By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
A little more than two years ago, The Executive Leadership Council Institute for Leadership Development & Research published the findings of its Black Women’s Research Initiative [PDF]. Executive Director Ancella Livers, Ph.D., explained, “Some of our female members noticed the numbers of black women in executive roles seemed to be fairly small. They wanted to know why.”
“We really wanted to be able to understand what’s going on, and to give some of our younger women markers on a pathway.” She continued, “Younger women have the intelligence and the skills, but not the access to the experiences of the women who went before them to guide the way.”
Unfortunately, according to Dr. Livers, in the years since the research was published, there has not been much change regarding the number of Black women in senior roles, or in the pipeline. And while she noted the importance of Ursula Burns as the CEO of Xerox, Dr. Livers said, in general, many black women perceived a lack of role models, as part of the reason why. Others suggest that black women lack strength in their strategic relationships with those in power, as another reason.
This week and throughout the month of February, The Glass Hammer will highlight some of those Black women who have achieved a high level of success in the corporate environment, who can serve as role models for the women climbing the ladder behind them.
Replenishing Resilience: Tips for Bouncing Back
Expert AnswersHow is it that some people encounter significant failures and setbacks, and yet keep showing up and producing? There are those who collapse from the stress and those who navigate through rapid change with style and grace. What is their secret and where does it come from?
Social researchers call it resilience, a quality that is ever more important in our current work climate of constant change and shifting demands, and a key skill of effective leaders. Losses can be a valuable learning opportunity – ask anyone who’s played team sports – and studies have indicated that leaders who are able to learn from failure and move on are able to build more effective companies and organizations.
The word resilience comes from the Latin verb “salire” which means to jump. When you add the “re” it connotes back, so the word resilience means jumping back, or rebounding. It has an almost tensile physical feel, a kind of active energy.
Resilience is about jumping into the game – being flexible and involved even in stressful times. Resilient people have a bounce that keeps bringing them back even when they have been pushed down.
The great news about resilient energy is that it is not a trait or the product of your genetics. It can be cultivated and deepened. With some attention and intention, you can become more resilient and create reserves to draw upon when needed.
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Voice of Experience: Tarazeta Huntley, Managing Director, Audit & Risk Review, Citi
Voices of ExperienceBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
Tarazeta (TJ) Huntley, Managing Director of Audit & Risk Review at Citi had three pieces of advice for professional women – all equally inspiring.
On Believing You Belong:
“Regardless of the level of people you’re dealing with [at the table], at the end of the day, everyone has a vested interest in making the company successful and your voice counts. Never feel intimidated when engaging with more senior individuals. Believe that you’re there to contribute, and you will be successful.”
On Knowing Yourself:
“Early in my career, someone told me never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Acknowledge who you are and your background. Regardless if those around you have a different background or perspective, don’t lose sight of who you are as an individual or your values.”
On Values:
“Stay true to your values. Never compromise them. As you grow in your career, management and influential people will appreciate that.”
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5 Quick Tips to Build Better Work Relationships
Ask A Career CoachIs there someone at work you don’t get along with and yet need to influence? And, yes, you tend to avoid them because you just don’t see eye to eye? It could be a peer, a boss, a direct report. Here’s the best advice I have seen recently on a TED talk by Elisabeth Lesser, co-founder of the Omega Institute.
Her advice is simple, “Take The Other To Lunch”. Here are 5 Tips to start to turn the corner on the difficult relationship.
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Voice of Experience: Linda Singh, Senior Executive, Health & Public Service, Accenture
Voices of ExperienceAs both a Colonel in the National Guard and Client Account Lead for Veterans Affairs at Accenture, Linda Singh has devoted her career to the service of her country. She has spent almost 30 years total service time and 20 of those years with the Maryland Army National Guard. She was deployed to Kosovo from2006 to 2007. Besides her current client work at Accenture, Singh is passionate about the company’s corporate citizenship focus.
“Our corporate citizenship theme is Skills to Succeed and the goal, by 2015, is to equip 250,000 people with the skills to get a job or start a business. We are teaming with clients as well as nonprofits to get individuals trained, re-employed and transitioned back to work,” Singh said. “We are working to apply this program to help our veterans.”
She continued, “It gets to one of the key issues that Veteran Affairs that is facing. It’s our most daunting issue – there are 1.2 million veterans unemployed and over 100,000 who are homeless. And the fastest growing population within the veteran community is women. There are increasing numbers of women in both of those groups. This is something I would love people to rally behind and support. It’s something we can fix together but it will take more than just one organization to do it.”
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Where are the Black Women Executives?
Featured, Industry Leaders, LeadershipA little more than two years ago, The Executive Leadership Council Institute for Leadership Development & Research published the findings of its Black Women’s Research Initiative [PDF]. Executive Director Ancella Livers, Ph.D., explained, “Some of our female members noticed the numbers of black women in executive roles seemed to be fairly small. They wanted to know why.”
“We really wanted to be able to understand what’s going on, and to give some of our younger women markers on a pathway.” She continued, “Younger women have the intelligence and the skills, but not the access to the experiences of the women who went before them to guide the way.”
