Women Leaders Speak Up

The Quorum Initiative happily celebrated its second anniversary last month, and we look forward to celebrating many more! These days, it seems like everyone is talking about the glaring leadership gap that prompted Meg and Miranda to found TQI. At The Quorum Initiative, we call them the “shameful statistics.” Put simply, there is no longer an excuse for the executive gender gap, yet it still endures. In 1993 women made up 50.4% of law school enrollment. Now, 20 years later, that kind of parity should be evident in law firms around the country but instead women make up only 15% of law firm equity partners. Statistics like this span across all industries – women are entering the pipeline but stalling before they reach the levels that can affect real change in the workplace.

Women are Good for Business

A CNN report explains, “Over the next decade, the impact of women on the global economy — as producers, entrepreneurs, employees and consumers — will be at least as significant as that of China’s or India’s one-billion-plus populations, if not greater.” While I don’t totally agree with considering women an “emerging market” (we’ve always been here!) I can’t stop thinking about that quote. Women are playing a larger part in the economy and people need to start paying attention. Studies have shown that having women in executive positions positively contributes to a company’s overall health. The McKinsey Organizational Health Index (OHI) found that companies with three or more women in executive positions scored higher than those companies without. Harvard Business Review called this enthusiasm a wave of “executive feminism” in a recent blog post, and notes that more than ever, women are speaking out as advocates, and sharing their own stories about how difficult it is for women in powerful positions.

Lean In

Recently, Sheryl Sandberg ignited the conversation with her book Lean In, and even if people think it reads more like a manifesto and less like a solution to gender gap issues, talking about what she believes women need to tackle obstacles, both internal and external, is important. Women seem to realize that equality is not going to occur through meritocracy alone, and there is a growing sense of responsibility among women to see the pipeline through to the top. In a New York Times special section entitled Women in a Man’s World, Irene Dorner, Chief Executive of HSBC USA, expressed regrets that she was not visible enough to other women during her ascent on Wall Street.  She thinks she could have done more to pave the way for women who followed her, and acknowledges that she was so focused on navigating her own career, she never thought to look at women around her.

TQI’s March Events

TQI’s events in New York on March 6^th and Washington DC on March 7^th addressed some of the mental obstacles women face during their career. In New York, Carol Morley and Dana Galin, founders of Defineum, taught us how to cultivate a leadership mindset. They stressed the importance of harnessing your mental energy – be aware of what you are telling yourself throughout the day, and cultivate strategies to reframe the thought processes that hold us back. My favorite part was when Carol encouraged us to make a “to-think” list in addition to our ubiquitous “to-do” list.  This allows you to work smarter – and makes your to-do list look a little less intimidating.

In DC, Elena Kaspi led a discussion on confidence and communication in the workplace. Like Sheryl Sandberg, she pointed out that self-confidence is one of the keys to ascending in any professional role. It was really fun to hear everyone’s definition of what confidence looks like for them.  For some it was conviction in their work, and for others it was simply feeling comfortable in their clothes. For me, it is often a smile. If I can project confidence through a smile (even if I’m faking it) I find myself becoming more confident.

The Quorum Initiative’s next events will be on Tuesday, June 25^th in Washington DC and Wednesday, June 26^th in New York.  See you there!