Why Most Women Will Never Become CEO

This is going to open up a can of worms, I just know it, but unfortunately, this guy makes some very valid points about being a woman in the business world.

I read this today and wanted to share, because I thought it was interesting:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2011/10/31/why-most-women-will-never-become-ceo/

Do you agree or disagree with this guy's assessment?

 

You could be the CEO of my company if you know what I mean.
Dick Incorporated.

I would like to liquidize your assets if you what I mean.

You could....ok I'll stop.

 

I agree with that guy, although I think that he is hypocritical. He knows about his missing support in his own family and commits that he is also not different. It’s a kind of easy to abuse the old family structures as an excuse, for his own lazyness.

How women can handle family/kids with a job, will always be a mystery to me, especially if two factors are missing:
-a supporting husband
-not enough money to hire a nanny or a group of people (as you can see at our popular people that are so proud of their uncredible motherhood, but travelling with a full plane of employees)

But there is also another factor I could observe. Women don’t see the difference between business and normal social life. They are raised to be reliable, careful, considerately, nice and kind all the time. In a boss position totally wrong attitudes and behaviour. They have to be louder, more convicing and harder than all of their competitors. The men will build a wall against the woman, will use everything against her to break her career-neck. Don't forget- here, we talk about money...

So it’s never bad to follow a strategy ( it’s never wrong to know some secrets or embarrassing weaknesses of your colleagues- and to talk only to the person of power) to coerce them. Unfortunatly, this is difficult for many women-a serious, hard bite

 

A painful read, but there is validity to what he says.

 

I disagree with some of this.
Lets just start at the beginning shall we. Few women major in s.t.e.m.(science technology engineering mathematics) or business in college despite the fact that we have more women in college than men. This is also added with the man burden that you have mentioned(supportive husband, meg whtham's husband is a doctor.). The man has to have a good job otherwise the relationship with women won't last(money is often #1 reason of divorce). This adds to the major in stem or business concept.

That being said. I don't think men build walls to block women out. It is more of a gender thing in a lot of cases. Women tend to hang with women and men tend to hang with men. However, in business it is everyone for themselves. Men are going to do all they can against men and women to get what they want. just is the way.

I'll add that it is really hard to raise a family and do this, no matter the gender. However things are more intense for men since things can fall apart faster on our side than on a woman's. This leads to being more cut throat business.

 

it is a fair assessment of women in the workplace...we will always be held to a higher standard...expectations much greater...scrutinized more severely...judged always and on everything:smt009

 

women and black men have more in common than u'd think

bottom line...if ur not a white male, you're going to have to do more to get the same results

i remember an old sociology professor telling our class (which was mixed) that people like me would have a harder time reaching CEO or a similar tier, regardless of how intelligent, handsome, or strong we were, because of being black. It's like a monkey on your back that never goes away.:-?

id imagine my life would probably have been a tad easier If I had the same qualities, but was white instead.

 

i would tend to agree with you...i say we keep fighting the good fight and continue paving the way for those that will travel the same path eventually...to be honest if everything was too easy i might not savor it the same way...there is a sweet reflection found in accomplishments...

 

Absolutely agree - I think we're natural allies.

 

I appreciate your opinion, but I’ve experienced it different.

Let’s play one scenario: 7 men and 3 women have to vote for a new CEO. They can choose between a woman and a man ( both have the same qualification and experience). Do you really believe that one of that men will vote for the woman? I even doubt that the women will vote for her, maybe one of that three.

Women are still today looked at like weak and unreliable, because of their family situations and men don’t want to have a female boss. Business is in their iron hand.

I have seen a lot of examples, how men treat their employees or colleagues. I was sitting many times in offices, where I could observe, how men reduce women to a nice ass or if she is not beautiful, is being ignored.Women are nice to look at, they can earn some money to support their families or are useful as a secretary to bring some coffee. This career break already starts early.And if a woman can make it to be the CEO, mostly a strong man supports her in the back. But generally in serious business, they have no place in. Between men it’s a game, a gentlemens agreement, they can accept if one is loosing, but to be defeated by a woman is just against nature and very embarrassing..

