I just noticed a former client’s job title change to something referring to “working for me”. I was quite surprised given she was a very successful C-level executive working for a well-known brand.
Although I have yet to hear her story, I know it wasn’t by choice that she is no longer there, even if she decided to walk out the door and never look back.
Sheryl Sandberg mentions likeability of successful women as an issue in one of her talks and in her book. I have a friend who has become a speech writer and quasi-stylist for her female clients to try to get a better result when speaking at large conferences. They poll audiences after every speaker, and the men she’s worked with always rate higher.
Although personal brand is one piece of it, there’s another simple fact. If a woman feels threatened by another woman, she often works against her – something I’ve experienced (most recently at Company Z) over and over again. This seems counter intuitive to me, but I guess for some, it’s easier to find a target than to create a tribe of women who support one another.
Don’t get me wrong – this can happen to a man or woman. It’s probably more noticeable for women because there are fewer leaders. But I also have to wonder what we can learn from leaning in, (as much as I feel a love/hate based on articles I’ve read!) when I keep coming back to the fact that we have to change the rules.
Not play by them.
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