Unfortunately, according to Dr. Livers, in the years since the research was published, there has not been much change regarding the number of Black women in senior roles, or in the pipeline. And while she noted the importance of Ursula Burns as the CEO of Xerox, Dr. Livers said, in general, many black women perceived a lack of role models, as part of the reason why. Others suggest that black women lack strength in their strategic relationships with those in power, as another reason.
This week and throughout the month of February, The Glass Hammer will highlight some of those Black women who have achieved a high level of success in the corporate environment, who can serve as role models for the women climbing the ladder behind them.
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Voice of Experience: Ci Ci Holloway, Managing Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Americas, UBS Investment Bank
Voices of ExperienceImage courtesy The Network Journal
Ci Ci Holloway spent the majority of her career working in the diversity and inclusion space in the entertainment industry. But four years ago, she found herself drawn to the financial services. Now Managing Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Americas at UBS, Holloway said she’s working on an exciting new initiative – DROI.
Holloway explained, “Diversity Return On Investment will clearly make the connection between diverse achievements and the impact on the organization – how that ties to the bottom line.”
She continued, “It’s certainly not an easy argument to make, and it gets challenged. But the good thing is that the numbers don’t lie, and we can tie those numbers or new clients to diversity. Showing how a diverse team outperforms a homogenous team will make people rethink how they look at diversity and inclusion in an organization.”
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LinkedIn Lessons: 10 Ways to Stand Out and Level the Playing Field
NetworkingI love LinkedIn. It’s one of the best networking tools out there to help you expand your reach. It’s “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” for the business world. But it can be a big, foreign maze. To stand out in the LinkedIn crowd, here are ten quick tips:
1. To increase your Google search rankings, make your LinkedIn profile 100% complete.
2. Brand yourself by using a professional headshot that’s also on your website.
3. In the “Specialties” box, list keywords that will help people find you.
4. Don’t just cut and paste your resume – use short sound-bites that get your readers’ attention.
5. Update your status regularly by adding articles and blog posts you have written, awards you have won, promotions you have earned, or, if you are looking for a job, let people know exactly what you are looking for so it’s easy for them to help you.
6. Include links to your website, blog and twitter account.
7. Put your phone number and email address in the “Summary” section at the top of your profile for quick contact.
8. Be open to invitations to connect with new people.
9. Get involved in groups and discussions by asking thought-provoking questions, answering questions, and sharing interesting information.
10. Get and give recommendations.
But speaking of recommendations – keep in mind that the words people choose to describe you could hurt your chances. Here’s why.
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Ambassador Karen Hughes Discusses Leadership at the FWA
Industry Leaders, Leadership“I’ve always done what I’m passionate about,” began Ambassador Karen Hughes, Global Vice Chair of public relations firm Burson Marsteller. “I always tell young people, ‘follow your passion and keep with your values.'”
At a recent Financial Women’s Association Event, Hughes recalled some of the critical moments during her previous career as Counselor to President George W. Bush and Under Secretary of Public Affairs at the State Department. She discussed important factors for strong leadership, and what it means to follow your passion.
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The Gender Advantage for Multinational Firms
Managing ChangeNew research shows that companies can benefit by exploiting gender discrepancies in host countries – in other words, hiring highly skilled, local women who are not ‘employees of choice’ in their own countries. Can companies really gain a competitive advantage by hiring women who are overlooked? And should they?
When Qualified Women are Overlooked…
The research was produced by Professor Jordan Siegel from Harvard Business School, Lynn Pyun of MIT, and B.Y. Cheon of Hanshin University and the Korea Labor Institute. The multinational team looked extensively at hiring practices in South Korea. They found that women were frequently discriminated against in the labor market, particularly for management positions. However, the female candidates were as qualified as the male candidates. There is a rich pool of talent there, but local firms are reluctant to tap into it.
So, there are lots of qualified, talented women waiting for jobs, and fierce competition with male candidates. That equals an opportunity for multinational firms, who can exploit “social schisms” in the employment economy through hiring and promoting women. Better candidates mean better – and loyal – employees, and in turn this equals a competitive advantage and better profit margins.
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It’s Time to Redefine Authenticity
NewsAuthenticity at work: oxymoron? Pipe dream? Many of us long to be more honest and true to ourselves at work. Yet in most organizations, authenticity is a risky proposition.
Here’s a quick exercise that illustrates why that might be so. Identify a current work situation that you think is being badly handled but that you haven’t confronted. If you had a free pass to react authentically – with no threat of repercussion – what would you do or say? Now… if you actually did or said that, what do you think would happen? For many of us, that much honesty could constitute career suicide.
This is the double bind of authenticity. We want more of it, but we fear the vulnerability it can create. So we resign ourselves to the belief that authenticity is only possible in ‘enlightened’ organizations – which is certainly not where WE work.
The problem with authenticity lies in how we define it. Many people equate being authentic with being emotionally transparent. Defined thus, the authentic move in response to anger might be to give someone a piece of your mind. In a conflict, it might be to tell someone that they’re being selfish and short-sighted. This kind of honesty has its place; it can clear the air and let people know where you stand. But it can also backfire: escalating conflict, eroding trust and damaging reputations. You’re smart to be wary of that.
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