I wanted to share the new Nike video full of inspiring women who have and continue to break barriers. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the women who have gone before us; women who been brave enough to do things first: vote, run a marathon, run a company in spite of the names that they were called and all the obstacles that stood in the way of their dreams. So, if anyone dares call you unhinged, irrational or crazy, send them this.
A recent survey published in Pensions & Investments notes the disconnect between partners and female staffers on the subject of gender diversity in the private equity industry. The full article can be found here.
The next article explores the double bind women face when climbing the professional ladder. If women are perceived as nice, warm and nurturing as they are expected to be, they aren’t seen as having what it takes to be a leader. By the same token, when women take charge, they are viewed as angry and aggressive. When women in leadership positions take the same actions men do, they are perceived as less likeable, hence women are forced out on this untenable tightrope with regard to their behavior. The full article can be found here.
The next pair of articles explores the interesting phenomenon of dominant masculinity in our society. The American Psychological Society has found that dominant masculinity is harmful. To quote: “certain forms of traditional, dominant masculinity can engender loneliness and also have a taxing quality of making men feel they have to prove themselves over and over again, which leads to disproportionate numbers of heart attacks and other problems.” Another article explores the phenomenon of the upper echelon that are wealthy, successful and miserable. To quote: “even in a boom economy, a surprising portion of Americans are professionally miserable right now. In the mid-1980s, roughly 61 percent of workers told pollsters they were satisfied with their jobs. Since then, that number has declined substantially, hovering around half; the low point was in 2010, when only 43 percent of workers were satisfied.” Have we reached a tipping point where the construct of our industries has led us to cut-throat competition that deprives folks of meaning in their work? And is it time for a different approach? The articles can be found here and here.
We have our 10th annual State of the Markets coming up on Thursday, April 25th, 2019 in Dallas. This year we are honored to have the legendary Alice Gould and CIO of the Year TJ Carlson joining us. With the recent market turmoil, you will not want to miss this event! Sponsorship packages are available. Please reach out to Bianca King at developmentdirector@txwsw.com to learn more.
YWPN is looking for summer internships for its students! These girls are accomplished and motivated and our member companies who have hosted them in the past repeat their participation in the program because these young women have made strong contributions. Details are at the bottom of this post or reach out to Katie Albritton, Director of Partnerships 214-824-1400 x210 (office) or 972-638-0391 (cell) | kalbritton@ywprep.org to learn more.
I would ask each of you to consider corporate sponsorship of TXWSW. Benefits include attendance at our flagship events and recognition for your firm. To learn more, you may find our sponsor information here. Additionally, we would be happy to create a custom sponsorship for you. Please contact Bianca King at developmentdirector@txwsw.com
Kind regards
Christine
