“She has a great track record, but she just..doesn’t come across as a leader.” Being perceived as a leader is the essence of executive presence. It’s the ability to walk into a room to deliver a message, with everyone hanging on your every word. Do you command a room? While seemingly not as important as […]

How many women are in your C-suite? Of course, it’s disappointing that there aren’t more women in top spots in most companies, but we do have some good news. In 2018, the number of vacated spots taken up by women upped to 22% in 2018, according to a Challenger, Gray & Christmas report. (That number […]

Perhaps a tragedy struck. Bad news needs to be shared. An uncomfortable question must be answered. And the unfortunate truth is, women leaders can’t easily or fully prepare for difficult and delicate situations like these. You likely face many moments when just don’t know what to say. Yet, you need to say something because everyone […]

As a leader, you’re always on display. That’s why it’s important to know what non-verbal signals you’re sending. Your body language – posture, arm gestures, facial expressions, etc. – speaks volumes to your employees and others, say researchers. Your leadership presence, in particular, is comprised of two sets of nonverbal signals, says Carol Kinsey Goman, […]

Managing conflict is a topic that organizations tend to avoid for the same reason that people avoid it — because it’s hard, it makes us uncomfortable, and it’s just easier to avoid conflict, right? The practice of avoiding conflict is based on the misconception that all conflict is bad. In reality, conflict often pushes organizations […]

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is a technique that has been used over the past few decades to assist organizations in identifying current and future trends in order to determine their potential impacts. It is often used in developing strategic plans or in evaluating project conditions. You may have used SWOT analysis in assessing […]

Quick: What do clowns and woman managers have in common? They’re both great jugglers. 

Most of us have a love-hate relationship with our smartphones: Being able to stay connected is critical for both our work and home lives … until you realize you just lost 45 minutes of your time mindlessly scrolling!

Want a way to close the pay gap in your own company? Pay transparency is one way. Yes, it can certainly pit employees against each other, but it could also be the answer to closing the pay gap between men and women. Citigroup, the fourth largest bank, just revealed that women earn 29% less than […]

Think for a minute: Who were the mentors you’ve had as you’ve progressed in your career? Chances are a large proportion of them were other women. Maybe all of them were.

Am I being paid less than my male colleagues for the same work?

That’s the question women will be thinking about on Equal Pay Day, Tuesday, April 2. It’s another reminder – this one from the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) – that women are making less than men.

NCPE poses a question on its website: “What could you be making?” then includes a handy link to a Gender Pay Gap Calculator, giving women the up-to-date salary they could be paid if there was no pay gap.

Recent pay gap gains

But here’s some good news: There have been gains toward pay equity just in the last several months that are giving this Equal Pay Day an extra shot of energy:

• Citigroup, the fourth largest bank, revealed in January it pays women 29% less, and is now taking steps to correct its inequities. (Previously, other companies, including SalesForce, Starbucks, SAP, Adobe and others, have announced they’re taking steps to level the playing field.)
• In March, the EEOC made a surprise ruling, ordering employers to report pay data information to assess complaints of existing pay disparities.
• Last week, the House passed a new bill, The Paycheck Fairness Act, that would ban employers from asking job applicants how they previously made and prohibit companies from retaliating against workers who share wage information. (The bill still needs to be passed in the Senate.)

Women’s paychecks are “in the red”

Yes, there’s been progress, but what can women in leadership do to get closer to pay equity?

Wear red: This year, the NCPE is asking supporters to wear red (as you might have seen Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wear on the day she celebrated the passing of The Paycheck Fairness Act) on Equal Pay Day to symbolize that women are “in the red” with their paychecks. When this NCPE’s public awareness campaign launched in 1996, women were earning 59 cents for every dollar men earned. Now it’s 77 cents.

Challenge your employers: Urge upper management to conduct a pap equity self-audit to examine their pay practices. The NCEP offers a 10-step guide to evaluate a company’s compensation system, pay grades and development opportunities in order to implement changes.

