Leadership shifting, still in flux
The days of companies being led only by men contrasted by exclusively women sitting behind the receptionist desk are over, but that setup is still the norm, presenting challenges not only to women in leadership roles, or those looking to climb the ladder, but for companies looking to modernize and shed the antiquated idea that a CEO can’t wear heels.
Some are not aware of the continuing challenges to female leaders. Some challenges are subtle, and others are overt attitudes that make no excuses. Some women leaders never meet any resistance and do not believe any challenges are unique to women that men are not also challenged by, while others see a distinct difference between the challenges each sex is met with as they become leaders.
A top female leader weighs in
Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation, where any entrepreneur can access online document filing services to start, maintain, and protect their business without spending a fortune. Sweeney is an ambitious leader who earned her BA in Criminology, Law and Society & Psychology and Social Behavior, then went on to earn her JD from Pepperdine University School of Law, and her MBA from the George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.
She has been named a Top 40 under 40 by the Business Journal, and a Top Ten Women-Owned Business in the San Fernando Valley. She is no stranger to the challenges of leadership, particularly in the male-dominated law and technology sectors she has spent her career focused on.
According to Sweeney, below are the top five challenges women leaders face:
- Men. Leaders tend to be male. Women leaders often have a difficult time finding mentors who are in a similar circumstance. I found WPO (Women President’s Organization), which has been wonderful in helping me connect with other women business leaders.
- Balance. It is hard to balance everything. Female leaders, especially if they are moms, have a lot on their plate. Keeping it all together at the business and at home can be a challenge.
- Staying healthy. It is very hard to get sick when you’re a leader. Finding the time to eat right and exercise is critically important.
- Time. Finding the time to get everything done can be a challenge. I find keeping a list to keep me on task helps to ensure that I get things done in a timely fashion and can get right back on task when things come up that take me off task.
- Business growth. Many women find it difficult to reach that $1m in revenue mark. I imagine a lot has to do with the four other challenges above. Many times business growth also depends on financing and business relationships. These endeavors may be secondary for women, hence business growth tends to be a challenge for women.
About MyCorporation: a leading provider of online document filing services for clients who wish to form a corporation or limited liability company. For nearly ten years, MyCorporation has helped small business clients and real estate investors incorporate their businesses in a reliable and affordable manner. In addition to offering document filing services for online incorporation, MyCorporation also offers trademark searches and applications, copyright registrations, DBA registrations, registered agent services and many more products that help customers protect and maintain the legitimacy of their businesses.
