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TOP STORY
It's not easy, but these 10 powerful female leaders have figured out how to flourish, both personally and professionally.
Leading a large company can be challenging. At the same time, it can be an opportunity for tremendous personal and professional growth.
Authority Magazine
recently ran an interview series called "Women of the C-Suite," where hundreds of women executives shared their thoughts about how one can not only succeed but thrive in a leadership position. Here are 10 highlights from the interviews.
LEADERSHIP
Trust is a powerful leadership skill. Leaders who have the trust of their employees are more likely to drive change that impacts organizational performance.
Building a culture of trust starts at the top and requires a candid and transparent approach to leadership. So how do you build a culture of trust? Don't be afraid to experiment. Be comfortable with some level of uncertainty and ambiguity. Understand you are experimenting to learn rather than produce immediate results. This demonstrates you are willing to make changes based on the potential learning value to the organization.
WOMEN IN TECH
The lack of women in tech is a worldwide problem. This lack of gender diversity carries with it a major opportunity cost, both for individual tech companies and the entire sector.
More diverse companies are on average more creative and innovative, and are ultimately associated with greater profitability. No one denies that there is a shortage of women in tech, but there are plenty of things that a company can do to increase numbers. Here are three strategies organizations can employ to improve the pipeline and reap the benefits of greater gender diversity.
YOUR CAREER
Here are five self-help books that will actually change your life.
Some people can't get enough of self-help books. Others are more skeptical. For those of us who want to better ourselves but aren't regulars in the self-help aisle, where should we turn? Here are five recommendations from an author who literally wrote the book on the self-help industry.
More people than ever say they're feeling pressured to look and be the best. It's taking a toll.
Once an issue that affected a select few, perfectionism is now a growing cultural phenomenon, fueled by modern parenting, social media and an increasingly competitive economy, researchers say. Struggles with perfectionism have been the subject of multiple TED Talks, Instagram memes, Oprah discussions and books. People caught in this trap tend to see most of their experiences as failures, since they only rarely achieve the perfection they're striving for.
The self-promotion gap is holding women back at work - here's what you can do to overcome it.
More than one-quarter of women (27%) would prefer to visit the dentist than talk about themselves in public. This is one of the findings from a new survey of over 1,000 professional women that explored the "self-promotion gap." This term describes the discrepancy between women's impressive talents, abilities and accomplishments, and their willingness to share their strengths publicly.
The biggest obstacle keeping women from advancing in their careers is what they call the "broken rung" - the first step up from entry-level position to manager.
There is a blind spot in the business world, which typically concentrates more on pipeline than progression. "A lot of organizations are focused on promoting women at the top of the pipeline because for years we talked about the glass ceiling - that invisible barrier women face later in their careers that prevents them from reaching the most senior ranks in organizations," says Rachel Thomas, co-founder and CEO of LeanIn.org. "In reality, women are disadvantaged from the get-go, and they never catch up."
Here is a 5-step guide for women seeking greater responsibilities and management roles.
Historically, women have had to fight harder and wait longer to hold the same positions as men, especially as they move toward the C-suite. However, in recent years, many workplaces have become strong advocates for female empowerment by actively working to provide leadership opportunities to women, and for good reason. Follow these five steps as you look to create your own journey to the top.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
More than three-quarters of talent professionals say that diversity is a top hiring priority for their company, and gender diversity in particular is the number one issue they're tackling.
There is plenty of recent data that has given us insights into recruiting strategies that can help leaders bring in more women and set their companies up for success in attracting female candidates. None of these initiatives will solve the problem overnight - progress toward gender parity can be slow. However, when combined with open dialogue and a commitment to change, implementing these initiatives can help business leaders craft a more deliberate recruitment strategy that better aligns with the behavior of both men and women.
Want to foster a diverse work culture and drive innovation? Hire more women leaders.
Businesses today are seeking the "magic formula" that will help them drive an innovative culture and set themselves apart from their competitors. But instead of coming up with anything new, far too many companies just dust off and repurpose old formulas, when a simple solution is right under their noses. When you have a team that is truly diverse in gender, geography, experience, and age, they will be far more capable of coming up with outside-the-box solutions that drive real change.
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A Special Thank You to Our
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