Nancy Parsons shares exciting insights based on her firm’s research that reveal the true reasons why the glass ceiling exists and it is not what most people think. That’s why, despite the best intentions and investments in women in leadership programs, today’s solutions are not working. It has been four decades since the Pregnancy Act went into effect in 1979 that prohibited women from being fired for getting pregnant. Yet, the sad truth is that although the barriers were supposedly lifted so many years ago, the glass ceiling continues to be an impenetrable barrier for most aspiring women leaders. Today, only 6.6 % of Fortune 500 CEOs are women and only 11% of women are top earners at these most profitable companies. Meanwhile, for more than a decade, women have consistently earned more bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees. The bottom line is that if we stay on the current trajectory, it will take approximately 400 years to attain just 50% of Fortune 500 CEO positions. That is insane. Combine this phenomenon with the increasingly fearful environment for men executives due to the #MeToo movement and Kavanaugh hearings, and things are just made worse.
The timing for the solutions in this book could not be better. What Parsons team found is that while men and women both have personality strengths well suited for leadership roles, it turns out there are inherent, personality-based risk factor differences between men and women leaders. These differences are holding women back while propelling men forward. This book also confirms that biases are more harmful to women leaders, particularly when it comes to behaviors triggered by their risk factors.
Parsons’ book is packed with great insights from women executives, top executive coaches, new global research, and practical solutions that will work to end the glass ceiling. These win-win approaches put an end to pointing fingers and playing the blame game. Women Are Creating the Glass Ceiling and Have the Power to End It provides breakthrough scientific research and fresh, tangible solutions that will work for women, men, and the organizations they serve to end the glass ceiling within a decade.
