Empowering Workplaces Through Women’s Leadership and Inclusion
I like to think of the glass as half full, so let’s start with some good news. According to a recent McKinsey & Co. and Lean In “Women in the Workplace” report, during the last six years, female representation in SVP roles grew from 23 to 28 percent and from 17 to 21 percent in the C-suite. Here’s the challenge…women still have some catching up to do to their male counterparts.
There are many factors that influence female leaders in the workplace. Admittedly, I’m looking at just one that I’ve found particularly meaningful: building a “trusted circle” of women in the workplace. My experience has taught me that women create tremendous momentum for each other when they develop relationships and support each other professionally. Through professional collaboration and inclusion, women build the knowledge, confidence and networks to become stronger leaders. They tap into each other’s expertise, feel comfortable asking the simple questions, and share the daring ideas without hesitation.
My Trusted Circle
When I began my career, I landed a job at a large public relations agency in Chicago. The agency offered me opportunities to work with clients across different industries and soak up invaluable experience that eventually gave me the know-how to become an independent consultant. That said, my most valuable takeaway from my agency days was my trusted circle—the incredible network of women I befriended who gave me guidance, opportunities and confidence to excel.
For more than 20 years, this group of women has played many important roles in my life: bosses, mentors, peers and friends. They gave me my first job, motivation to dig deeper, guidance to lead business, courage to ask for a raise, and the recognition to land promotions. They put collaboration and inclusion above competition because it always was understood that we were in this together. Building each other up gave us all opportunities to succeed, because who better to include in your professional journey than your trusted circle?
Perhaps more importantly, these same women also told me when an idea wasn’t great, made me laugh after I bombed my first new business meeting, encouraged me to take calculated risks, and reminded me when it was time to take a break and grab some lunch. This trusted circle of women celebrated my successes and gave me the confidence to rebound after setbacks—and I made a point to do the same for them. After all, that’s the Golden Rule.
The support and inclusion of my trusted circle has shaped me both professionally and personally. When women help other women, we:
- Display leadership capabilities
- Exhibit problem-solving skills
- Validate the power of a team approach
- Create shared experiences that let us know we’re not in this alone
- Set an example for the importance of mentoring
- Amplify each other’s strong work
- Recognize the importance of networking and sharing connections
I formed meaningful connections with my trusted circle, and have remained in close contact with them. My trusted circle has expanded with each of my subsequent jobs. Without a doubt, I am a stronger leader today because of the support, inclusion, respect and confidence that each of these women has given me.
Challenge Yourself
I challenge other women to look towards inclusion and make it a point to bring another woman into your trusted circle. Reach out and let her know that you see her strengths, you’re there to motivate and support her on the good and bad days. Most of all, make sure she knows that you’re in this together because there’s room for all of us to succeed. We need to follow the Golden Rule, because inevitably it will lead to more enriched, supported and connected work experiences that develop and advance women leaders to percentages that far exceed our current leadership representation.