January 2011 Archives

The Glass Cliff: Gateway to the C-Suite

No doublt you've heard of (or even bumped into) the Glass Ceiling, that invisible barrier that keeps women from making it to the top leadership spots in business. But have you heard of the Glass Cliff?

According to an article in the current Harvard Business Review, the Glass Cliff may be a woman's best bet for getting into the C-suite. In "How Women End Up on the Glass Cliff," co-authors in the US and Germany confirmed research that women are more likely to be chosen for the top spot in a company when: 1) the company is in crisis, and 2) the company has previously been led by men.

Because the company is in crisis, the new leader enters a precarious situation, thus the image of the "cliff."

What's fascinating about the findings is that the reverse did not hold true. The researchers found that if the company in question was in crisis but previously led by a woman, there was not a majority shift to choosing the opposite gender as a successor. So it's not just a "status quo bias" (thinking that, since the current situation is not working, let's switch to something different) that explains the Glass Cliff.

I'm not sure that the authors offer a convincing theory of what does explain the Glass Cliff phenomenon. What is clear, however, is that gender expectations are fluid and situational, and that your quickest way to the C-suite may be to find an ailing company with an outgoing male leader.

Click here to listen to an interview with one of the article's authors.

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How to Get the Experience You Need to Get the Job You Want

Today I'm answering a question from Mary, from Cleveland, with a three-step strategy. (If you cannot view this video in the blog email, click here.)

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How to Take a Career Do-Over!

It's a fresh new year, and I thought you might like to read a Do-Over! story by the change agent herself. Here's how Amy Stewart abandoned big-law and started up her own firm, as well as the advice she offers to anyone contemplating a career transition.

I'm a lawyer who actually admits that I like practicing law. Among close friends, I've even been known to say I love it. I always have. After spending the first 17 years of my career in a big-firm environment, I decided last year to launch my own law firm, Amy Stewart PC. Based in Dallas, I specialize in insurance coverage and complex business litigation.

The Circumstances
I'm not a natural seeker of change. I struggle with the idea that abandoning a course of action, even one that is completely unproductive, is somehow admitting defeat. I want to overcome my challenges, not run from them. As a result, I tend to stay in undesirable situations too long, determined to improve them. Naïve, I know. I'm also a mom, with two young children. It wasn't exactly the best time to plunge headlong into a new business venture.

My decision to launch my own firm was compelled by a myriad of factors. Some stemmed from the discombobulated economy and what I perceived as potential business opportunities. I also faced some challenges specific to my former firm and my type of practice. My former firm represented virtually every insurance company in some capacity or another--and someone other than me controlled the business. This made it difficult for me to cultivate my own clients.

The Coach
Discouraged and annoyed, I hired a business coach. Here's another bit of advice: Never underestimate the power of an ally and mentor. A good coach can make an enormous difference. My coach was the mentor I always wanted but never had. She validated my ideas and encouraged me to pursue them. She pushed me past my fears, challenging me to confront them and defeat them. I will be forever grateful.

The Goal
Early in my coaching, I determined that I needed to leave my firm in order to make some specific, meaningful advances in my career. I embarked upon a business development plan with great fervor, while beginning to explore the market. The decision-making process that ensued forced me (or presented the opportunity!) to clarify my values and figure out what I really wanted to be doing in two or five years.
Envisioning my options, I realized I had reached a point in my career where I sought either to head an insurance coverage section in a firm or start one. I was craving the chance to try out my own brand of leadership. Upon making that determination, I stopped exploring "safe" opportunities. And I was determined not to compromise my qualitative standards. I felt it would be mistake to settle for "just a job." Now what?

The Leap
In July, I went to Nashville to visit my best friend from law school and follow up on some business leads and introductions. The physical separation from my usual day-to-day routine, coupled with some exceptional opportunities and the encouragement of several close friends, made that trip a turning point. The distractions quickly faded, and starting my own firm emerged as the clear frontrunner. My excitement (bordering on outright giddiness) about my new venture was grounded in a calm confidence that was new for me, and I liked it. I made the leap in August, with very little portable business, but I did have relentless enthusiasm, incredibly supportive friends and family, and a million ideas.

The Progress Report
Six months out, I'm thrilled (and relieved) to report that I still have the lights on. In fact, my practice is growing. New business has come from unexpected sources, due in large part to persistent networking and marketing, along with supportive clients and friends. My mantra has been: "Go, even when you don't feel like it." And it seems to be working. Now I make my own decisions about how and when to spend time and money on marketing. If it ends up being a bad idea, it was my bad idea. I'll learn from it. When I work until 2am, I reap the benefit of my hard work in a completely different way. It's an exhilarating experience, and one for which I am thankful beyond measure.

