Fortune Magazine just released its “40 Under 40” list – a collection of the brightest and best innovators, leaders, “disrupters,” and job creators in the world under 40. These folks are truly changing life and work as we know it.
But there’s a deeply disturbing problem with this list – where are the women? The first woman listed is #20 – Marissa Mayer – VP of Google — and there are only 5 more. Also extremely curious is that Fortune chose to feature on the cover two women (out of three individuals), when their list was only 15% female. What were their reasons?
You can’t imagine what it’s like to be a career and executive coach and trainer for professional women, and see a list like this. It fires me up – makes me furious, motivated, frustrated, re-committed – a full gamut of emotions. All of us who care about the advancement of women want to do more, impact more, change more, so that women — who are 47% of the U.S. labor force today yet only 15% of corporate leadership — aren’t grossly underrepresented in a list of top young movers and shakers in the world of business.
How can more women advance to the top of their fields?
Those who work intensively with professional women know there are key reasons why women are not making in large numbers to the top of their fields today. Gender roles at home and the highly disproportionate distribution of labor around childcare and domestic responsibility is one. And we also know there are critically important shifts that have to occur in women’s behavior, thinking, and actions to catapult them to the top.
These changes will not happen overnight, or even in our lifetimes. But we can’t let up – we have to create new pathways for women to rise to senior leadership in every field and every industry. Most people on the planet understand why it’s vitally important to have more women in leadership. But very few know how to make it happen.
8 Essential Steps for Women to Rise to the Top of Their Fields
Click below to read my latest piece on Forbes.com about the 8 essential steps for women to rise to the top:
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN ON FORTUNE’S “40 UNDER 40” LIST
Please let me know your thoughts – share your candid opinions.
Arriving at the top doesn’t just happen. Women have to commit themselves to being the best and stretching beyond all imagining. And we need empowering programs and initiatives that help train women how to overcome their challenges to rising to the top.
Are you ready to do what it takes?
