Comments on: Not enough women leaders…whose fault is it? http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/ Understanding the restless spirit of driven women Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:14:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: admin http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-102 admin Fri, 23 May 2008 01:24:59 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-102 Thanks for the resource. And "AMEN" to the loss of blue suits and shoulder pads. Thanks for the resource. And “AMEN” to the loss of blue suits and shoulder pads.

]]> By: Lori Weiss http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-98 Lori Weiss Thu, 22 May 2008 22:18:13 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-98 Deborah Tannen raises the "team player" concept in her books ("Men and Women in Conversation; Talking 9 to 5; etc.). I found her perspective helpful when my manager would want me to "run to 1st" and my tendency was to discuss it thoroughly prior to starting to run. Thank goodness I don't have to dress like a 1980's flight attendant any more. Deborah Tannen raises the “team player” concept in her books (”Men and Women in Conversation; Talking 9 to 5; etc.). I found her perspective helpful when my manager would want me to “run to 1st” and my tendency was to discuss it thoroughly prior to starting to run.

Thank goodness I don’t have to dress like a 1980’s flight attendant any more.

]]> By: admin http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-36 admin Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:28:19 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-36 Absolutely, Mimi, I found that Title IX requiring schools to support female team sports had a huge effect on the confidence levels of women in the U.S. Now, not only do they feel strong of mind, but many also feel strong of body. And the understand competitive team playing. The power of women is truly rising even if it is not reflected in their titles. I also agree that there needs to be more opportunities inside corporations for women to network and support each other. I hope the leaders hear and honor this need. Thanks for a great post! Absolutely, Mimi, I found that Title IX requiring schools to support female team sports had a huge effect on the confidence levels of women in the U.S. Now, not only do they feel strong of mind, but many also feel strong of body. And the understand competitive team playing. The power of women is truly rising even if it is not reflected in their titles.

I also agree that there needs to be more opportunities inside corporations for women to network and support each other. I hope the leaders hear and honor this need. Thanks for a great post!

]]> By: Mimi Meredith http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-34 Mimi Meredith Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:47:46 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/2008/04/11/not-enough-women-leaderswhose-fault-is-it/#comment-34 Marcia, I think you made excellent and valid points. One thing I noticed through my years of working in male-dominated industries, is that women who came into the corporate world in the 70s and 80s often limit ourselves as much as any organizational structure limits us. Even when we do have opportunities to network and to serve as each others support systems, they are often rejected as we seem to have a mindset that we have to do it "all by ourselves." I think we need to do a better job of sharing our strengths and our weaknesses with one another in order to shoulder burdens together--heaven knows we will get farther that way. Think back to our great grandmothers and the way they would come to one another's aid in times of trial...childbirth, quilting circles, putting up vegetables, making their own soap to do their laundry...they knew that they couldn't get by without a little help from their women friends. A woman in one of my workshops suggested that women are at a disadvantage in playing on corporate teams because they have less sense of how it's accomplished simply for lack of historical team playing opportunities. She pointed out that Title IX was something forced on the education world during our elementary school years. (It was 1972, for those of you who weren't alive to remember the uproar from school districts who had to come up with money so girls could travel to play basketball and other sports!) Men, on the other hand, have had the benefit of generations of team play...and team work. I've never been an athlete, and in spite of my lack of team sports exposure, I have had some great success with roles of leadership in arenas dominated by men (though I also left it all behind in a quest to answer my "calling"). I do see what she meant, however, particularly in women who entered the workforce in the 70s and early 80s. I have great hope for the 20-something and 30-something women who seem to feel more authentic and comfortable in the workplace than those of us who once put on little bow ties and wore gray suits to "Dress for Success" (any shout outs from other 40-somethings who owned the book...and the bow ties??). We have come a long, long way. And we have far yet to go. But I think as much of the answer resides in us and the ways in which we treat one another as it does in the opportunities availed by a corporate structure. True collaboration begins when we celebrate our synergism and forsake the individual strides up a corporate ladder to design an elevator that will accommodate all of us. This is a great, great topic and leads me to many other strands of thought, but I'll just say--great job fielding the questions, Marcia!I hope the article is well read by people in positions that can help affect change. Marcia, I think you made excellent and valid points. One thing I noticed through my years of working in male-dominated industries, is that women who came into the corporate world in the 70s and 80s often limit ourselves as much as any organizational structure limits us. Even when we do have opportunities to network and to serve as each others support systems, they are often rejected as we seem to have a mindset that we have to do it “all by ourselves.” I think we need to do a better job of sharing our strengths and our weaknesses with one another in order to shoulder burdens together–heaven knows we will get farther that way. Think back to our great grandmothers and the way they would come to one another’s aid in times of trial…childbirth, quilting circles, putting up vegetables, making their own soap to do their laundry…they knew that they couldn’t get by without a little help from their women friends.

A woman in one of my workshops suggested that women are at a disadvantage in playing on corporate teams because they have less sense of how it’s accomplished simply for lack of historical team playing opportunities. She pointed out that Title IX was something forced on the education world during our elementary school years. (It was 1972, for those of you who weren’t alive to remember the uproar from school districts who had to come up with money so girls could travel to play basketball and other sports!) Men, on the other hand, have had the benefit of generations of team play…and team work.

I’ve never been an athlete, and in spite of my lack of team sports exposure, I have had some great success with roles of leadership in arenas dominated by men (though I also left it all behind in a quest to answer my “calling”). I do see what she meant, however, particularly in women who entered the workforce in the 70s and early 80s. I have great hope for the 20-something and 30-something women who seem to feel more authentic and comfortable in the workplace than those of us who once put on little bow ties and wore gray suits to “Dress for Success” (any shout outs from other 40-somethings who owned the book…and the bow ties??). We have come a long, long way. And we have far yet to go. But I think as much of the answer resides in us and the ways in which we treat one another as it does in the opportunities availed by a corporate structure. True collaboration begins when we celebrate our synergism and forsake the individual strides up a corporate ladder to design an elevator that will accommodate all of us.

This is a great, great topic and leads me to many other strands of thought, but I’ll just say–great job fielding the questions, Marcia!I hope the article is well read by people in positions that can help affect change.

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