WV Executive

There’s no doubt women have gained significant ground in the workforce. Since the 1986 Wall Street Journal article widely believed to have coined the term “glass ceiling,” women have infiltrated the highest levels of national politics, corporate boardrooms and even the military. However, despite the fact that the glass ceiling does indeed have millions of cracks, there appears to be some ground still left to cover.

In an effort to create a snapshot of women executives in the Mountain State, I commissioned a survey of more than 100 professionals at various stages in their careers. Participants—all women—were asked for candid thoughts on leadership, the proverbial “old boy’s club,” balancing ambition with family and advice for others trying to climb the ladder in heels. This was not meant to be a study in science but rather a peek behind the curtain into the role of gender in business and how it translates into the lives of professional women in West Virginia.

What Gender?
Despite the fact that a whopping 59 percent of women who took the survey state they have experienced some form of negative gender bias in their career, most still believe that talent and hard work eventually win in the end. “Gender has sometimes been a challenge when breaking into both business and politics, and many times at first glance I have not been taken seriously,” says Tiffany Lawrence, marketing and public relations administrator for Charles Town Races & Slots. “However, in those instances where my gender has gotten me through the door, it has been my mind that kept me there.”

At 26, Lawrence is the youngest woman ever to serve in the state’s House of Delegates and is a former Miss West Virginia. She is also representative of how most of the women surveyed simply neuter the workforce as they set and achieve their goals.

“Perhaps my unwillingness to place any emphasis on being a woman accountant—versus just being an accountant—is the result of 30-plus years of working hard to make my gender a non-issue with clients and employers,” says Sandra Thomas, member of Dixon Hughes and the first female partner at a large accounting firm in West Virginia. Indeed, while respondents overwhelmingly acknowledge lingering prejudices of the past—86 percent believe the “old boy’s club” still exists, many refuse to let this define their future.

Redefining Leadership
A 19-year Pepperdine University survey of Fortune 500 companies showed that those with the best record of promoting women outperformed the competition by anywhere from 41 to 116 percent. Could it be that a woman’s management style—typically seen as more “soft”—is the kind of leadership needed in the workforce today?

“The ‘female’ disposition towards compassion, active listening and attention to detail results in quick relationship building, a high level of trust and documented results,” says Heather Lyons, Specialty Chemicals Group operations leader for Dow. Even though 77 percent of survey participants state that women and men make equal leaders, there’s no denying that our right-brained tendencies are gaining traction as valuable management tools. This significant paradigm shift in the workplace comes at the same time that leadership models are moving from traditional hierarchical versions to more inclusive democratic ones. “Almost anyone can learn good management and business techniques,” says Amy McLaughlin, ReStore director for Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha and Putnam counties. “It takes someone with vision and an ability to empower others to be a good leader.”

The Myth of Superwoman
If today’s professional women have unprecedented possibility, they must also accept the reality that comes with it, i.e. the more successful you become, the more you have to share yourself. In other words, the higher up the ladder you go, the more late nights, meetings, post-work socials, dinners, conferences and travel start to creep into your schedule. This is the price we all pay for ambition regardless of gender.

Nevertheless, it’s interesting to note that almost half of the executives surveyed believe that a woman’s family responsibilities hold them back from personal achievement. “Because we are the ones who actually have the babies, we tend to cycle in and out of the workforce, which puts us behind in our careers,” says Betty Ireland, West Virginia’s first female Secretary of State and current vice president of business development at Professional Services of America, Inc.

However, many women say that once they start a family, the definition of success changes and time suddenly becomes their most coveted possession. It’s at this point when some begin to redefine their ambition—and seek to build satisfying careers that don’t require impossible schedules. “For 30 years, society has told women they can have it all,” says Rachelle Beckner, marketing director for Kanawha County Public Libraries. “I’m telling you—you can’t! With all due respect to our foremothers who fought so vigilantly for us to have rights and respect in the workplace, you can’t place that kind of pressure on the next generation. We can’t tell women that they can climb the corporate ladder and be the modern-day June Cleaver. All you can do is give each area your best when you’re at it.”

This notion of balance is a thread that weaved through the majority of the women interviewed. For example, while none of the working moms regretted their choice, most agree that success at home and work requires a certain acceptance of the fact that you can’t give 100 percent to both at the same time and that each must have periods of priority.

This notion of balance is a thread that weaved through the majority of the women interviewed. For example, while none of the working moms regretted their choice, most agree that success at home and work requires a certain acceptance of the fact that you can’t give 100 percent to both at the same time and that each must have periods of priority.

Tomorrow’s Trailblazers Today
When it comes to sharing wisdom with a new class of women executives, one piece of advice echoed throughout the responses. “Emulate leaders who inspire you,” says Lynne Schwabe, director of development for the National Youth Science Foundation. “Read everything you can get your hands on about managing people and about the success of executives you respect.”

Susan Brewer, managing partner of Steptoe & Johnson and the first female CEO to head a West Virginia law firm, also places an emphasis on good mentors in her rise to the top. “Watch those that you and others respect and go to school on how they’ve become leaders,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to talk to them and ask good questions.”

There is no doubt that young women today need role models to show them achievement by example. As companies have become leaner and coaching either optional or non-existent, the onus is now on professionals to seek out their own mentors—but the challenge is also there for successful women to be mentors. Study after study shows that women in particular feel the most satisfaction when making meaningful contributions to the world through their work—and helping someone else step up, get involved and dream big is one way to have a true impact on our state.

In fact, while respondents differed on backgrounds and experiences, everyone agreed that if West Virginia is to achieve her potential, women leaders must come to the forefront and be the change they want to see. At the end of the day, we may not have the critical mass in power yet to create the type of real changes needed (e.g. equal pay, near-site daycare, etc.), but we can—and must—fill the pipeline with women leaders who will forgo traditional paths, eschew the long shadow of “mother’s guilt” and achieve their own victories. Whatever they may be.