The New Advantage: How Women in Leadership Can Create Win-Wins for Their Companies and Themselves

Offering both a male and female perspective on the dilemmas women face in business, this book provides the benefits of high-level executive coaching to all women who want to take control of their careers and achieve their aspirations for corporate leadership. Despite efforts to increase diversity within Fortune 500 companies and larger numbers of highly motivated and educated women in the workforce, women remain vastly under-represented at the highest levels of corporate leadership. Only about 15 percent of women hold senior executive positions, and about 17 percent are represented on corporate boards; worldwide, only 3–4 percent of CEOs are women. These statistics are in spite of the fact that many companies are actively seeking to take advantage of the financial boost that gender balance at the corporate level brings: Companies that have women in leadership roles are showing higher performance in various measures of profitability, such as revenues, assets, and stockholder value. How can qualified women leaders overcome the myriad longstanding hurdles of the corporate environment and reach the top? Coauthored by executive coaches to some of corporate America's most notable leaders, this practical, research- and experience-based guide identifies the various barriers that block women from reaching positions of corporate leadership and offers readers specific strategies and approaches that they can utilize to advance themselves into the positions they want—and apply their talents and abilities at the very top. The chapters address very specific challenges for women in the business world, such as strengthening and leveraging their closest connections, including those with their mentors and their sponsors; understanding how "performance" means more than doing their jobs well; garnering positive attention and recognition for their efforts and results; and getting honest, practical feedback that will serve to advance their careers.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith He Said, She Said Introduction: The New Advantage 1 The Networking Advantage (How do you connect to influencers?) 2 The Balance Advantage (How do you succeed without the stress?) 3 The Sponsorship Advantage (How do you acquire champions?) 4 The Executive Presence Advantage (How do you know you're perceived as a leader?) 5 The Performance Advantage (How do you outperform your highest expectations?) 6 The Recognition Advantage (How do you get your achievements noticed?) 7 The Advancement Advantage (How do you turn your accomplishments into career advancement?) 8 The Feedback Advantage (How do you know how you're really doing?) 9 The Awareness Advantage (How can you break through the bias?) Conclusion: The Next Level—Balanced Leadership for Better Business Notes Index

About the Author :
Howard J. Morgan, MBA, is cofounder and managing director at the Leadership Research Institute as well as the cofounder of 50 Top Coaches, an online network resource of the best executive coaches. Joelle K. Jay, PhD, is a principal at the Leadership Research Institute (LRI) who specializes in leadership development for senior executives in Fortune 500 companies.