How to Foster a Culture That Helps Women Own Their Talents

Throughout my career, I’ve had the good fortune of reporting to some very supportive managers who’ve helped me develop into the senior-level leader that I am today. These managers encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone, take chances, gain confidence, and own my executive presence. These managers were also both male and female.

One of my most pivotal career moments happened as I was progressing toward the senior leadership level. My male manager at the time took me to lunch and inquired why I didn’t speak up much in our senior leadership staff meetings. I told him that as someone new to the team with not as much experience as the others on it, I didn’t feel comfortable speaking just to speak. His response? He told me that, at a minimum, I should ask questions because others in the room likely had similar questions (and maybe they didn’t know as much as I thought they did). He encouraged me to voice my opinions and perspectives to show I was engaged in the discussions during these meetings. Additionally, he made me realize I had a lot of value to provide, which really boosted my confidence. Of course, it wasn’t easy at first since I was the only female on the senior leadership team. However, I soon found my voice and became comfortable asking questions, adding my thoughts to the conversation, and respectfully challenging others.

My manager, who happened to be our CEO, helped me own my gifts and talents in a way I hadn’t done earlier in my career. That’s why the theme from the Illinois CPA Society’s Women’s Leadership Forum in May, “No Apologies: Own Your Gifts and Talents,” really hit home for me. It took some time for me to feel comfortable owning my gifts and talents.

We’ve all heard that women generally don’t promote themselves as well as their male counterparts. There are various theories as to why this is: Some say women tend to believe their accomplishments speak for themselves and, therefore, spend less effort ensuring they’re being recognized; others may want to avoid attention and just blend in; and like my former self, some remain silent, failing to speak up and express themselves in meetings. Unfortunately, all of these can lead to a lot of missed opportunities for women, such as working on highly visible projects, securing promotions, and earning pay raises, just to name a few—not to mention the missed opportunities for employers as well.

But this shouldn’t fall completely on the shoulders of each individual woman. Everyone within an organization can help foster a culture that adequately supports and develops women, regardless of their level or gender. So, how can we do that? I have a few ideas:

• Mentor: As a mentor, you can lift women up by helping them develop their talents and showcase their gifts. You can encourage them to take stretch assignments and ensure their voices are heard. As a mentor, you should also provide direct feedback to mentees. Women often receive less—and less helpful—feedback, while men generally receive specific recommendations for improving their performance. Receiving specific, direct feedback helps women build skills and advance. This can also provide you with the opportunity to better get to know the female talent within your organization, which can lead to developing this talent for the good of the organization. Keep in mind that being a mentor isn’t just for those with a lot of experience—you can still be early in your career and be a great mentor to someone just starting out.
• Advocate: Advocates help connect their protégés with opportunities and contacts, and campaign for them on their behalf, as opposed to the more advice-focused role of mentors. As an advocate, you’ll fight for opportunities for the protégé to work on special projects, advocate for them when a promotional opportunity arises, and defend them during talent discussions. You’ll also ensure their achievements are brought to the attention of senior management, which can go a long way when opportunities arise.
• Support: You don’t need to be a senior leader—or a woman—to help lift women within your organization. However, speaking directly to women, it’s important to develop a strong network with other women as a means for support and allyship. Remember to celebrate each other’s accomplishments and defend each other when being criticized for demonstrating behaviors where male counterparts wouldn’t be. Make sure to give each other feedback, treat feedback from others as a gift, and solicit it often. Above all, look for opportunities to boost other women’s confidence and encourage them to “go for it.”

Countless studies have shown that organizations benefit from fostering a strong culture that supports the development of women. Not only does it enable an organization to take full advantage of its available talent by creating an environment where women can thrive and be visible, but it can also have positive downstream effects on the entire workforce. Additionally, this type of culture can further strengthen the organization by attracting a strong talent pool.

I’m at a point in my career where I know the importance of being vigilant when it comes to recognizing the talented women at my company. I want their gifts and talents to shine, so they too can have access to the same opportunities that I had thanks to the mentors and advocates that championed me throughout my career journey. I want my company to benefit from leveraging their gifts and talents, as this just makes us more competitive and successful on all fronts. I encourage you to look at the practices within your organization to see if there are opportunities to strengthen your culture as it relates to women. We’ve come a long way when it comes to women in business—and accounting and finance—but there’s still more that can be done.