US falling behind in women's leadership
by Miki SaxonPost from Leadership Turn Image credit: cesstrelle74
Sadly, the United States has lost its lead in many areas to Europe, and it seems like another is in the process of falling.
“Last week marked the 22nd anniversary of the glass ceiling’s entrance into our vernacular — a phrase which cleverly described the invisible but extensive impediments to women’s ascent into positions of senior leadership…shattering the ceiling once and for all remains an elusive goal.”
And that’s especially true in the Board room.
Europe is different. In 2003 Norway passed a law “requiring companies to fill 40 percent of corporate board seats with women by 2008,” and has succeeded; Spain passed a similar law with a goal of 2015.
“…in a 2007 study by Catalyst , which examined the financial results of 520 companies over a four-year period, it was found that companies with the highest numbers of women board directors outperformed those with the lowest. While European nations are bringing parity to their businesses, their gains are being measured in terms of both talent and the bottom line.”
It’s hard to understand US corporate reluctance, since the result of adding women does fall straight to the bottom line.
We have the talent; the payoff is proven; do we really need to wait for Europe to kick our tail before we wake up and do something?
What ideas do you have that could turn this around?
Your comments—priceless
Don’t miss a post, subscribe via RSS or EMAIL
April 8th, 2008 at 2:53 am
I am not convinced that the Norway route is the way to go. Representation in the Boardroom needs to be on merit not by quota. The isssue is how do you get the board recruitment committees to understand that the right representation of the female psyche on the board will add to the (triple) bottom line.
My worry is that forcing the uptake of female directors through legislation which serve to further stiffen the resistance of the ‘old guard’.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Moot question, Mike, since that law could never be passed here. But give it a couple of decades for retirement and death to do their work and maybe it’ll change.
Of course, Europe will likely cream us in the meantime, but the old guard (not all of whom are old) probably considers that a small price to pay.
April 10th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I had no idea until I read your post that we lost our lead to other areas in Europe. Thanks for the information. Obviously we do need to wake up and make some changes.
April 10th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Dana, I couldn’t agree with you more about the waking up, but I’m not going to hold my breath. American “leaders” seem incapable of recognizing, or maybe just accepting, that the US isn’t still the world leader across the board. That reality is pretty indigestible to a great many people.
April 11th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Thanks for the great post, Miki! Every March (Women’s History Month) I ponder women in leadership. And it a rather sad thing that we are so far behind in the U.S.
And, honestly, when you look at some of the things that still go on, and garner very little outrage, you realize that the way women are still treated in a lot of ways that amount to the last socially acceptable form of bigotry.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Miranda, I think bigotry in general is alive and well—it’s just gone underground.
I also think that changing demographics will do more to help crash the various ceilings, glass among them, out there than anything else.