The title refers to a movie comedy from the 80s, but the 2022 Women in Leadership Report shares startling statistics that are no laughing matter and should be taken seriously by organizations that want to grow and retain strong leaders.
Women in the Workplace is the largest study on the state of women in corporate America. LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company collected information from 333 participating organizations employing more than 12 million people and surveyed more than 40,000 employees. What they discovered should make any organization take note.
Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rate seen in years—and at a higher rate than men in leadership.* Women are already significantly underrepresented in leadership and If companies don’t act, they won’t just lose their women leaders; they risk losing the next generation of women leaders, too.
The graphic below shows the reasons women leaders are switching and the driving factors that are important – especially to women under 30.
Have you taken the steps to retain and engage women leaders and attract the next generation as well?
Are you providing your current leaders with what they need to support and empower the future leaders of your organization - especially women leaders? Everyone deserves a manager that paves the way for their success. The following 3 areas are a great place to start:
Invest in your Leaders, and particularly the Women
Every Butler Street training starts with The Four Cornerstones of Success® to get your mind and actions right: having a positive attitude, taking personal accountability, perseverance, and good habits. Our leadership effectiveness training builds upon this foundation to include what it takes to be an impactful leader, understanding your team's operating reality, increasing engagement, managing agreements - not drama, providing effective feedback, and coaching for improved performance. The number one reason employees leave is due to a bad manager - reduce this risk by investing in leadership development and executive coaching. Set up your leaders (and future leaders) for success and create a culture of excellence, teamwork, and growth.
Providing opportunities that increase engagement with industry experts and peers
Several Butler Street team members recently attended ASA’s THRIVE. How empowering for a diverse group of women in leadership roles to share successes, challenges, and tips for growth and work/life balance! Workshops and networking with like-minded women to inspire and provide best practices and additional industry resources. Are you providing opportunities like this for the women in your organization? By understanding the 4Bs of Engagement you will determine how to increase engagement at each stage: Basics, Backing, Belonging, and Becoming.
Understanding different behavioral styles and effective communication
In Thomas Erikson’s book, Surrounded by Bad Bosses (and lazy employees), he shares how to better communicate by understanding behavior profiles and the techniques for smooth interactions between employees and their managers. As an official partner of Wiley, Butler Street delivers Everything DiSC® personal assessments and provides DISC in the Workplace workshops to organizations of all sizes. With personalized insights and actionable strategies, participants learn how to adapt to the style of others, ultimately improving engagement, collaboration, and the overall quality of the organization. Leaders often find themselves telling people what to do instead of maximizing the full potential of people by being intently engaged. Don’t lose potential leaders because your current leaders have poor communication skills.
If you are ready to engage and nurture the next generation of leaders in your organization (including women leaders), it starts with your current leaders. As a top 10 leadership coaching and training company for four consecutive years, we help leaders at all levels improve the critical skills needed to acquire, retain, and develop the talent in their organization. Contact us to learn more.
* Except where otherwise noted, “women leaders” refers to employees at the senior manager level and above (L4 to L1 in Methodology).
23 Full question: Over the last two years, has career advancement (e.g., getting promoted)