Ladies, there’s no better time than now to continue to blaze trails and break glass ! The last 10 years have seen an influx of women entering the workforce, and they've made a killer impact. Research has revealed that female leaders bring invaluable skills such as increased productivity, empathy and unparalleled understanding - set to revolutionize any company culture down their path. 

The Power of Soft Skills 

As more women join the workforce, it’s important to understand why they are succeeding. It isn’t just because of hard skills like coding or software engineering; it’s also because of soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. These skills are invaluable when it comes to leading teams and helping businesses reach their goals. Yet most businesses don’t focus on cultivating those skills that are required in volatile situations or shifting circumstances like what we see in today's market. 

When we talk about soft skills in the context of gender, there is often a perception that women possess them more naturally than men. While this may be true for some people (and certainly not all!), research shows that both genders can benefit from developing these skills in order to succeed at work. And since companies are increasingly valuing soft skills over hard ones, this gives us all hope for a gender-equal future in the workplace. 

What Needs To Change? 

While many strides have been taken towards gender equality in recent years, there is still much work to be done around total rewards – compensation and equity specifically. Women continue to make less money than men for doing comparable work, which can lead to feelings of frustration and insecurity at work. It can also lead to a “glass ceiling” effect where career progress is limited or stunted due to external factors such as discrimination or unconscious bias against female employees. 

 Let’s ask ourselves: 

1. What are the biggest obstacles women still face when advancing in your workplace?

2. Are there success stories of women who have advanced in your  workplace?

3. What can your organization do to help women overcome these obstacles?

4. Are you ready to spark this conversation?

​Today let us celebrate female leaders in the world of work who have paved the way for many of us even in ILM like Joy Allen , Judy Girard, Margaret Haynes, Judy Budd, Frances Weller, Wilma Daniels, Annie Brown Kennedy, Lela Thompson, Cassandra Sidberry & so many more by breaking glass ceilings, pushing boundaries, finding confidence & pursuing goals out loud.

Women's History Month is a perfect time to become an ally for progress and assess where your organization lands when it comes to gender, race or age diversity & equity. It’s also the perfect time to invest in developing tools & specialty training that enable collaboration within an atmosphere of belonging. 

Let's continue to honor those who came before us who fought tirelessly for our rights & remember that although being successful at work requires hard skills , often it's our softer qualities & character traits that make the real difference . After all, we don't just hire people with brains but with hearts too!