Not An Easy Road!!
Class was very interesting this week, especially as we
addressed Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” book. I have always heard that women
had to be ‘go getters’ and put themselves out there to succeed and advance.
However, little did I ever hear about the external forces that affect women’s
ability to advance. Gaby, our guest speaker, and Dr. Patterson made valid
points on the structural challenges that women face in an organization. We are
told to ‘sit at the table’ instead of on the side, but what if our position
does not allow us any access to the table? It would be very difficult to just
walk into an executive meeting as if you were meant to be there when you are
merely a secretary, and sit down at the table. Advancing is not impossible
in this case, but it is definitely not an easy road. You have to be in the
right position at the right time and stick to the course. This is not to say
that the odds will not be against you, most of the time, but it is definitely worth the effort.
I do believe however, that it does take drive, persistence,
and perseverance to succeed as women, and definitely at a higher drive than men.
We have to work harder especially because less than 50 years ago, it was not
the norm for women to be as active in the workforce as they are today. Howerver, hard work usually does pay
off. I will use myself as a prime example. Although I am not a leader
(yet) I had to work for where I am. I took initiative. I was willing to put in
the long hours and "little pay" because I saw an opportunity. When I found out that
the person who was previously in my current position had plans on leaving, I
had a goal. To learn as much as I could and prove to my bosses that I was the
right person for the position and I did. It definitely came at a cost though.
Not only was I working in two offices for majority of last year, but I was
doing full-time work at part time pay. In the end though, I got a job pretty
much handed to me. It was extremely beneficial to the office because they did not
have to post the position and interview for replacements. However, I earned the
job, if they did not think that I was capable, convenience or not, I would not
have been offered the position. Although I was not striving for an executive
position in an office dominated by men (more like dominated by Hispanics), I still believe it serves as a good
example of having to work hard for what we want.
Leadership is definitely a challenge for women as well. Not
only can the journey be a bit trying, but maintaining it is also a mission. The Harvard Business Review presented an
article “Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers”, where they argued that “Becoming a leader involves much more than being put in a
leadership role, acquiring new skills, and adapting one’s style to the
requirements of that role. It involves a fundamental identity shift.” (Ibarra,
Ely, Kold, 2013) They mention that companies are more focused on ensuring that individuals,
have the right skills and capabilities to be a leader when in fact, there must
be a mental competency as well. Women, especially, have to see themselves as a leader;
they have to “gain a sense of themselves as leaders, be recognized as such, and
ultimately succeed.” (Ibarra, Ely, Kold, 2013) To be effective, leaders need
affirmation and empowerment that “gives the person the fortitude to step
outside a comfort zone and experiment with unfamiliar behaviors and new ways of
exercising leadership.” (Ibarra, Ely, Kold, 2013) Women are especially tasked
with having to prove themselves in leadership positions. Besides having the
obvious skills to be a leader, they have to identify themselves as a leader and
be confident and the confidence needs to be and should be encouraged by the organization they work for. However, women are also faced with the challenge of balance,
Stivers mentions this in her text. Women have to “project an image that is feminine
enough that [they] won’t be called a dyke…but not so feminine that [they] won’t
be taken seriously.” (pp 72) Its a never ending battle for us.
In conclusion, it is more than just
sitting at the table. There are multiple structural challenges women will face in their
career lifetime. Not to mention the other obstacles we face, such as having to balance work and life (and being stereotyped as such even if we don't choose that path). However, I do believe that it is important and extremely
beneficial to have women on the sidelines rooting other women on, like Sandberg and
others. Though there may be some loopholes in her arguments (like many other arguments) her success can
and has been great motivation for many and that is awesome!
Stivers, C. (2014) Gender Images in Public Administration: Legitimacy
and the Administrative State. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks California.
