Colonizing Mars more achievable than half of Fortune 500 CEOs being women

The above statement came out of the Rockefeller Foundation’s May 2016 survey about “Women in Leadership: Why It Matters”.

One in four Americans say that it’s more likely that humans will colonize Mars (26%) and four in 10 thinks that space travel will be routine just like air travel for tourism (40%) within their lifetime than half of Fortune 500 CEOs will be women (vs. 74% and 60%, respectively).

This crazy notion is despite more than 70% of Americans saying that having more women in leadership positions would have significant impacts on helping to reduce the pay gap between men and women doing the same work (76%), changing workplace policies in ways that benefit both men and women (74%), and attracting a more diverse workforce (71%).

There is research also that companies are more profitable and sustainable with more women in senior leadership positions.

So why is it this desired change taking so long?

My research from writing my book “Women As Leaders – The World Needs You – A Practical Guide” as well as developing specific Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Programs indicates that it is women’s unique neuro-programming and the inner parent-work energy conflict that is holding them back.

Our neuro-programming starts with our early learning as children and is re-enforced by the societal norms around us.

Women are still receiving messages from an early age that their roles are to be carers, supporters and home-makers. Although there are valuable leadership qualities in these roles, there isn’t the right encouragement to transfer these skills into organisational and public leadership.

Specific mentoring is required to make that happen.

When you overlay women’s biological imperative to ensure that children survive and thrive into the mix, you find that they have this inner parent-work energy conflict that can hold them back during their critical mid-career development. This can slow and even stop the climb to leadership positions.

The Rockefeller Foundations 2017 survey “Women in Leadership Tackling Corporate Culture From the Top” highlights that women are subject to far more scrutiny than men.

In America, 56% believe that when a company led by a female CEO performs badly, she gets more blame than a male CEO would. Conversely, only 18% say that when a female-led company performs well, she gets more credit for the company’s success than a male CEO would.

It is tough to be subject to this type of scrutiny.

In my case, I know that I hid. I would attend professional get-togethers knowing that the men in the room would assume that I was a support person, wife and mother rather than a business owner. This would allow me to remain anonymous and not subject to scrutiny. It was only my close male business colleagues and clients that knew my achievements.

For many women, they think – why bother! I can totally understand this sentiment because there were many times that I thought I would just give up trying.

There is help at hand though.

I have designed specifically tailored Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Programs which address what I have discussed here.

The program is designed to mentor women into believing they can be leaders whenever and wherever they want as well as provide valuable tools to deal with the inner parent-work energy conflict. Armed with these tools and leadership training built on neuroscience, women who complete my program are equipped to achieve the very best for their family, their work circumstances as well as themselves.

The power of the program is women sharing their stories and supporting each other around the challenges. I share all my wisdom from building a financial services business over 24 years too and this combined with the collective experiences of the participants provides the practical learning.

Organisations need to understand that it is the right support that women need if we are to debunk the notion that we will colonise Mars before we have half of the fortune 500 CEO’s being women.

My next Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Program is being held in Brisbane 7 and 8 December 2017. Visit my website – denise-gibbons.com for more information.