Blog posts

The Imposter Phenomena: Part II

December 16, 2019 | 0 Comments

Researchers and the general public alike are rekindling their interest in an old topic—the Imposter Phenomenon (IP). I first wrote about IP in 2018. As a result of that article, I have been invited to speak on this topic several times. The reactions and questions from my audiences, along with … Read more

Read More

Female Leaders Make a Difference: Putting Women in Space

December 9, 2019 | 0 Comments

Two women, Jessica Meir and Christina Koch, recently made spacewalk history when they completed the first all-woman spacewalk for the International Space Station. This breakthrough was possible thanks to the efforts of Janet Kavandi, a recently retired NASA leader. Jillian Kramer, writing for the New York Times, notes that after … Read more

Read More

Advancing Women: Best Practices Roadmap

December 2, 2019 | 0 Comments

Many best practices exist for creating organizations where women can advance. The ones listed below, from a variety of sources, are current, innovative, and comprehensive ideas that can act as a roadmap for what works: Implement sponsorship program—Enhance the quality of and access to sponsorship. Hold senior leaders accountable for … Read more

Read More

Ten Things We Know about Gender Dynamics in Organizations

November 25, 2019 | 0 Comments

I recently had the opportunity to make a presentation to a group of senior women leaders and was reminded of the value of sitting together to review what we know about gender dynamics in organizations that create headwinds for women trying to succeed. Each of the items listed below is … Read more

Read More

Where Are the Senior Women in the Financial Sector?

November 18, 2019 | 0 Comments

The statistics on the representation of white women and women of color in the financial sector, at both management and senior levels, are grim. “Closing the Gap,” a study conducted by LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company, looked at thirty-nine financial services companies, which employ 1.2 million people: In North America, … Read more

Read More

Why Women Do Not Need to Behave Like Men to Be Good Leaders

November 11, 2019 | 1 Comment

The messages to women about how to advance in organizations still, regrettably, urge women to behave like men, but men don’t seem to get messages that say they need to change at all. Reward systems in organizations still undervalue feminine workplace values and leadership behaviors and predominantly reward masculine ones. … Read more

Read More

Research on Successful Dual-Career Couples: What Works?

September 30, 2019 | 0 Comments

New research by Jennifer Petriglieri on dual-career couples, published in the Harvard Business Review, sheds light on how these couples successfully manage careers and family life. The researcher and author notes that the number of dual-career couples is growing: the Pew Research Center reports that in 63 percent of couples … Read more

Read More

New Research: Americans Believe Women Are as Competent as Men

September 23, 2019 | 0 Comments

I had mixed feelings as I read the report by Maya Salam of the New York Times about new research on the public’s opinion regarding women’s intelligence in comparison with men’s. I am thrilled with the results from by Alice Eagly, a well-known social psychologist at Northwestern University, that reflect … Read more

Read More

Gender Judo

September 16, 2019 | 2 Comments

One of my favorite authors and researchers, Joan C. Williams of the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California Hastings, just published new research on the likability trap for women. She reports on both her own research and other new studies that show the ways successful women overcome … Read more

Read More

The Debate Over Universal Childcare: What Is Really Going On?

September 9, 2019 | 0 Comments

Have you noticed that we keep talking about universal childcare in the United States, but, with the exception of a handful of states and cities, it never happens? Nearly all of the current Democratic candidates for president are promising it, but this has happened before without legislation ever passing at … Read more

Read More