Why Women Aren’t C.E.O.’s, According to Women Who Almost Were — This thoughtful article is a compelling read with implications for women at all levels in the workplace, not just the C-Suite. It draws on published research and interviews with nearly two dozen chief executives, would-be chief executives, headhunters, business school deans and human resources professionals. After years of biting their tongues, believing their ranks would swell if they simply worked hard, many senior women in business are concluding that the barriers are more deeply rooted and persistent than they wanted to believe.
This raises questions about how women are mentored, taught to fight for themselves, and are more likely than men to be overlooked. Despite a company’s public commitment to diversity and policies against discrimination, companies whose men sincerely believe they want women to advance, deeply embedded bias and obstacles persist.
Why don’t more women get the No. 1 job or even the next higher level jobs? What resistance, overt and subtle, do women face from the start in their careers? Tracing what role gender played in any decision is often elusive. There’s seldom one reason someone else wins out. This is complex with no simple solutions – but, there is ample evidence that when we commit ourselves to finding those solutions, our businesses, customers and employees are richly rewarded.
To men and women readers, what have you observed, what has been your experience?
