Not only is the percentage of women in leadership extremely low, but the path to reaching the C-suite decreases significantly after the first 10 years of a woman’s career. Here’s how to break that glass ceiling.
As a society, we are brimming with women qualified to fill leadership positions. And we know that advancing women into leadership positions not only bridges the gap in gender equity but also improves overall company success. Research shows women have more desired leadership qualities than men and perform higher than their male counterparts in resilience, self-development, honesty, and integrity.
Yet a newly released Fortune Global 500 list found that 44 female CEOs led just 8.8% of Fortune 500 businesses in the U.S., and for women globally, the statistics are even bleaker. Female CEOs lead only 24 companies on the Global 500, a mere 4.8% of the world’s largest businesses.
Not only is the percentage of women in leadership extremely low, but the path to reaching the C-suite decreases significantly after the first 10 years of a woman’s career. According to a LinkedIn study, for every one woman who makes it into a leadership position during her first decade, nearly twice (1.8x) as many men make it. Some of the biggest drivers of this gap were parental leave and childcare, with nearly half of working women respondents saying they felt they had to choose between prioritizing their career or their kids.
So how is a woman to break through the glass ceiling and make it to the C-suite after the 10-year mark? Upskilling is a key to advancing any career, especially at the C-suite level. And with unprecedented access to online education platforms, women can access courses no matter what their current situation is, whether they’re in the office, working from home, or on parental leave.
Read more at Fast Company.
