The Working Mother Research Institute conducted a study, The Gender Gap at the Top: What’s Keeping Women from Leading Corporate America, that revealed the gender discrimination that occurs in the workplace, as well as women’s attitudes toward advancing in the industry.
Per the findings of this study, 77 percent of women felt that a lack of information on how to advance in the business is a top barrier to gender equity. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to receive information. Forty-eight percent of men responded that they received detailed career path information about profit and loss (P&L) jobs, compared to only 15 percent of women.
The study participants’ responses identified other obstacles, one of them being a lack of training. Over fifty percent of male respondents were participants in a leadership development program. Only 28 percent of women, however, participated in such a program. While 59 percent of men had aspirations of being a CEO, according to the study, only 40 percent of women desire this role.
In some cases, representation matters. Some women may not want to be a CEO or may not try to pursue such a position because of the lack of many female CEOs may make it hard for them to picture themselves in that role. For instance, reports from 2018 reveal that of all the Fortune 500 CEOs, except for 24, are men. Women who have a determination to become a CEO can overcome the odds against them by following a few tips listed below.
Strengthen and Showcase Your Workplace Talent
Women who seek promotions as they work their way up to becoming CEOs can benefit from demonstrating how they directly contribute to their organization’s success and bottom line. Women who have experience working on projects and assignments that improve a company’s revenue, visibility, reputation, and more, should make these successes known and continue to hone these skills by taking on more ambitious tasks.
Successful showcasing of your talents could prompt your colleagues to consult you for questions, recommendations, and advice, establishing your position as an expert.
Learn Business Language
CEOs should be well-versed in business jargon and terms. A woman determined to become a CEO must be aware that “SEO,” “KPI,” and “OKR” are each more than just three letters. OKR, for example, is short for objectives and key results.
Objectives refer to goals that companies wish to achieve over a specific time frame. Key results are numerics that demonstrate the company’s progress toward fulfilling aims. OKRs measure the team in its entirety. Businesses can use OKRs as quarterly frameworks that guide teams on how to identify their goals, concentrate on measurable outcomes, and learn and achieve better solutions. The best OKRs software, offered by Workboard, can help organizations manage their business performance and progress per quarter. Workboard‘s high-powered technology makes alignment and progression transparent for every team member, encouraging improved communication, collaboration, and decision-making for the entire organization.
Be Confident
Having confidence, acting as a leader and delegating tasks, inspiring others, and communicating with people at all levels within a company are all aspects of being a CEO. Being confident in your abilities and others’ and motivating colleagues are ways to demonstrate leadership and encourage productivity.
Looking confident and professional is essential to becoming and being a CEO. For fashionable business clothes, women should shop at White House Black Market. White House Black Market is an e-commerce retailer that provides women with simple, stylish everyday pieces and stunning evening wear. Offering sophisticated prints, luxe fabrics, and form-fitting tailoring, White House Black Market enhances the daily style of women working everywhere who do a variety of activities.
CEOs can wear a white blouse with slacks, a suit, a dress skirt, and pumps, for example, or pair it with jeans, a casual skirt, and flats. The blouses and clothing articles White House Black Market offers are as versatile as CEOs are unique.
