Women have proven time and again that they can be fearless leaders despite having many roles outside their field or profession. If you are a woman looking to climb a career ladder to attain a higher position, we have collated advice from several professionals to help empower women.
First up is Rachel Gilfrin, a Confidence & Career Coach from Rachel Harriet Coaching
“I have spoken to hundreds of organizations surrounding the topic I am most passionate about: getting more women into leadership roles. The thing that comes up regularly is a lack of confidence. I have been through this struggle personally in the earlier part of my career while incrementally building my confidence helped enormously; the stage I visited first was understanding my mindset. Mindset is represented by our perspectives of the world; it is made up of a series of past events and is being contributed to every single day.
Understanding my mindset towards taking that next step up in my career revealed so many things about my hesitance to leave my comfort zone. Once I had been able to make progress on removing those obstacles, my attitude towards articulating myself as a leader changed rapidly. If organizations can support women to really understand themselves a little more, unconditionally, we can begin to thrive and choose the career paths that best align with our strengths and values. To simplify, supporting women with the three key pillars of mindset, confidence, and communication skills helps unlock potential in your talent pool that is already there. So often, the only thing standing in our way is our perception of what is possible for us!”
This next great piece of advice is from Jaya Aiyar, Founder & CEO at Créatif.
“Believe in yourself first before making others believe in you. This, I think, is the most important thing to make women like me prosper in the workplace. If people see that you radiate confidence and are knowledgeable in what you are doing, they, too, will do the same. With that, it would be easier for the people around you to support your objectives and help you achieve your goals because they know that you are certain with what you want, and you work hard to attain that.”
Emily Cooper, the founder of Oliver Wicks, a luxury Italian menswear brand with a large online presence, has these to say:
It brings me great joy to see more and more women prosper in the workplace. A lot of glass ceilings have been shattered in recent years, and many women have gone on to be trailblazers in various industries. Leadership strategies such as promoting diversity and inclusion are major ways to allow women to prosper in the workplace. Allowing women to take part in major decision-making is also a big step to making them feel wanted and important. Get more women leaders involved, and see how they can make a difference in the workplace.”
To share a man’s perspective in this matter is Jeff Mains, a 5x Entrepreneur and CEO of Champion Leadership Group LLC.
“I have a lot of female staff in my business, and I am very thankful for them. That said, I always make sure to assist them whenever I can and motivate them to strive further. Here is one strategy that I can share with you to help women prosper in the workplace:
Provide a wide range of options for upskilling
Encouraging the employment of women goes much beyond financial incentives. For women to re-skill for new opportunities and progress in their careers, leaders must establish programs that enable them to do so on their own time. You can offer them to join online courses that help them grow not only as professionals but as person as well. You may contact the leadership academy online for better possibilities. Switching professions or gaining recent changes in one’s current position sometimes necessitates costly and time-consuming coursework, but giving on-the-job training and upskilling options will empower women to thrive in the workforce.”
Melanie Bedwell, an eCommerce Manager for OLIPOP, shared a piece of her mind on our topic.
“Women will prosper in the workplace by advocating for benefits that help not only women but all employees. For instance, encourage your company to offer parental leave for both men and women, child care assistance, infertility benefits, paid sick leave, and a flexible schedule. By advocating for a healthier work-life balance, women (and men) will not only succeed in the workplace but thrive.”
From the CEO and owner of certified WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise) companies VIP To Go and John To Go, offer insights regarding the topic at hand:
Make Inclusive Benefits a Top Priority
“While many organizations have made DEI [diversity, equality, and inclusion] a priority in the last year, some have not taken steps to promote inclusivity and equity in terms of benefits. Companies must give alternative advantages that allow all employees to prosper at work and in their homes to encourage women and all genders to return to the workforce after the pandemic. Companies can make efforts to create more inclusive workplaces by adding additional benefits like inclusive maternity leave for all employees, child care assistance, and infertility benefits.”
Respect Parental Roles
“Working mothers account for approximately one-third of all employed women in the United States ( Source: https://bit.ly/3xwo8j2 ). Many female executives are perceived as less committed to their careers due to family duties, yet this is not true for most working mothers. For women in leadership, assisting leaders in establishing proper work-life boundaries for employees, as well as providing flexible work options can be immensely advantageous.”
Lattice Hudson, founder of Lattice & Co and a Business Coach, leadership mentor, and social sales expert, shared how women may rise in any chosen field.
“Whatever business you’re in, some elements, such as job happiness and work atmosphere, have a significant impact on employee retention. As a business owner and business coach, I know that the level of management assistance provided to employees is also significant. Even the most experienced managers, on the other hand, may be unaware that certain workers, such as women in most businesses, may require more or different help than their coworkers.”
The Right Incentives To Support Working Moms
“Organizations must give additional incentives that enable all workers to succeed at the workplace and in their home lives, incentivizing women to reenter the workplace. Employers may find success in developing more inclusive policies by adding additional incentives like universal maternity leave for all workers and free childcare support. Women in the workplace are perceived as less devoted to their jobs due to responsibilities towards their families. In reality, women are pressured into making decisions due to an imbalance in the workplace as well as societal biases.”
Encourage Women To Apply For Promotions
“Working women have to face struggle after struggle in the workplace. Statistics now prove that women are less likely to be considered for leadership positions than their male colleagues. Business owners need to make an active effort towards ensuring women are aware of all the leadership opportunities they are qualified for while also ensuring it is fair game when it comes to landing these opportunities. Letting gender biases get in the way of promoting women reinforces a sexist, misogynistic work culture, making it impossible for women to thrive as leaders. We need to establish a culture that encourages women to work towards all leadership positions and promotions. This is imperative in ensuring they have the confidence to work towards such roles from the get-go.”
