Women in C-Level Positions: Change Starts with Us.
I recently read the latest edition of the Deloitte study “Women in the boardroom” and the emotion it conveys is bittersweet: hope in seeing progress, but discouragement due to slow growth that misses out on so many opportunities for companies and their teams.
“Globally, women hold 19.7% of board positions, an increase of 2.8 percentage points since 2018. If we assume this increase every two years, we could reach parity by 2045, 7 years earlier than concluded in the previous report.”
“Women lead just 6.7% of boards of directors, with even fewer holding the CEO role, 5%.”
We know that any change, especially at this level, takes time. It is a change in customs, mentalities, ways of working. For diversity to occur, and it is already widely discussed today, we know that companies must adopt a culture and values that are based on the acceptance of difference, of difference in management, on the creation of an experimental, empathetic, human and open culture.
These are the foundations that must exist in a group, but today I don't want to discuss everything that must exist in our companies so that there are more women in director or management positions. Today, I want to remind each and every one of you, and especially each and every woman, that our destiny begins within us and that there is something that also needs to be worked on for these numbers to change: the mindset of women who are on a professional path towards an administrative/management position.
The fact is: regardless of whether or not they were raised with equal opportunities, at some point in their lives most women will have questioned their abilities and felt inferior or incapable, comparing themselves to a peer. We hear a lot about Impostor Syndrome, a psychological mechanism characterized by difficulty in accepting one's achievements and considering oneself inadequate to face challenges, but this syndrome alone does not justify this mentality present in the female universe. The fact is that the context in which we grew up, our education, the examples we had at home, the imbalance that existed between men and women not so long ago, are still impactful factors. For how many generations have most women attended school until the end, managed to balance work and family life and been motivated to achieve what they dreamed of?
As I mentioned, these changes start with us too and there are three steps that I consider essential to working on this mindset:
Awareness and acceptance : it is absolutely essential to be aware that we feel this way, that we compare ourselves, that we are afraid of exposure and that we demand much more of ourselves. Being aware helps us identify and rationalize our own thoughts and emotions.
Taking risks : leaving our comfort zone takes us to new heights and personal development. Sometimes we have to prove to ourselves that we are capable. And if we don't, lessons are learned. Taking a step towards considered risk-taking is essential to breaking a cycle. One at a time.
Mentoring : From my own experience, I believe that a mentoring process is very effective in reducing this feeling that undermines confidence. Mentoring helps us create goals, rethink what we want, clarify the path and give structure to our decisions – an essential step in creating the basic confidence we need.
In 2022, and to the surprise of many, this movement still needs to continue to bring openness and space to companies for everyone to grow. But each one of us, and yes, I speak particularly to women who find themselves in this situation, cannot blame the external context, give a name to what we feel and leave the course in the hands of others. This process is for everyone, but it starts with us. It is the difference between being the origin or just a consequence of extrinsic factors. Let’s commit the same effort and energy we dedicate daily to our companies and teams to changing our own mindset.