And I have learned something important. Fear hinders our ability to identify what we want to accomplish and take the steps necessary to achieve it. Launching your own start-up might not be your passion; it might be something completely different. The same principles apply with equal force. Eschew fear! It's worth it.

Amy's advice for women in career transition:

• Hire a coach
• Clarify your goals, both short- and long-term
• Don't settle for "just a job"
• Take time out/away from the distractions
• Go, even when you don't feel like it
• Eschew fear

Forget the Resolutions! Think Strategy.

(If you have trouble viewing this video via the blog email, click here.)

As you well know, I write a lot in this blog about clarity. Makes sense--I have a book entitled CLARITY. But this year, starting today, I'm going to give more air time to the third term of this blog's title: "Women, Clarity, and Power."

POWER.

Power is the ability to make things happen--whether that means a work project, a personal goal, or changing the world.

I've learned a lot about  power from pilates. Pilates is the thinking woman's workout. I hate what passes for exercise in our culture: panting and heaving and big-muscle movements. I've been able to stick to pilates for a number of years now because it demands focus and bodily imagination. You go deep. I better understand how my body works, and how it powers my intentions and actions every day.

Been wanting to try pilates? This Sunday, Jan 9, you have your chance. Ballet Austin's Butler Dance Education Center, 501 W 3 St, Austin, is holding an open house. From 3pm to 5pm, you can sample the various forms of pilates the center offers, from the reformers to pilates cardio to the Thera-band stretch & tone class that I love. Click here for more details.

I head to Ballet Austin for pilates three times a week. Vlada Sheber (director of the pilates and conditioning center) is my coach/task master/guru. A former ballerina, she uses every trick in the book from that deep, commanding voice to that sly sense of humor to get me to do what I may not really want to do at the moment. When I see her, she's usually making corrections or cajoling me into another set, so I decided to take this opportunity to ask what she knows about women and power:

When do you feel most powerful?
I feel most powerful when I am in the studio, teaching a private session or group class, when I feel connected to my clients.

Who are some powerful women you admire?
I was blessed to meet and study with the two most powerful and incredible women in my life: my pilates teacher, Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle, and my ballet teacher, Miss Philipova. Back in Russia 20 years ago, Miss Philipova was very strict, but had a great sense of humor. She looked like your ordinary babouchka (grandma), but had an extraordinary ability to transform herself into a beautiful dancer when she demonstrated ballet movements.

Do you think power is part of what makes a woman attractive?
Power is energy, and energy attracts more energy. This, I think, is the key to success!

How does pilates help women to increase/own their own power?
It helps build your self-esteem. I see it happen every day. The pilates exercises help you to improve your posture and move more gracefully. After a session, clients say that feel younger, and they certainly look younger. Personally, after my pilates workouts, I feel like I can move mountains!

"I Forgot My Mantra"

My father was a keen and soulful observer of human nature. And wry. Of all the great lines and scenes in Woody Allen's classic comedy "Annie Hall," his favorite was the one by a Hollywood partygoer (Jeff Goldblum) who calls his guru to declare, "I forgot my mantra."

I've had a lot more success with my mantras. I accumulate them as I need them, and the new year always offers the opportunity to add to the repertoire. Last year was "flow," and the year before was "momentum." Oldies but goodies: "one thing at a time" and "live and learn."

I spent last week considering the past year and the new one, strategizing (more about that in the next blogpost). And creating a new mantra. I've settled on "Ask for it." I'm a high-autonomy gal, but as a solopreneur, that's not really a useful way of being. As I tell my coaching clients, there comes a time when we need to replace outworn strategies, regardless of how successful they've been in the past. Wish me luck!

Thanks to everyone who shared their 2011 mantras with me. What's yours? Tell us by clicking on the "Leave a Comment" link below.

"When it's over, it's over." - Brenda Collier
"Be here in the now" - Mary Day Long
"What would your future self tell you?" - John Daly
"Focus and recommit to what's important" - Melita Glavin
"I deserve the best life has to offer" - Deborah Herriage
"I'm free to live my best life!" - Cindy Chin
"I am joy" - Sheree Scarborough
"If you 'know' and do nothing, it's like 'not knowing" - Lisa Johnson