What's the best career path for women (or men) who hope to one day occupy the CEO seat? A recent article published by Bloomberg asserts that most people with career goals that include senior leadership simply aren't on the right job track to make that happen. Women in particular excel in leadership roles in HR, finance, and legal, but are not moving into the upper ranks in critical operational jobs, which are far more likely to lead to the C-suite.
"About 94 percent of S&P 500 CEOs held top operations positions immediately before ascending to the top job, and the relative scarcity of women overseeing product lines or entire businesses risks slowing their advance to the very top. The data show that the next generation of female executives is poorly positioned to capitalize on recent progress at a time companies from Google Inc. to Apple Inc. are laying bare their lack of diversity to help raise the number of women and minorities in the workforce," says Bloomberg's Jeff Green.
So what's the problem? A confluence of several factors, including the dearth of female role models in top jobs, says Green, as well as the tendency for women to stick with functional jobs, and the reality that men are more liable to be promoted to line jobs than women.
Organizations can have an impact here--starting by making the early identification and development of future leaders a priority and encouraging high-potential women to go into operational jobs. Developmental workplace groups for women can be helpful too, such as Lean In Circles, which are typically formed by eight-to-12 peers who meet monthly to mentor one another by sharing information and working through learning modules that cover everything from honing negotiation skills to career planning. Boards should also be cognizant in their succession planning discussions of the need to identify women executives who can and should move into operational functions in preparation for top jobs.
"About 94 percent of S&P 500 CEOs held top operations positions immediately before ascending to the top job, and the relative scarcity of women overseeing product lines or entire businesses risks slowing their advance to the very top. The data show that the next generation of female executives is poorly positioned to capitalize on recent progress at a time companies from Google Inc. to Apple Inc. are laying bare their lack of diversity to help raise the number of women and minorities in the workforce," says Bloomberg's Jeff Green.
So what's the problem? A confluence of several factors, including the dearth of female role models in top jobs, says Green, as well as the tendency for women to stick with functional jobs, and the reality that men are more liable to be promoted to line jobs than women.
Organizations can have an impact here--starting by making the early identification and development of future leaders a priority and encouraging high-potential women to go into operational jobs. Developmental workplace groups for women can be helpful too, such as Lean In Circles, which are typically formed by eight-to-12 peers who meet monthly to mentor one another by sharing information and working through learning modules that cover everything from honing negotiation skills to career planning. Boards should also be cognizant in their succession planning discussions of the need to identify women executives who can and should move into operational functions in preparation for top jobs.