The number of women in leadership roles has grown exponentially over the past four decades. And while the issues of the past such as gender bias and harassment have slowly faded, others have replaced them. The most pressing of these, we are partially responsible for imposing upon ourselves.
Curious? Read on…
It’s no secret that most women in senior-level leadership positions are high achievers; the path to success has dictated this for many. Compromises and sacrifices have been made, personal and professional, and always with the goal of having to be the best at what we do at the forefront of our minds.
However, the landscape has begun to shift over the past decade and is continuing to do so as generational changes in the female workforce occur. While women are continuing to look for success in their careers, many are finding that the conventional managerial role rings hollow for them once they arrive there. A lack of female peers or a feminine community at that level has lead to a sense of aloneness, the difference in organizational values and norms from their own fuels their growing dilemma, and the authoritarian or command and control leadership styles are in direct conflict with their preferred feminine leadership style.
All generations of high-achieving women leaders in the workforce from baby boomers to Gen – Xer’s, to millennials share the same issues. In fact, when asked, all say they are desire the following five themes in their work life:
Authenticity: they are looking to live and work in alignment with their values, beliefs, and life purpose.
Connections: the time of feeling isolated is over; they want authentic relationships, to be part of a functional, connected team at work and fulfilling friendships in their personal life.
Control: over their destiny, they want to have a say in the direction of their career and how it fits into their life instead of how their life fits into their career.
Wholeness: to live a well-rounded life, in balance personally and professionally.
Self-clarity: knowing not only who they are, but also where they fit into the larger scheme of the world.
Each theme may vary in the level of urgency or importance according to the age and stage of an individual woman’s career; however, they are interconnected and build upon each other. Developing a self-understanding of which of these five themes is a top priority for you at this stage of your career is key to your future leadership success!
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