Catalyst, a leading research and consulting group focused on
the working lives of women, compiles tons of data and information on women in
the workplace. I, as well as countless others, have turned to their research
when writing about or presenting ideas on women in the workforce.
One of Catalyst’s most commonly known figures is the
catalyst pyramid which shows their findings pictorially. One pyramid in
particular highlights the number of women in the US Labor Force (currently
46.6%) who are at the bottom of the pyramid and compares it with the number of women
who are Fortune 500 CEO’s (currently 4%) who at the top. The visual is clear:
of the total women in the US workforce (nearly half of the workforce) only a
small and fortunate few make it to the top.
Researchers, practitioners and proponents of women in
leadership often question why this disparity still exists when women have made such
great social and political strides over the past few decades. Surely we should
be further along – seeing many more women in these roles than we did even 10
years ago. Is it the glass ceiling or our multiple roles as mothers, wives,
community leaders and professionals that keep us from advancing in the
corporate ranks?
Or could it be something less obvious or dramatic?
As I have conversations with friends and colleagues and as I
coach women in their professional careers, the conversation continues to be “But
what if I don’t want to advance that far in my career?” Is a CEO position in a
Fortune 500 company the only indicator of career success? What if I’m content either
in my current mid- or even line manager role or I’m content want to “only”
aspire to that level? What are the career strategies to get me or keep in in
that level and who are my role models? These questions and more often go
unspoken and even less-so, unanswered.
So I’m left thinking that there’s more to the story than
trying to help women rule our biggest companies—although doing the work to see
more women in top corporate roles is still a worthy effort; but there’s also an opportunity to support
those who are at other levels in their careers or who are working within
different environments such as academia, non-profits or in smaller companies, and
that’s the opportunity researchers, practitioners and other proponents of women
in leadership have: to engage in worthwhile projects supporting those who are
not aspiring to the upper echelons of the organization.
In the coming weeks and months, I’m committing and
dedicating my energies to focusing on the research and support of the “others” who
might not ever have their stories printed in Fortune Magazine or that we’ll
read about her career trajectory in the Harvard Business Review but they are
still in positions of power and influence, even if on a smaller scale and their
stories are still an inspiration to others.
Until next time!
j
Blogs By Black Women
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