By James G. Derian
There’s no doubt in my mind that women as a group are a distinctly civilizing and humanizing influence in society. I’m counting on the growing stature and power of women in the U.S. and abroad to gradually transform the world into a more productive, cooperative, peaceful place. I’m counting on women in the U.S. to continue their steady climb from political disenfranchisement and virtual chattel as wives a hundred years ago to the day when they reach full economic and political parity with men.
Women’s presence and influence in public and professional arenas is accelerating. According to a Newsweek report, on a global level women are the biggest emerging economic market in the history of the planet – more than twice the size of India and China combined. In many developing nations, as in the United States, women are earning the majority of college and graduate degrees, as well as starting the most new businesses.
It’s important for women to keep rising in society for a number of reasons, some of them purely economic. In a competitive global economy, we can’t afford to waste the talents of half our nation. In addition, there’s a growing body of evidence that companies with multiple women officers and directors outperform those with no women. One or two token women apparently are not enough, however, to significantly impact strategic conversations and decisions. It isn’t until their voices reach a tipping point of one-third representation in groups that they begin to significantly influence outcomes.
Similarly, the Diversity Prediction Theorem, developed by academic experts studying complex problem solving, has shown that diverse groups nearly always outperform homogeneous groups by a substantial margin. According to the research, having a diverse group of people who analyze things in different ways and from different perspectives provides a distinct competitive advantage. For example, men in commercial disputes are often focused exclusively on “winning,” while women are typically more mindful of preserving the business relationship.
The United States now has the highest educated, most professionally accomplished and politically savvy women in the history of the world. So, why do American women continue to earn just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men performing substantially similar work? Why do American women hold an average of only 18 percent of the country’s highest leadership positions? More than half of our law graduates are women, but only 15 percent of equity partners at the nation’s largest law firms are women – and that number has remained fixed since 2006. Women were 53 percent of the voters in the 2012 elections, but hold only 18.5 percent of the 535 seats in the 113th U.S. Congress.
Obviously, gender bias continues to exist, particularly implicit bias. The results of discrimination in pay, promotions and business opportunities offered to women can be devastating to careers. Men’s attitudes about women’s capabilities and appropriate roles, as well as their willingness to include, mentor, promote, align with and champion women’s advancement into positions of authority can make a world of difference.
Today in the U.S., half of all workers are women and four in 10 women are bringing home as much or more than their husbands. Yet women continue to shoulder the majority of all family caretaking, not to mention the primary biological responsibility of pregnancy and childbirth. As a result, work cultures designed for middle-class men with stay-at-home wives aren’t conducive to women with families. So, until these societal imbalances are adjusted, women are always going to be disadvantaged.
In the meantime, what more can women do to help themselves? I just finished an interesting book on this subject written by former TV sports reporter and Ford Motor Company communications executive Anne Doyle.1 Her advice proceeds from two basic principles she urges women to adopt. First, female gender is a strength to be embraced and developed, rather than an obstacle to be overcome. Second, women professionals need to realize they will never truly be “one of the guys.” According to Doyle, trying to make the team by acting like one of the guys is always a mistake because it’s not genuine and women will almost always come up short when measured against purely male standards. The good news, she points out, is that the strengths, collaborative approach and expanded perspective that women are bringing to leadership are beginning to be valued as never before.
She goes on to elaborate her advice for women who want to rise to the top of their professional fields. The first is avoid trying to “macho up.” Rather, she says women should relax into a style that reflects who they are as women, without misplaying the sexuality card (and sending confusing signals). She acknowledges this issue of being yourself involves more than just rethinking wardrobe choices. Women have to walk a fine line through the minefield of gender status prejudice. If they come on too strong, they’re accused of being “bossy” or worse. Too little and they’re a pushover. Of course, women have to be able to cross the gender culture divide, if they’re going to lead. But, this works both ways. The best male leaders today likewise need to be capable of understanding and interfacing with women in a broader way.
Doyle also makes a passionate plea for joining the sisterhood. She laments that many women view one another as their primary competition for everything: jobs, promotions, recognition, men and so on. She says women need to ally themselves with each other and drop the “every woman for herself” approach. Women need to network and form mentoring relationships with each other, just like men do. For Oakland County lawyers, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan offers good opportunities for networking and professional growth.
In any event, all of us, especially women, need to be respectful of the life choices women make. Many women decide to opt out, choosing full-time motherhood over their once-promising careers. Many other women try to balance the push and pull of career and family with daycare, nannies, flex-time schedules and telecommuting. And let’s not forget the growing number of fathers who are actively, if not exclusively, involved with the day-to-day parenting. Both men and women grapple with work/life balance issues to one degree or another. But, the truth is women face significantly more difficulties and challenges at every step of their careers. And all of us, men and women, have a role to play in remedying that.
Now I’d like to hear from you. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing women lawyers today? Your views matter to me. Email me at james.derian@delphi.com.
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Footnotes
1Anne Doyle, “Powering Up! How America’s Women Achievers Become Leaders,” (2011).
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James G. Derian, corporate counsel for Delphi Automotive Systems LLC, is the 81st president of the Oakland County Bar Association.
