What I want to know about women and leadership are the challenges women face on their path to a leadership position and how they cope with those challenges. The question that mostly resonates with me is what inspires women to pursue leadership roles. What puzzles me is that many people worldwide still do not trust women to lead and hold leadership positions. What excites me more is that women who make great leaders are more empathetic and strong communicators.
The topic of interest I have chosen is the challenges women face in leadership.
The website review I chose to explore is the MDPI merits website, which discusses the challenges women experience in leadership careers. The review explains that the. Despite global efforts, women aiming for leadership positions encounter substantial challenges. Gender biases, both conscious and unconscious, persist in organizational structures, influencing hiring, promotion, and evaluation processes (Galsanjigmed & Sekiguchi, 2023). The metaphorical “glass ceiling” represents an invisible barrier limiting women’s ascent to leadership roles, while the “sticky floor” concept highlights how some women remain confined to entry-level positions. Even if women overcome these challenges, they face a “leadership labyrinth” navigating gender-related obstacles in organizational culture, networks, and gender role stereotypes. The review underscores the urgent need for organizational changes to eliminate biases, foster inclusivity, and facilitate women’s career advancement into leadership roles.
The YouTube review I picked is a TEDx Talks video about Women in Leadership by Anila Khalique. In her TEDx talk video, Khalique discusses the challenges women encounter on the path to senior leadership and offers insights on working smarter to overcome these challenges. She also highlights the positive impact of gender-diverse executive teams and shares personal experiences of gender bias, including discriminatory job interview questions (Khalique, 2020). Khalique identifies obstacles such as lack of confidence, work-life balance struggles, and gender prejudice and stresses the slow progress in achieving gender diversity in leadership despite initiatives like the 30 Percent Club. To address these issues, she advocates for a shift in mindset, leveraging mentorship, fostering teamwork, networking, and authenticity. Khalique encourages women to challenge biases, take risks, and measure success by outputs. She concludes by urging active participation in creating change and emphasizing the value of gender diversity for organizational success.
The journal article I found from ODU library is “The challenges facing women leaders in mid-level positions at urban community colleges.” The journal explains that in community colleges, women hold higher leadership rates overall but face a disparity in seniority positions compared to men, constituting only 36% of presidents. While previous studies have explored challenges women face in presidential and vice-presidential roles, this study focuses on mid-level leaders, specifically deans and administrators (Hardy, 2019). From the article, ten women from urban community colleges participated in in-depth interviews, and the results revealed that these women showed progression in leadership, work-life stability, and mentorship themes. Furthermore, they also showed high professionalism, communication, and executive structure. Therefore, the article recommends fostering mentorship, supporting professional development, and aiding women in leadership in completing doctoral degrees to address gender disparities in leadership roles.
From the website review, YouTube review, and journal article discussions, I have learned several valuable lessons about promoting gender diversity and addressing challenges faced by women in the workforce. The rise of women in job holdings emphasizes the importance of fostering opportunities in service-based industries, and the growth of female engagement signifies a shifting job landscape. I learned from Khalique’s TED talk that women must work smarter, challenge biases, and actively participate in creating change (Khalique, 2020). Furthermore, I have learned that women in leadership positions at community colleges emphasize the significance of mentorship, supporting professional development, and addressing specific challenges at mid-level positions. The discussions advocate for a mindset shift, fostering inclusivity and promoting supportive environments to advance gender diversity in various professional settings.
Hardy, K. L. (2019). The challenges facing women leaders in mid-level positions at urban community colleges (Doctoral dissertation, Old Dominion University).
TEDx Talks. (2020, January 15). Women in Leadership: Lessons in Working Smarter, Not Harder | Anila Khalique | TEDxDeMontfortUWomen [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1pAKpe-sJU
Galsanjigmed, E., & Sekiguchi, T. (2023). Challenges Women Experience in Leadership Careers: An Integrative Review. Merits, 3(2), 366-389. https://doi.org/10.3390/merits3020021