Forbes has just published its annual list of the world’s 100 Most Powerful Women. I applaud these women for their amazing impact and success, and I applaud Forbes for recognizing them. Yet it makes me wonder. Do Forbes’ more traditional criteria for power – “political and economic might” – seem...
Study: Why you didn't land the top job (CBS News, 2011, Weisul) Finding: Many job seekers at all levels don't understand what the hiring managers are actually looking for in the interview process, and because of this they tend to emphasize the wrong characteristics and traits. Note about The Woman...
Study: Women in Charge: The Impact of Female Managers on Gender Inequality (Academy of Management, 2012) Finding: Despite a widely held assumption that women in leadership will help promote women throughout the organization, in at least one organization this didn't happen. InPower Insight:...
The cohort of leaders who will reclaim leadership to achieve great things in the world won't succeed out of idealism, an extreme sense of perfection or personal heroism. We will succeed because we see ourselves and the world for what is and because we master the ability to motivate groups we lead...
Study: Five Myths about Women in Combat (Washington Post, 2011, Blair) Finding: Five common myths surrounding women and their leadership abilities in the military and in combat situations are unfounded and women are capable of serving in the same capacity as their male counterparts in all areas of...
Some athletes are simply not destined to get the gold. Women have a record-breaking presence in the Olympics this year - every nation sporting women on their teams for the first time in history and more women than men on the U.S. team. But when I look at the participation stats across the other...
In the past, confidence, assertiveness, and being decisive were not typically female qualities. These traits are becoming more the norm with women, which is a good thing as it helps women to realize their potential. On the other hand, there can be too much of a good thing. Feeling overly confident...
Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article in the Atlantic, Why Women Can’t Have it All, has reignited crucial issues of advancement and balance that women continue to face in the workplace. As a male executive in business for over forty years, I have worked with many women who have consistently performed at...
Study: Resolving the Entrepreneurship Gender Gap (Scott Shane, The Bloomberg BusinessWeek 2011) Finding: The entrepreneurial gender gap remains stagnant but encouraging young girls to pursue careers in business could foster growth. Note about The Woman Effect Research Index: This study was...
Study: Where the Worlds Top Companies Stand: 20-First's Global Gender Balance Scorecard 2011 (Wittenberg-Cox, 20-First 2011) Finding: Executive committees are a much better indicator of true gender balance in corporate culture than board reports, and women's representation on them tends to lag...
