Business Review - That's My Idea

MARLENE NEILL, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF JOURNALISM, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND NEW MEDIA, WANTED TO FIND OUT SOME WOMEN WERE ABLE TO ATTAIN RARE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS.

Only about a third of those positions are held by women. We wanted to learn examples from those women who've been successful at overcoming barriers so that we could then offer a roadmap for young women who aspire to leadership roles in their organizations.

OFTEN THERE IS ONLY ONE OR TWO WOMEN IN THE ROOM WHEN BIG DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE. THROUGH HER RESEARCH, NEILL SAID THAT IT WAS NOT UNUSAL FOR WOMEN TO FORM ALLIES OR COALITIONS IN ORDER TO BE HEARD.

“Sometimes women would report that they often were not heard. They would provide recommendation during a board meeting; it would not be acknowledged. And then a few minutes later, a male would provide the same counsel and then it was treated as the most brilliant idea ever. Six or seven women told the same story without any prompting.”

“Some of the ways that women are able to build credibility for the recommendations and claims. In addition, they focus on building relationships with their colleagues within the organization. So they have that trust and they are more likely to listen to their counsel when they're providing it to senior executives. And they also are able to build up their credibility through success that they have through various initiatives that they lead in the organization.”

“Young women can learn so much from women who have been successful in achieving leadership positions. And so they should seek out these women as mentors to help guide them.”

THE BUSINESS REVIEW IS A PRODUCTION OF LIVINGSTON AND MCKAY AND THE HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY.