Women in the C-Suite:
What CEOs Can Do
A majority of Americans think "women are every bit as capable of being good political leaders as men," according to studies done by the Pew Research Center. And a survey the center conducted earlier this year found that "most Americans find women indistinguishable from men on key leadership traits such as intelligence and capacity for innovation, with many saying they're stronger than men in terms of being compassionate and organized leaders."
So why, in 2013, were less than 15 percent of executive positions held by women? There are many reasons, but rather than belabor them, let's focus today on solutions, specially what CEOs can do about it.
CEO, Know Thyself |
"A male CEO needs to examine and manage his own personal beliefs, looking for subtle, perhaps unintentional, but powerful biases."
--HCA Partner Cathy Lange
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HCA Partner Cathy Lange said that first, a male CEO needs to examine and manage his own personal beliefs, looking for subtle, perhaps unintentional, but powerful biases. A 360 feedback or a coach may help. He also should develop a company advisory group on women leadership issues. Ask his board about the perceptions among women in the organization. Do they perceive a bias? Do they think they have an equal shot at advancement? Do they think the CEO believes that women can and should be members of the C-suite? Whether the CEO has bias is somewhat irrelevant; what's most important is the perception. "Perception is within a CEO's power to change," said Lange. "It may not be easy and may take time, but it is imminently doable - and critical." Ask
CEOs need to carefully examine their assumptions regarding women's careers and aspirations.
Too often CEOs assume, perhaps because a woman might not telegraph her aspirations well, that she doesn't want to move higher in the organization. But surveys by respected global consulting giant McKinsey & Company found that about 80 percent of both entry-level and experienced women managers want to move up. Three-quarters of them aspire to become a C-level executive - about the same rate as men.
Ultimately, it's the CEO's responsibility to identify, champion and promote women into senior executive positions, said Lange. "A CEO leads by action," she said. "He - or she - needs to develop a strategy for promoting women that may include establishing leadership competencies, outlining personal development plans for women and having the tools necessary to rate them based on specific criteria." Engaging other senior management team leaders will further support and enhance the CEO's effort.
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"There are plenty of opportunities to help advance women. Commitment is the first step."
--HCA Partner Karla Leavelle
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Other tactics, according to HCA Partner Karla Leavelle, include putting women on outside organizations and inviting women managers to company meetings outside their area of responsibility so they can learn more about other issues. She also recommends CEOs observe meetings conducted by their female executives to offer feedback that might help them improve their performance. Finding a female mentor for your high potential women is also a good step. "There are plenty of opportunities to help advance women," Leavelle said. "Commitment is the first step."
Once a CEO has done all that he can do by himself, it's time to work with the women in the organization to help them achieve their professional objectives. We'll cover that subject in our next issue of the HCA Advisor.
Click here to see previous issues of the HCA Advisor in our Archives
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Meet A Partner
Cathy Lange
Cathy is a Partner with HCA and is Director of Leadership Development and Executive Coaching. She provides a range of coaching services for executives and leaders in emerging and Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and non-profits. Cathy is a 20-year veteran of the high technology industry and corporate America, having led sales and marketing, high level consulting, systems integration and information technology innovation initiatives. Cathy serves on the board of directors of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia. She is an appointed commissioner to the Fairfax Economic Development Authority. Cathy is a 2011 class of Washington Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business. She is a graduate of Corporate Coach University and is a member of the International Coach Federation. Cathy is a
magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University.
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Meet A Partner
Karla Leavelle
Karla co-founded Human Capital Advisors and led our performance management practice. Her experience spans the consulting, financial services, education, telecommunications, e-commerce and software development industries. Previously she was a member of the executive team that grew Network Solutions from 150 to 1500 employees and executed at that time the largest internet company acquisition. Karla has been a board member of Northern Virginia Regional Partnership, a member of the advisory board for the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia and an adjunct professor at George Mason University. She is currently on leave from HCA as COO for a client.
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