#MillennialTalk Recap – Breaking Glass Ceilings: Advancing Women Leaders To The C-Suite and Beyond

When it comes to the workplace, women arguably have to work harder and smarter in order to make their way to the C-Suite. But, it’s certainly not impossible and more than ever, women today are speaking out and coming together to fight for what is right and to achieve equal opportunity. Women like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, Lynne Doughtie  (KPMG US CEO), and Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) have proven that breaking glass ceilings and making it to the top is doable!

This Tuesday, #MillennialTalk partnered with the 2018 KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit to discuss the topic, “Breaking Glass Ceilings: Advancing Women Leaders To The C-Suite and Beyond.”

This chat was full of incredible wisdom, insight, and tips to help propel women forward and level up in the workplace. Here’s a recap of our #Millennialtalk chat Q&A with @KPMGinspire, @lynnedoughtie, and our amazing #MT participants.

 

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@ChelseaKrost: It can be difficult for a man to understand how women think, act and communicate and it is more important than ever for women to shed any fear of speaking out and chose to SPEAK UP and RISE UP! Women need to honor and own their worth and realize that they are their only limit. And if we want to WE CAN shatter glass ceilings and advance to the C-Suite & in all aspects of life. #InspireGreatness

@Kpmginspire: Leadership is a tangible skill. It’s important to clarify the most valued and respected attributes of leaders in your organization and seek out or provide training opportunities for women who wish to hone their skills. Women cite confidence and determination as the top two characteristics of leaders but less than half of women identify with being confident.

@lynnedoughtie: Be confident and courageous. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Whenever you leave your comfort zone, you learn and grow the most.

@CRBlackmon:

• Determination
• Perseverance
• Faith In Yourself
• Know Your Worth
• Compassion
• Courage
• Commitment

@ChelseaKrost:  Women are asking for lower pay than their male counterparts for identical senior roles, according to new research. I believe some women don’t push for more salary/opportunity due to the fear of jeopardizing relationships in the workplace, which isn’t fair at all. Women have to be “aware” of the male ego and work around the ego to get what they want or to make a point without making the man feel belittled or inferior. Where as I don’t believe men think about this in regards to a women as much. Whether people want to believe it or not I think women have to prove their worth, put in the time, and prove their commitment that much more to earn equal opportunity and equal pay.

@Kpmginspire: Women want to lead, but they are more cautious in taking steps toward leadership roles and find it hard to see themselves as a leader. Female colleagues, role models and networks play a critical role in advancing women’s leadership. More women in senior leadership report having significant role models teaching them about leadership than was reported by men in leadership positions.

 

@RachelYancius: I feel like they’re expected to prove themselves more. Men are given second and third chances. When a woman messes up, people are immediately questioning… “should she be in that role?”

@CardozaGab: Leaders must ask what:

• Is our vision/plan?
• Are your/our strengths?
• Are your/our weaknesses?
• Can I do to help?
• Can I do differently?
• Resources do you need?
• Prof. or personal dev. opportunities can I offer you?

@ChelseaKrost:

• What are we doing great & where can we really improve?
• What rules should we be breaking?
• What do we need to do today to stay ahead of the curve & beat our competition to the future?
• Where do our best ideas come from & how can we spark more creativity?

@Kpmginspire: People want to work for somebody who they think is truly passionate about them building skills, being more successful. Leaders can ask their team, what do you need from me in order to help you reach your full potential? True leaders rely on their team. If you’re going to stretch, there are going to be things you do not know. You can’t be afraid to ask people to help you.

@RachelYancius: What is your purpose at work? Why do you love what you do? What makes you the best at what you do? How can you be better today than you were yesterday? … Just a few!

@ChelseaKrost:

• Give your team a reason to care.
• Create experiences together outside the workplace to fuel outside of the box thinking.
• Remove obstacles like tech for more innovative thinking & collaborative communication
• Kickstart a creative contest with a juicy reward.

@Kpmginspire: “Take on the bold move. You will actually fall less often” – Regina Dugan at the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit. 

Leaders take risks and push for what is seemingly just out of reach. Those moments are when teams focus and find their edge.

@lynnedoughtie: To drive innovation, fostering an inclusive culture where every individual in the organization has the opportunity to contribute – and feels empowered to do so – is critical.

@NotOkThatsOk: I’m a huge fan of pre-brainstorming before meetings as opposed to always during meetings. Some people need that extra time and space to process, think through and reflect before putting their ideas out there.

@ChelseaKrost: Leaders can encourage more collaboration by leaning into their team, asking their opinion, and by allowing them to take a risk and try something new. Leaders should ask questions and seek inspiration on collaborative ways to solve the needs heard from the teams answers.

@Kpmginspire: Lead by example. How you treat others is what will determine whether people can follow you.

@JLavenberg: Leaders can foster more collaboration by allowing people to be human. Yes, you have a job but that is not who you are. Having people connect to other people helps them create those collaborative relationships. Keeping teams engaged as a leader can be a challenge, especially with remote workers. Having regular team check-ins is useful so they realize how their work fits into the larger picture. Also highlighting future work helps to keep things in perspective.

@ChelseaKrost: Leadership is more than being in charge and managing people. What separates good leaders from great leaders, is the leaders that inspire and build up other leaders. Building leaders takes time and investment. Leaders should fuel the entrepreneur, the creator, the visionary in those that show determination and loyalty. With time, communication, and persistence we can help others blossom from within.

@Kpmginspire: Leaders have an obligation to mentor and sponsor aspiring leaders in their organizations. Mentoring is talking with someone, sponsorship is talking about them.

@evilgeniuslead: The most important job of leaders is to develop more leaders. Invest time and energy to help them grow and meet goals. Sit down with each team member individually, help them develop short, mid and long term goals for their career. Develop a plan to achieve it along with their commitments to themselves and your commitment to them to their growth. Make a conscious effort to develop all your team members into leaders, don’t let it happen by accident.

@ChelseaKrost: Network within your industry, build relationships, take meetings out of the office, commit to refining and building your digital footprint. The bigger your digital footprint the bigger impact you can make and the more valuable you become.

@Kpmginspire: Think about golf as a real way to make better connections. You will have different success if you learn the game. Building a network, whether through golf, reading, anything you put time to. The professional networks you build will be important in your career, especially in moments of stress.

@lynnedoughtie: Never stop learning. Ongoing learning will ensure you’re always adding value to your organization, teams, and clients.

@ChelseaKrost: Most importantly,the emphasis & awareness on the need to empower & celebrate WOMEN LEADERS! Women leaders today are inspiring the next generation to never take less than their worth,that women’s voices matter, and there is NO ceiling on what we are capable of!

@Kpmginspire: Companies are supporting women and women are supporting women, but there’s a lot of work left to be done. 

@CardozaGab: Leadership is no longer viewed as position dependent. It’s more about one’s ability to: influence & enact change!

@Kpmginspire: Reinforce and validate women’s performance and confidence with clear and consistent personal feedback, together with the more conventional rewards of raises and promotions. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO #INSPIREGREATNESS! 

@RachelYancius: #MENTORSHIP! I have 4 mentors in my life who I can reach out to w/ questions or if I need professional advice. These relationships have already proven to be so valuable in my career

@MargueriteTort: Invite emerging #leaders to participate in key meetings so they can see first hand senior level conversations, decision making and strategic planning.

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We hope that you will become part of our #MillennialTalk community on Tuesday’s at 8 pm EST.

To learn more about our incredible chat sponsor @KPMGInspire, click here: womensleadership.kpmg.us