During my time at Xerox, I’ve always felt good talking to outsiders about the fact that our CEO is a woman, Ursula Burns, who took the leadership reins from Anne Mulcahy, a woman who is largely credited with leading this company from the brink of bankruptcy and laying the groundwork that led to where we are today: a profitable Fortune 500 with a hugely influential global presence.
While here I’ve also had the good fortune of working under two highly capable women managers who helped guide my career path to where I currently sit, which is a place I’m very happy to be.
That’s not to say male managers haven’t also been instrumental throughout my career development, because they have.
In fact, since college I’ve reported to an almost-even split between men and women managers, and while I consider myself lucky to have benefited from such gender equality, U.S. labor statistics point out that my experience has been atypical among the professional ranks.
With this blog I strive to report and comment on stories about the people in the business world whose examples I think will help small businesses find new avenues to greater success.
Whether sharing insights regarding marketing strategy or telecommuting policies, I find many of the stories that inspire my work feature women in very important roles, who have great things to say, and who choose to share their expertise to influence others.
I don’t search for articles about successful professional women; they just happen to be featured prominently among the many sources on which I rely for great content. And while that’s a positive sign, in no way am I implying there isn’t a huge disparity between the number of men in high-power positions versus women in similar roles.
These statistics, courtesy of Catalyst, point out that despite some encouraging trends, there remains quite the gap.
But one woman who’s making headlines today, Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, has chosen to speak loudly about workplace gender inequality. In this interview, courtesy of McKinsey & Company (where Ms. Sandberg once worked), she discusses the path to her current role and shares several poignant observations about her experience as a highly successful woman, and the ways in which she balances job demands with her personal life.
I encourage you to check out the interview and, should you feel inspired, to return here and share your thoughts and/or experiences regarding gender equality in the workplace.
As always, thanks for reading.
