Leaders are finding themselves exhausted, which is no surprise as we survived Covid, having skillfully navigated our personal lives, work teams, and organizations. As we exit the pandemic mode and enter a hybrid work mode, many leaders find themselves and their teams lacking the same drive and commitment they had pre-pandemic. The recent war on talent further compounds an already difficult situation for leaders. After two and a half years of near-stability, firms are experiencing talent exits on an unprecedented scale, creating instability once again.
Are you wearing shoes? While women have seen some big movement recently in breaking the glass ceiling, there are still barriers to career advancement, including the glass cliff. All leaders, regardless of gender, need to be aware of the barriers that prevent more women – particularly women of color – from effectively growing their careers. We already know that diverse teams, including teams with a mix of genders and races, outperform other less diverse teams and businesses (see leanin.org, catalyst.org, and studies by Stanford and the Women at Work initiative).
