As a leader, what steps are you taking to bridge the gender gap?
To be sure, making our way through the pandemic has required real focus; for many leaders, keeping the lights on has been priority one. And yet, I’ve noticed that great leaders have managed to reach the light at the end of the tunnel without losing sight of the gender gap. You see, they understand the advantages of inclusivity and gender equity. Unfortunately, they remain the exception, rather than the norm.
Consider this: prior to the pandemic, the percentage of men and women employed in the U.S. was almost equal, and yet the ranks of leadership remained male-dominated. Women remain under-represented in positions of power and status. The highest-paying jobs are the most gender-imbalanced.
As a coach, I have seen how organizational barriers and managerial actions limit opportunities for even the most promising women. In the new book Glass Half-Broken (Harvard Business Press, 2021), authors Colleen Ammerman and Boris Groysberg share their research on the gender gap. They reveal how women are squeezed from the leadership pipeline through their entire careers, and for a wide variety of reasons.
According to the authors, “The gender imbalance at the top still remains, even in many women dominated industries such as health care and education, where men are still more likely to be found in leadership and executive roles.”
Many of the organizations I work with have made great progress in bridging the gender gap. They fairly value the capabilities and contributions made by women. Why?
What Great Leaders Share About Bridging the Gender Gap
Successful organizations—and leaders—understand that bridging the gender gap is advantageous for everyone. Here are just a few of the advantages:
- Improved thinking and decisions. Studies show how diversity improves perspective, thinking, and problem solving.
- Increased focus and innovation. Gender diverse boards prioritize innovation more than male-dominated boards.
- Greater access to talent. An organization known for prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) will attract talent. Similarly, organizations that offer paths for advancement and fairly promote women improve engagement and retention.
- More resilient workforce. According to Ammerman and Groysberg, while navigating workplace inequality women develop grit, resilience, and strong external support networks. They are often more familiar with managing well through crisis, and able to rise to a challenge.
In order to make progress in gender equity within organizations, you must be systematic. This begins by addressing inequities in seven main areas of talent management. I’ll dive in to this in my next post, but in the meantime, what do you think? What steps are you taking to bridge the gender gap? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me here, on LinkedIn, or give me a call: 561-582-6060.
