Six Tips to Support Women Leaders

There are lots of great executives who want to do everything they can to help their women leader’s grow and succeed in their careers. They know and respect the fact that women are strong problem solvers and collaborators. They also know that having more female executives can lead to increased profitability. In fact, as cited in the Morgan Stanley Report, “having more gender diversity, particularly in corporate settings, can translate to increased productivity, greater innovation, better decision-making, and higher employee retention and satisfaction”. 

So, what can be done to help women succeed? Our experience as women who have climbed the corporate ladder and have coached dozens of high potential woman leaders, has led to some clear strategies, that when implemented, can help women as they strive to reach the senior leadership ranks.  To that end, try implementing these six tips:

1. Appreciate, but don’t give in to the need for perfection. Help women master the 80/20 rule by coaching them to pay attention to and perfect only the 20 percent needed to attain 80 percent of the goal/objective. Nature (e.g., differences in hormone levels) and nurture (differences in how men and women are raised), can support the tendency of women to take less risk, thereby encouraging this need for perfection. Helping women fight this urge leads to them becoming more productive with less effort, thus increasing their effectiveness.
   
2. Encourage them to raise their hand even if they don’t meet all the qualifications. Women, although highly competent, often struggle with confidence. This lack of confidence leads them to believe they must check “all of the boxes” and/or have 100% of the necessary qualifications before moving forward. Gently pushing them to take those risks and providing a safety net for failure allows them to increase their confidence. Over time, this comfort level enables them to stretch and volunteer for the bigger assignments & jobs that can pole vault their career.
   
3. Leverage their social awareness and relationship management skills. As discussed in Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, there is significant support related to emotional intelligence (EI) being a predictor of professional success. There are also fascinating findings showing that “women score higher in social awareness and relationship management” EI skills. Therefore, inviting them into situations requiring the ability to read the mood of the room and/or deepen relationships can allow them to excel and get noticed. It also can pay big dividends for the company.
   
4. Teach and talk to them about the business, strategy, and financials.  Leaders help women move from middle to senior management by mentoring them in and exposing them to these three areas of the organization. Susan Colantuono in her TedTalk, “The Career Advice You Probably Didn’t Get” link refers to business, strategic, and financial acumen as, “the missing 33 %” that is needed to excel women into executive leadership positions. In this talk, Colantuono explains that a door opener into senior leadership is understanding where the business is headed, what the financial targets are, and how to help the company reach those goals. Although this may seem obvious, most women have never been told this; and thus, remain unaware of the importance in gaining critical experience in these areas.
   
5. Invite them into the conversation. Women often will hesitate to interrupt and challenge because their social upbringing may discourage this behavior. Executives help women when they realize, understand, and encourage them to speak up and be heard. Identify when someone else takes credit, or is recognized, for something a woman has just said or done. When noticed, an effective response is to simply say something like, “I believe Jane said that moments ago. Jane would you elaborate on that idea?” This acknowledges that she’s been heard and invites her back into the conversation.
   
6. Encourage and support work-life balance.  Professional women, especially those raising families, struggle with feeling guilty. It goes back to the need to be perfect. This guilt can eat them alive and contribute to them exiting the workplace. Support women by simply asking what is needed to help them excel in both areas. Asking, listening, and working together to find ways to integrate work and family can go a long way towards showing support and helping women thrive in the workplace.

Women occupying senior leadership positions can be a competitive advantage in business. Implement the six tips now to help accelerate your high potential women leaders and add to the bottom line of your company.