Strategies for Women in Leadership to Advance

Their Careers
Joelle K. Jay and Howard J. Morgan

T here’s a new momentum in the business

world—a new commitment to advancing
women currently in leadership roles to even
they move up the organizational chart. As
one CEO (a woman) we interviewed put it,
“Change is happening, but it’s not happening
higher levels. Corporate leaders—both men fast enough.”
and women—are beginning to understand
the value of creating balanced leadership Women still hold only a tiny fraction of
teams with higher numbers of women in executive leadership positions, and their
these critical roles. Research has shown that representation gets more and more scant as they
when businesses have balanced top leadership move up the organizational chart.
teams, they do better. Companies with more
women in primary leadership positions have Certainly, women do attain senior
been shown to be more profitable, more positions of leadership, as prominent
competitive, and more reflective of the market. examples can attest. Mary Barra is the CEO
And the women who aspire to higher positions of GM. Virginia Rometty is the CEO of IBM.
of leadership gain a new advantage as they get Marillyn Hewson is the CEO of Lockheed
better opportunities for career advancement Martin. But what have women like these done
and new ways to make a bigger impact. to break through and reach those highest
ranks? What have they learned that other
MORE WOMEN IN TOP LEADERSHIP women need to know? When women ask
questions like these, they give themselves
Much has been written about what the opportunity to not only participate in but
companies can do to enhance their also lead the changes they wish to see in their
progress in this area, including studying organizations.
their own data, examining their policies, In our research, we have interviewed over
and implementing initiatives that support 100 senior-level women leaders (presidents,
women in top leadership roles. But despite vice presidents, and C-level executives) to
these efforts—which together total millions uncover the key strategies they feel women
of dollars in investments1—the numbers need to leap over the barriers that have held
of women leading companies as CEOs and them back for decades and to finally reach
board members haven’t really changed. new top levels of success and achievement.
Women still hold only a tiny fraction of Below, we describe ways women can leverage
executive leadership positions, and their their current success to advance to higher
representation gets more and more scant as levels of leadership.

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 23

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ert.21569
Employment Relations Today

VIEW PERFORMANCE STRATEGICALLY SEEK RECOGNITION

We can define performance as the degree Recognition is about raising your hand,
to which one does one’s job well. By using claiming credit for your work, volunteering,
whatever outcomes matter most in the and speaking up so that others notice you,
organization and in that role, performance is and consequently you open up opportunities
measured by results achieved. for yourself. Seeking recognition isn’t always
Women often assume that their easy for women. Women may hesitate,
performance will speak for itself. It turns thinking they are not ready for the next
out that is not always true. Research from challenge or are stepping beyond their
the Center for Economic Development, and comfort zone. These feelings create worry
supported by McKinsey, reflects a common and stress and can be a handicap in career
experience: whereas women are promoted advancement.
based on their performance, men only have to
show potential to be promoted.
Seeking recognition isn’t always easy for
Marissa Mayer, the CEO of Yahoo, took
women. Women may hesitate, thinking they are
advantage of performance standards and
not ready for the next challenge or are stepping
used them as a path to her advancement. beyond their comfort zone.
Mayer has a reputation for being laser-
focused on performance. When she
described her view of leadership to us, she On the other hand, as Mary Falvey,
was not thinking of her own advancement, Executive Vice President and Chief Human
or of others’ perceptions of her performance, Resources Officer for Wyndham Worldwide,
or of the challenges of her corporate culture. advises, “You can’t assume people will know
She was focused on one thing only: her what you want. You need to own your career.
results. To Mayer, when women have high Be very deliberate. You have to have the
goals and execute them well, they open up results and the credibility, and it’s always
the choices they have as to what they want. about delivering, but you need to raise your
Indeed, performance is the single strongest hand and ask.”
driver for advancement—or at least the Whether getting recognition means
factor over which a woman has the most noticeably sharing your results or seeking
control. new opportunities, you need to obtain the
Applying a little bit of perspective, you recognition, not quietly wait and hope that
can track your leadership performance someone will notice your good performance.
so as to highlight some exceptional Because, as Falvey continues, “If you don’t
results. Moving beyond past patterns of [seek it], someone else will.” So women need
performance, you can take on tougher to undo the childhood female conditioning
challenges than your male peers may face. that encourages women to be demure, and
Your performance, then, becomes the instead learn to raise their hands—not just
strategic way you get the results you need to to ask questions but also to participate, to
advance. volunteer, to report on their successes so

