The role of women in business has changed drastically over the past few decades. Women have evolved out of the kitchen and into the workforce and have started to play a bigger role in the business world. Okay, so here goes nothing, a woman is going to sit here and write about women taking on leadership roles and rising to the top. Real Original.
After spending my summer in an industry dominated by the best and brightest male scholars in the country, I started to appreciate the scarcity of women in the field. Now, that does not mean that I think women should not work hard in school, obtain challenging jobs, and have successful careers. Rather, I think that there should be a certain appreciation for those women who "man up" and enter industries that have been inhabited by males. During my experience, I realized that all the males in my office took me more seriously because I was able to make it in an industry with treacherous hours, too grueling for any sane woman to want to work. I think in their testosterone filled heads, they did not think that a girl was capable of doing the same work they were capable of, until they were proved wrong. Not only did the guys I work with realize that I had the "guts and glory" to work around only guys all day, but they also had a greater appreciation for me because I was able to break the misconceived notion that women are not able to have an appropriate work / life balance. Working with males is one thing, rising to the top and leading an industry dominated by males is an entire different ballgame.
Sheryl Sandberg, one of my idols, is known throughout Silicon Valley as being one of the most influential leaders in a "hypergrowth" industry by her executive role at Facebook. She has given a few TED talks about women and leadership roles that help women to feel comfortable taking the next step and teaching women to "lean in" more. She describes the difference between bossy and aggressive and how women react to being called aggressive in the workforce. Now, a man that is considered aggressive typically means that he will close deals and do everything necessary to succeed. Quite contrary, when a women is considered aggressive, coworkers tend to have a negative view of the way she leads (think Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada).
So what does this mean? How is a women supposed to be as aggressive and successful as her male counterpart if she is disparaged for being a strong, assertive leader? Well Sandberg explains what it means for women to lean in and rise up to obtain executive leadership roles and change the number of women at the top. This starts with the way women see themselves, not the way that men view women. If a woman believes in herself and doesn't succumb to the stereotype of what women are supposed to do in the workforce, she will be more capable of thriving in her career and earning a C-suite.
It is my belief that it takes a lot more work and determination for a women to become a successful executive leader thank it does for a man. So what did Sheryl Sandberg's TED talks really say? They said "that little girl is not bossy, that little girl has executive leadership skills." It is not about ability, it is about perception. Once women start to change their perception and realize that they can in fact be in charge, we will start to see more women rightfully taking the corner office suites.
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