Elevating Women's Voices: Creating an Inclusive Environment for Leaders of All Backgrounds
As we celebrate Women's History Month, it's important to acknowledge the barriers that still exist for women in leadership roles. In fact, only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. These statistics underscore the importance of creating an inclusive environment for leaders of all backgrounds.
During ModelExpand’s event How to Support and Retain Women in Leadership Roles, expert panelists led discussions on the factors that contribute to women leaving leadership roles, holding organizations accountable for creating a diverse and inclusive leadership pipeline and sharing valuable solutions for creating a more supportive and inclusive environment for leaders of all backgrounds. Watch the event recording below to hear about their takeaways.
Click play to watch the Event Recording below!
Here were some key takeaways shared by our panelists:
Advice for recent grads interested in leadership roles
It’s never too early to start paving your career path - build the skills and connections - it’s a combination of talent and opportunity. Bring in your leaders and let them know about your goals. Maintain connections with leaders you’re inspired by. Find LinkedIn Learning Courses, in addition to finding and gaining mentorship at your company.
What are programs and initiatives you were involved with that helped with career development?
At Slack, there was a Rising Tides Program, for women and other underrepresented folks. The program consisted of monthly workshops, focus groups, executive coaching which helps show your blindspots, and an executive mentorship component. Executive coaching gives you an opportunity to gain mentorship from a leader at the company - gaining access to more info and resources. This enabled Sar to think of ways to be an effective leader. Mentorship programs that are inclusive and comprehensive.
“Your career is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Each person goes at their own pace.”
As women transition from entry to mid-senior roles, what is important for women to consider?
Give leaders and influential peers opportunities to see your work and have them be along in the journey, and also give/receive feedback. Start thinking about delegation and macro-level time management - especially coming from an IC role where it was more independent work
How can you maintain your sense of authenticity and integrity while navigating the expectations and pressures of being in a leadership role?
Figure out what actually matters to you - what you don’t compromise. It’s self-reflection that comes with time. Think about what the legacy is that you want to leave behind.
What indicators do we know if we’re ascending to leadership at the right pace?
If you want to be a leader, start now. Think about ways you can lead even without a title. There is no correct timeline. Push people when you think about what a ‘leader’ is. It’s important to cultivate a leadership mindset from the beginning. Ex: intern leader, culture leader. All are important to the company.
Your career is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Each person goes at their own pace. Comparison is the root of demotivation. Your story and trajectory will be different - but makes you unique.
“Executive coaching gives you an opportunity to gain mentorship from a leader at the company”
What are roles we can think about on the path to leadership, and roles that don’t have upward mobility?
Upward mobility is about performance and visibility. Think about the ability to perform a role - do you get energy? Do you have enough clarity and sponsorship?
There are roles where there aren’t that clear of pathways to another level. Those roles are high-risk - so assess your risk level. Understand how decisions are made on internal mobility and if you get visibility into what you’re doing.
Ways to show up and advocate for yourself in front of people who may be intimidating:
Build connections with people - set up coffee chats, and 1:1 time. If presenting, seed the content with them - share the deck ahead of time and bring them along in the journey. This shows that you value their partnership and want to build stronger relationships.
Interested in being a sponsor?
ModelExpand's Women In Leadership Breakfast Series creates an intimate forum that allows organizations and audience members to engage and connect beyond the job post. To sponsor an event or learn more about our upcoming sponsorship opportunities, click below for more information.
Past sponsors include:
ModelExpand is a diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firm focused on radically accelerating the presence of historically underrepresented people in the workforce. ModelExpand’s work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and CultureAmp.
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