Prepare for your employer for change: If the new bill, The Paycheck Fairness Act, is made into law, the Department of Labor will uncover wage discrimination on a national level, but a recent crop of state and local laws are requiring “same job, same pay” – the slogan of the new bill. Almost all states have equal pay laws on the books and more and more employers are attempting the close the gap on their own. Why wait?

One thing to keep in mind, as you think about what you can do to close the gap: The Institute for Women’s Policy Research says it could take as long as 108 years for the gender pay gap to close.

For a woman in leadership, International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8 is a day that belongs to you. It is a day to celebrate all that you’ve accomplished.

It’s also a day to reflect on how far women have achieved in the workplace, but also how much there is still to be done to achieve gender equality.

A gender-balanced workplace

The theme of this year’s IWD celebration is “Balance for Better,” calling for a gender-balanced world. To help launch the effort, IWD is asking women to post on social media for a strong call-to-action to help forge a #balanceforbetter.

How will you be celebrating? There are various events planned for women in leadership, many of which have options for you to participate in even if you can’t attend in person:

• Take leadership lessons from the best. There will be lots of public celebrations, like the International Women’s Day Forum in Washington, DC on March 6-7 featuring dozens of women executives, including Small Business Administration’s administrator Linda McMahon, Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar and WEConnect International CEO Elizabeth Vazquez. Can’t get to DC? Career Catalyst is hosting a Webinar: International Women’s Day on March 7, which will highlight the steps you and your company can take to create a more inclusive workplace.
• Raise the profile of women in leadership. Some companies are taking a pause to celebrate their women employees. For example, accounting firm Geffen Mesher in Portland, OR is hosting a series of events, spearheaded by its Women’s Leadership Initiative, to build awareness on gender-specific challenges and issues – especially within the context of a male-dominated industry like accounting. Estee Lauder, Nordstrom, UGG and Williams Sonoma have launched a “This Is A Leader” campaign to celebrate IWD and raise the profile of women leaders across supply chains, who are often overlooked. Leaders from these companies will speak at an event in New York City to discuss women’s leadership.
• Promote pay equity. Efforts to close the pay gap often start with a pay audit. This can help a company to better understand the pay issue, where they exist and why they exist. Learn more on March 8, when women’s empowerment organization WomenWerk convenes a panel of experts, including EEOC commissioner Charlotte Burrows and Ellevate Network CEO Kristy Wallace, in Austin, Texas to discuss “Danger in Silence; #TimesUp for Pay Inequity.” For those who cannot attend, Ellevate Network will release a White Paper full of practical solutions for the workplace.
• Watch women empowering women. On TV, tune in to VHI Trailblazer Honors, a one-hour special airing on March 8 in celebration of International Women’s Day. The show honors Speaker Nancy Pelosi (with Cher presenting to her), #MeToo movement founder Tarana Burke, Handmaid’s Tale author Margaret Atwood and Selma director Ava DuVernay.
• Tap into women leaders. Throughout March, Apple will feature an app founded or led by a woman (such as TheSkimm, Bumble and Stitch Fix), as part of IWD. The “App of the Day” will feature female entrepreneurs and engineers. Plus certain Apple stores in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles will host a “Made by Women” series, which will include hands-on discussions and labs designed to unlock creativity and take passions to the next level.
• Share best practices. Companies can share their actions and events (and photos) in the International Women’s Day: Best Practice Competition, which will be used to inspire others throughout the year. For instance, last year, Siegel+Gale invited female executives for a panel that shared advice on how females can advance in the workplace. GTB recognized women who had made significant contributions to the advertising agency with its “WINning Women Awards.” Deadline for entries: April 30.
• Keep the dialogue going. If you’re in a position to influence your employer, urge those at the top to hire more women and promote more women to leadership roles. Take a closer look at your company’s policies. Call out bias when you see it. Nurture or mentor other female talent.

Some companies are further along on their journey of gender equality, putting programs and policies in place to help female employees. International Women’s Day is the perfect time to ask yourself “What has my company done to reach gender equality?” and “What can I do to hasten the journey?”

We’d love to hear from you. Please email to share your own IWD thoughts and actions.