You know, it’s not that I couldn’t understand men, why they are as they are. Men only have a career (for everything else they need a woman), women can choose, if they like to have kids, a family or a career . But it doesn’t make it more just.

 

Forgive me for being skeptical... The article may state valid reasons why some women will never become CEOs, but I think it ignores entirely the other side of the reality coin...

For whatever "progress" we think our society has made in dealing with the social issues of race, sex(ism), and politics, the "Good Ole Boy" network is safe and sound. Passing the mantle to the most "qualified" person, regardless of race or gender is still a desert mirage...

That is not say there aren't more qualified, deserving women in the workforce... Only that the glass ceiling remains firmly in place but more transparent...

And I don't believe that playing field will ever be "level" in my lifetime...

 

Interesting thread. I think many women don't become CEO because many aren't willing to sacrafice family the way men are.

 

Is sacrificing career for family a good or bad thing?

In our society career has become overrated and family underrated.

 

The appearance of "handling all of the above" and actually accomplishing that are seldom the same.

 

Interesting question. I guess it varies person to person but for me family means everything but I have to be financially strong in case we need it and history has proven sooner or later they will.

 

It's a toss up, they may hire the man, but if he's black.... they may go with the woman. I have actually seen this happen. It all depends, and the world of business is cutthroat.

 

basically

this goes for both sexes nowadays

ive come to the conclusion that I would not settle down with a career-oriented woman

if I start having kids, I know I'll want multiples so I'd prefer a half that liked to work or have a job, but wasn't really so caught up in it that everything else would take a backseat.

I haven't evolved past that breadwinner role at all

 

This^

The fact is that gender roles are still in place and will be for a very long time. Men and women are not raised the same way - both to blame.

Women, more so than men, are willing to sacrifice their own career to support the other to pursue their career.

That means that women, more than men, have do choose between family or career... as men more often than women are less likely to accept a spouse that is gone a lot of the time due to career demands.

This is not a gripe, its just facts and the blame is equally on men as it is on women...

I have chosen to go with a career.. I meet men that in the beginning find my career "sexy" but grow tired of my demanding career - I don't have a 9-5 or Mon-to Fri job.
I work in average 80h per week and travel a lot as well as many, many weekends... They fairly fast demand that I cut back, I cant - this is what I was hired for, its in the job description.... unless I scale back and take a less demanding job - which I am not willing to do, without a commitment - it would not be fair otherwise... This happens much more frequently to women as it does to men. That is an indisputable fact....

It is slowly changing, fast enough? No. As I said, its not a gripe about men, because women have equally set that bar and it will tale a lot to change that on both accounts.. the economical hardship we are facing is sort of fast tracking that, but it may not be fast enough for me to see it in my lifetime.... especially since I feel that there is actually a reverse in the view of women in the work field and younger women seem to think more about the stay-at -home role than my generation.... so I'm not sure.

 

only problem with sacrificing career for family is sometimes a partnership doesn't work and the one who's sacrificed their career for the family is the one left struggling from pay cheque to pay cheque whilst the other. who was able to keep up their skills and climb that corporate ladder, is not in the same boat and is not left with the same financial burdens, struggles, demands or stress.

 

ur a dr...that lifestyle comes with the territory

if you wanted a 9-5, you could have taken the easy road and went for McDonalds

I just don't play games like that. Sadly, I actually frowned upon women without college educations or things going for themselves. Then you know, this whole fatherhood thing kicked in and made me realize that maybe that's the type of women I'd need. I know I'm very into myself and what I do, and want to do more and have the world. Having someone like that mirroring me wouldn't bode well for family raising. Someone would have to take a backseat, and I know it wouldn't be me lol.