Building A New Leadership Ladder: Transforming Male-Dominated Organizations to Support Women on the Rise

Description

Strategies for transforming workplace cultures to support a new generation of women leaders. When it comes to the gender gap, it is not enough to ask women to "lean in" and demand promotions and raises. Organizations have an obligation to level up and provide women with more opportunities for advancement. In this book, leadership and governance expert Carol Geffner makes a strong case that for women to reach their full potential, workplaces and their leaders must take a more proactive role in combating gender discrimination. Based on over 200 hours of interviews with women leaders in the United States and abroad, Building a New Leadership Ladder demonstrates that even when women are promoted to leadership positions, they are rarely given access to the same support networks as their male colleagues. Covering sectors as diverse as higher education, health care, law enforcement, and the military, the book identifies common strategies that all organizations can use to remove obstacles for women's advancement. More than a how-to guide on how women can ascend to the top, Building a New Leadership Ladder is a bold call to action for organizations and their leaders to proactively foster the conditions under which women's efforts to rise up are consistently recognized and rewarded. Contents Preface 1 A Status Update on Women’s Leadership The Numbers Gendered Leadership Funnels Rise of the Celebrity Woman Leader When neither the Jacket nor the Culture Fits Looking Ahead 2 Mindset versus Organizational Culture Women Leaders as Experts—Curiosity and Mastery When Women Find Their “True North”—Purpose and Self-Awareness The Long Journey to the Top—Courage, Resilience, and Optimism The Role of Organizations 3 The Preparation Paradox Early Preparation for Future Leadership Roles The Importance of Being Recognized as a Potential Leader Stretch Positions and Navigating Glass Cliffs Can High-Potential Programs Overcome the Gender Gap in Leadership? The Future Leadership Pipeline for Women 4 Entrenched Scripts and Double Standards The Communication Trap More Than Words Authenticity and Emotional Intelligence Humility and Confidence Organizational Interventions Driving Cultural Change 5 Building an Ecosystem of Support Formal Channels of Support Informal Channels of Support Private Channels of Support Self-Reliance 6 Succession Planning and Legacies Succession Wins and Losses Successful Succession Planning and the Obstacles Beyond Succession—Leaving a Legacy 7 Roundtable on the Future of Women’s Leadership Conclusion: Five Pillars of Change I Set the Tone at the Top II Prepare for a System Overhaul III Introduce Scorecards IV Incentivize Progress V Support Employees and Their Families Notes Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Conclusion Bibliography Index