Helping Female Leaders Thrive in the Workplace

Although we’ve seen incredible evolution when it comes to female leaders in the workplace—with more women in executive roles today than ever before—there are still gaps in the process and how we’re helping them thrive.

Even though research from Zenger Folkman shows that female executives outperform men in the areas of resilience, integrity, self-development, taking initiative and driving results, women under 40 are still scoring lower in confidence than men. This means that despite thriving with proven track-records of success and top-notch skillsets, women are still facing hurdles. 

Consider these three areas for helping women attain or advance-in leadership roles.  

Mentorship opportunities

Women often feel pressure to act or perform a certain way in order to get ahead. This can affect focus and the development of natural talents. If you’re already a female leader, look for opportunities to help other women discover and develop their strengths; or if you’re in a more junior position, think about tools the company could implement to help you develop your career, and make recommendations. Things like strength assessment workshops, personal development allowance, or assigned mentorship programs, are all great strategies to ensure women have the tools and support they need in order to grow. 

Salary transparency 

There’s still a lot of stigma around openly discussing pay, but transparency allows women to see how they compare against others in similar roles and helps them advocate for promotions. It may feel uncomfortable to talk about pay initially but doing so equalizes the playing field and gives everyone a clear picture of where they fall on the grid. It also keeps employers accountable in their decision-making around promotions, raises and bonuses.  

Champion the cause

Women tend to have less sponsors championing their advancement than men do, overall. Employees at all levels can impact the process of identifying and advocating for up-and-coming leaders. When people are supported or championed at work, they tend to be more engaged, productive, innovative, and supportive of others – all key leadership qualities. Businesses should review their hiring and promotion practices to include equal opportunities advancement, and then ensure the current company state reflects those values. 

The most important factor in supporting female leadership as a whole, is to demonstrate awareness and action when things are unbalanced. Pay attention, notice what’s happening in everyday interactions and corporate policy changes/structure, and use your voice to drive change.