Page 14 - LRCC March 2024 FOCUS

WOMEN
W O MEN

in Business
in Business

Businesswomen Build Successful Careers
Busin
eer
essful C
ar
s
w
om
c
ess
en Build Suc
d Dedication
it an
with Grit and Dedication
with Gr
By Jennifer McEntee
have traditionally faced there is still a “broken rung” on the ladder to success for
systemic inequality in female employees. The so-called middle of the pipeline –
Women the workplace. There at manager and director levels – has been slow to add
is a greater ratio of men than women in paying jobs, and women, making it difficult for women to advance to
men are more often promoted to senior-level positions. C-suite positions.
A woman in the U.S. who works full-time and year- The shift to flexible work due to the COVID-19
round earns an average of 83.7 percent of what her pandemic has altered the playing field for many
male counterpart earns, according to data from the U.S. women interviewed for the national study. Women
Department of Labor. who work remotely or with a hybrid schedule have
been better able to stay at their organization or avoid
Getting to the upper echelons of an industry as a female reducing their hours.
is often an uphill battle.
Women’s personal lives – which often include
And yet strides are being made — here in Lansing responsibilities as family caregivers – can have as much
and across the nation — to address gender gaps and priority as career ambitions when women are allowed
embolden women to achieve professional gains. flexible schedules and work locations. That elusive work-
life balance becomes a possibility.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, FOCUS
Magazine looked at the current terrain for women in While all genders appreciate the potential for career
business while checking in with local female executives advancement and flexible work schedules, the Women
serving at the top of their organizations and women in the Workplace study suggests companies must do
entrepreneurs who’ve carved their own paths. more to promote gender equity.

THE CORPORATE LANDSCAPE SKY-HIGH VIEW

The largest study on the state of women in corporate Nicole Noll-Williams, president
America, “Women in the Workplace” conducted by and CEO of Capital Region Airport
McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.Org, found that women Authority, has drawn from her 25-
are increasingly entering senior leadership roles. For plus years in the aviation industry to
instance, the number of women in C-suite positions has mentor others working to attain their
increased from 17 to 28 percent since 2015. professional goals.

Put another way, women represent roughly 1-in- “I firmly believe that by uplifting
4 C-suite leaders, while women of color just 1-in-16, both women and men, we not only
according to the 2023 study. strengthen our communities but Noll-Williams
also create a ripple effect of positive
The “Women in the Workplace” study collected change that extends far beyond our
information from 276 U.S. organizations employing immediate surroundings,” said Noll-Williams, noting that
more than 10 million people. The research showed that she, too, had mentors along her career path.

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