WHAT DO LEADERS NEED TO DO THEMSELVES TO ADVANCE? Genders and generations have very different views on how to advance at work. Gen X and Boomer males – who make up the majority of leaders, remember – say performance is the primary route to career advancement together with cutting edge assignments. But travel, long hours and time away from home tend to accompany these assignments. It’s clear: unless leaders are changing how work gets done and how performance is measured in male cultures, progress will not be made by women. Other Leaders take a broader view. Millennial females say to advance they need to build relationships and network. However women’s networks tend to be female and made up of peers, where they aren’t getting the exposure they need to advance. Gen X and Boomer females agree but are more formal – they say it’s key to have mentors. All women are looking for support – and we need to provide it to retain them – but that won’t guarantee success. Mentoring does not lead to promotion. We may be giving women what they want but that alone will not drive results. We should be cautious and proactive – we know sponsorship is proven to be more effective than mentoring. “There have to be programs to enhance the competencies of women who have the desire and ambition to excel in - Male Established Leader, Technology, Asia Pacific their careers.” In contrast, all male Leaders are more overt and say the best way to advance is to display leadership skills and self-promote, be open to risks, challenges and stretch opportunities. But if women aren’t self-promoting to male leaders who are the majority – how will female leaders advance? And are these leaders guiding women down the route to leadership roles with operations and profit and loss responsibilities, versus the typical support functions? THOUGHTS on WORK Travel, long hours and time away from home tend to accompany cutting edge assignments. ADVANCEMENT It’s clear: unless leaders are changing how work gets done and how performance is measured in male cultures, progress will not be made by women. MILLENNIAL FEMALES GEN X AND BOOMER FEMALES MALE LEADERS Say they need relationships Agree with Millennial Say the best way to advance and networking, but females that they need is to display leadership women’s networks tend to relationships and skills and self-promote, be be female and made of peers, networking, but they are open to risks, challenges where they aren’t getting more formal and say it is and stretch opportunities. the exposure they need. key to have mentors. 10 | 07 STEPS TO CONSCIOUS INCLUSION: