Co-founders of Powrsuit, Kristen Lunman and Natalie Ferguson, spent 12 months researching the invisible challenges women leaders face. Their newly launched Membership Network takes a pragmatic, action-focused approach to closing the gender leadership gap. They share their top three lessons for women leaders to succeed without sacrificing sanity.
As of June 2023, there are now the same number of women men leading NZX companies as there are men called Mark. The ‘mirratocracy’, like the glass ceiling, is proving hard to break.
Women make up almost half of Aotearoa’s workforce, but they become less visible at each step up the career ladder. This is despite decades of studies showing diverse organisations outperform on almost every business measure.
While initiatives like pay gap reporting and diversity targets tackle inequity from the top down, a growing movement of women are taking control and creating their own playbook for success. Here’s how…
1. Do what you do best; outsource the rest
What comes to mind when you hear ‘the juggle’? Women navigating the career jungle gym also do more than their fair share at home. Those married to men take on more than twice as much of the household load – even when contributing the same income. Adding insult to injury, women also take on more of the ‘housework’ in the office – the equivalent of an extra month every year.
Unsurprisingly, women are overrepresented in burnout statistics.
The solution? Focus on what you do best, and outsource the rest. From caregiving to cleaning to cooking; what tasks can you allocate more fairly or pay to remove?
Take that same mindset to the workplace. Think you’re ‘protecting’ your team by taking on the hard stuff? You might be robbing them of an opportunity to stretch. Yes, you can probably do it faster, but that’s not the point. It’s ok if someone takes three hours so that you can save one.
Action: Review your to-do list and delegate one item.
2. Invest in your personal brand
Yes, we cringe when we see humble bragging on LinkedIn, too. What makes us cringe even more? Women being under-represented on the world’s largest professional network. Making up 43 percent of LinkedIn’s users, just two of the ten most followed ‘influencers’ are women.
Personal branding means knowing who you are and what you offer, and articulating it. You have a one in thirty-three million chance of sharing the same top five strengths in the same order as someone else. Layer on your lived experiences, and you have unique value to add to the world. If you don’t tell people what that value is, they’ll fill in the blanks.
Get clear on what you bring to the table: do a strengths test (Google the free High5 test) and identify the strengths that bring you joy – these are your superpowers. Start highlighting them when you introduce yourself. While you’re at it, put your hand up for opportunities to share insights related to your expertise – what might seem obvious to you isn’t to others!
Action: Post on LinkedIn. Whether it’s listing your top 3 takeaways from a recent event, your thoughts on a topical issue or insights into a recent project – start small and see what happens.
3. The power of connection
Women are relational, but this skill doesn’t always translate to the workplace. For many reasons, women have shallower networks. When each professional connection has the power to unlock a hundred more, this is a career-limiting concern.
With a few proactive tweaks, your personal network can quickly become a professional superpower. The first is seeing your friends as a source of work-related opportunities and advice. Ask for an introduction, share an invite to an event or seek advice (they might surprise you!). If this lesson seems simple, it’s because it is! Just do what you usually do but with a focus on work.
Action: Ask one friend for a drink to talk about work. Share one challenge each, and commit to one small action to address it.
Sources
Division of household labour
Office household work
Burnout
Linkedin stats – top 10 influencers
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