24 Joelle K. Jay and Howard J. Morgan

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 Fall 2016

that their good work gets the recognition it woman in a family. However, declining an
deserves. opportunity for advancement at a point
that might be personally difficult can be
CLARIFY GOALS seen as “not wanting to advance,” and the
opportunities soon stop arriving.
An aspiration to advance is a necessity for
women whose career goal is to obtain an Women who create the careers they want
executive leadership position. Each woman also are the women who have taken the
must define what advancement means time to define advancement for themselves.
for herself and be sure of her goals and Christa Carone, Chief Marketing Officer at
aspirations. For instance: Xerox, described to us the way she did this
for herself: “Am I ambitious enough to say
❏ Some women are trapped along a career I’m looking for more? Yes, as long as that
path, attempting to meet the expectations allows me to have a rewarding personal life.
of others rather than determining their I have peace, and it’s an intrinsic value that’s
own goals for advancement. sometimes worth more than the money.”
❏ Some women want to move up but never Women who have defined success
do. The leadership level just below the for themselves can focus their efforts on
executive committee is teeming with securing the position of leadership that best
women searching for some way to break suits them, and they can communicate that
through, but who feel stopped in their message to the leaders and sponsors who can
tracks as the promotions never seem to support them.
come their way.
❏ Some women love their current jobs but
Women who have defined success for
feel pressured to move up. More than
themselves can focus their efforts on securing the
one leader has heard her manager say, in position of leadership that best suits them, and
no uncertain terms, “If you’re not going they can communicate that message to the
to move up in your career, then you’re leaders and sponsors who can support them.
not worth my investment.” This poses
a serious problem for women who have
worked hard to create a position that suits ASK FOR HONEST FEEDBACK
their talents and meets their needs for
flexibility at work and at home. All employees, and especially leaders, need
❏ Sometimes the opportunities for feedback, but not all women leaders get the
advancement come at the wrong time. amount of feedback their male peers receive.
Some women want to move up but need Research shows that women are 32 percent
to postpone increased responsibilities at less likely to receive feedback from their
work until responsibilities at home can male superiors. When they do get feedback,
be scaled down. Today, still most, if not 81 percent of those women say they have
all, of the responsibility for child care, trouble responding to it because it’s so
elder care, and home life falls on the “distressingly contradictory.” Additionally,

Strategies for Women in Leadership to Advance Their Careers 25

Employment Relations Today DOI 10.1002/ert
Employment Relations Today

when women make up less than 25 percent and viewpoints that hold women back.
of a leadership candidate pool, they are more Instances of discrimination or bias run along
likely to be negatively evaluated. a continuum from the subtle to the extreme,
However, women can take control but can be grouped into at least three
of this inequity by asking for feedback categories: (1) institutional bias, (2) stealth
themselves. First, though, women need to discrimination, and (3) bad behavior.
know that many managers are terrible at Institutionalized bias is bias that is
giving feedback. They avoid it, sugar-coat integrated in seemingly benign policies,
it, or minimize it rather than deal with practices, behaviors, traditions, and structures
a touchy situation head-on. Armed with that have the effect of favoring one group
this awareness, you can request feedback over others. Many executives genuinely
in a way that makes it safe for managers believe their companies are a meritocracy,
to provide it. Let it be known that you but if there are no women in leadership
genuinely welcome the whole truth, and positions, then some assumptions need to
then receive it gracefully when the feedback be tested. For instance, consider common
comes through. hiring practices. CEO and board positions
If that doesn’t work, then ask someone often require candidates to have operational
else for feedback—another manager you experience and to have held C-level positions.
work with or a team member. Remember, It’s logical—until you realize that few women
knowledge is power. The feedback that you are likely to have had those experiences, thus
need and that will help you most in your effectively eliminating them from the start.
advancement is out there. It’s up to you to Other examples of institutionalized bias
gather it for yourself and make the most of it. include job structures that make it difficult
for women to get back on a career track after
ASSESS THE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT returning from maternity leave, inflexible
working hours, conditions that prevent
There is one situation in which women are women from effectively managing child care
distinctly at a disadvantage, and that is any or family care, and performance reviews
setting in which they are limited by bias. The that measure stereotypically masculine
only way out of discriminatory patterns that characteristics of leadership. Companies
limit your opportunities is to increase others’ employing these practices may not realize
awareness of that bias, in the hope that they are stacking the deck against women
awareness will bring about positive change. who would succeed otherwise in top
leadership positions.
The only way out of discriminatory patterns that Stealth discrimination is a pattern of
limit your opportunities is to increase others’ limiting a person’s opportunities based on
awareness of that bias, in the hope that assumptions that aren’t necessarily true. It
awareness will bring about positive change. is most evident for women in its results, as
these assumptions are rarely questioned.
Sometimes unknowingly, sometimes not, Most people won’t find instances of
corporate settings and the people who work stealth discrimination immediately obvious,
in them perpetuate stereotypical patterns but the women we’ve coached, interviewed,

