Women in Leadership
Navigating the LabYrinth
To become leaders, women must navigate through a labyrinth…ideally, there would be no labyrinth, and women and men would have the same paths to leadership. But currently, the male path is more direct, and the female one more labyrinthine.
Eagly and Carli, Harvard Business School Press
The path to leadership for women is different than for men. Women face specific challenges as they move through the leadership labyrinth within organizations, from breaking through the glass ceiling to navigating the glass cliff.
A recent Knowledge@Wharton article asks what needs to change — women or the system? One school of thought advanced by Sheryl Sandberg (Former Chief Operating Officer, Meta/Facebook) encourages women to “lean in” and puts the onus on women to advocate more forcefully for leadership roles. Another school of thought advanced by Anne-Marie Slaughter (former US State Department Policy Director) calls for organizations to take on greater responsibility for making changes. Hence, the debate continues: Is it up to women or organizations to make changes?
In our view it takes both — women and organizations can and should contribute to closing the gender gap in the workplace.
Eden Park Approach
At Eden Park, we work with women one-on-one who want to develop personal leadership goals and career management plans. We understand the challenges faced by women on the path to leadership. We help women navigate the labyrinth in pursuit of rewarding leadership positions.
In addition, we work with organizations seeking to engage, retain, and promote the advancement of women leaders. We help organizations examine structural, environmental, and cultural challenges to the retention and advancement of women.
We help women and organizations evaluate the specific enablers known to promote women’s advancement and engagement, including executive sponsorship, organizational support, career development, and the alignment of intrinsic needs (enjoyment and satisfaction) with women’s leadership objectives.
Eden Park Outcomes
We coach women to become more effective leaders. We help them become self-advocates for their leadership development and advancement. We help women look at leadership strategically so they can develop specific strategies to realize their leadership objectives.
We Work with Organizations Facing Scenarios Like These:
Pipeline Issue
Women are underrepresented in leadership advancement pipelines at all levels. Numbers decline as organizational levels increase resulting in fewer women available for senior leadership roles.
Systemic Barriers
Unconscious biases reflect dominant gender norms in many workplaces which create invisible barriers for women.
Intrinsic Motivation
Organizational practices can be misaligned with women’s intrinsic needs which can undermine women’s engagement.
Organizational Support
Lack of career management undermines work satisfaction according to a McKinsey/LeanIn.org recent study.
At Eden Park, we provide career and leadership coaching and consulting services. We help you to be the best you can be throughout your career and in your leadership roles.
Our approach to working with clients stems from our grounding in the fields of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behaviour.