close the lead- ership gap, we must look to ourselves as well as others. It's on Us * Catalyst, Women in S&P; 500 Companies 2015

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