26 Joelle K. Jay and Howard J. Morgan

Employment Relations Today DOI 10.1002/ert
 Fall 2016

and met in our work with executive teams Men and women at all management levels
have provided some examples: women who need to be prepared to react quickly to such
somehow end up with the low-profile, low- breaches of social acceptability and prevent
reward, or high-risk assignments; women further offenses. For women on the move up,
who are kindly asked to do administrative it’s essential to be aware of such patterns of
tasks no matter how senior they are; women bias, assess the work environment, and decide
who are protected from pressure-filled or on a plan of action for addressing any biases
prime positions because of a fear they might that may exist; for example, point out the
decide to have children, go on maternity patterns, work around them, fight them, and
leave, and not return; and women who aren’t increase awareness until those patterns change.
given the tough feedback they need to help
them grow. LEADING LEADERS
It’s difficult to address the unstated,
paternalistic assumptions made about women All leaders can advance their own careers
that predetermine their fate. In fact, Karie by taking a thoughtful, strategic approach
Willyerd, author of Workplace 2020: How to their leadership. All of the strategies
Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and described above can afford a particular
Keep Tomorrow’s Employees Today, describes it advantage to women who aspire to higher
as “the absence of opportunity”—an absence leadership roles. These strategies can help
that is hard to pinpoint or cure. them overcome the unique challenges they
Bad behavior includes a range of face on the road to top positions. The more
inexcusable physical and verbal assaults women who succeed in attaining high-
against women that should not be tolerated in ranking positions, the greater the advantage
any setting, let alone in a work environment. created for other women to follow and the
Whether blatant chauvinism, offensive greater competitive advantage created for
attitudes, or inappropriate humor arise out of their organizations.
ignorance or malicious intent, they create a
difficult work environment. If the behavior is NOTE
pervasive and severe, it may be the basis of a
discrimination claim. 1. In 2015 alone, Google was expected have spent $150
million on its diversity initiatives. See http://
Whether blatant chauvinism, offensive attitudes, theconversation.com/tech-companies-spend-big-money-on-
or inappropriate humor arise out of ignorance bias-training-but-it-hasnt-improved-diversity-
or malicious intent, they create a difficult work numbers-44411; see also $164.2 billion spent on training
environment. If the behavior is pervasive and and development by U.S. companies, https://www.td.org/
severe, it may be the basis of a discrimination Publications/Blogs/ATD-Blog/2013/12/ASTD-Releases-2013-
claim. State-of-the-Industry-Report

Strategies for Women in Leadership to Advance Their Careers 27

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Employment Relations Today

Joelle K. Jay, PhD and Howard J. Morgan of the Leadership Research Institute
(LRI) (http://www.lri.com/) are coauthors of The New Advantage: How Women in
Leadership Can Create Win-Wins for Their Companies and Themselves (Praeger,
2016). LRI is a global consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational
development. Morgan has worked with over 1,000 CEO and executive team members of
the world’s largest organizations on improving corporate and executive performance.
Jay is an executive coach and keynote speaker and specializes in the advancement of
executive women. For more information, visit www.TheNewAdvantageBook.com.

28 Joelle K. Jay and Howard J. Morgan

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