International Women’s Day 2024
We admire successful women, particularly those who work in the male-dominated corporate C-suites. The sad truth is the persistent adverse stereotyping of women by men continues. The ‘rules’ are not the same for women in positions of leadership.
Women still have to work twice as hard to be considered half as much as men! And when we do, we are called aggressive, labelled with the ‘B-word,’ bullied and intimidated.
Speaking up about this isn’t about ‘playing the victim’. It’s about being fair and treating women and men with the same level of respect.
“For anyone to reach the executive ranks, an organization must be very deliberate in providing individuals – including diverse candidates — the right experiences and exposure.”
Jacynthe Côté –Chair of RBC Royal Bank of Canada.
There is so much talk and action being taken to prioritize diversity in corporate Canada. Yet there is still a very long way to go to achieve gender equity and to increase the number of BIPOCs in senior and executive leadership.
Let’s accept and agree that it will take time to achieve the profile of a diverse workforce at every level in organizations.
That said, deliberate action must be taken to identify promising, qualified, high-performing employees and create specific opportunities to prepare them to advance to the C suites and corporate board rooms.
In this article, Jacynthe Côté and Katie Taylor, outgoing Chair, RBC, address important issues – leadership, diversity, ESG , and key learnings from their experience as executive leaders. Some good insights and advice are presented.
- On professional development: take timely and calculated risks and ask for what you need to succeed
- On diversity and inclusion: the importance of intentionally creating opportunities for employees
- On ESG: businesses that want to stay in business in the long-term, must manage their outputs and byproducts with the aim of leaving their customers, employees, communities, and planet better off.
For women who are reticent about speaking up, and want to get ahead professionally, there are resources available to help you.
The A Effect/L’effet A – The A Effect empowers ambitious women to develop their full corporate potential thanks to a unique training program that combines inspiration and action.
Women in Governance/La Gouvernance au féminin – Women in Governance (WiG) supports women in their career advancement, leadership development, and ambitions to serve on Boards.
See th BIG picture. Focus on what’s important.
theBIGpicture Camille 