Reaching The C-Suite Requires A Duo Of Essential Skill Sets

Abstraction: Two critical experience gaps women must close to reach CEO — P&L and crisis management

Key points:

• Maria Doughty (CEO, The Chicago Network) identifies P&L ownership and crisis management as the two essential experiential gaps for women aspiring to the C-suite
• Research shows women ask for pay increases as often as men but are more frequently turned down; bias operates through multiple dimensions (too old, too young, too ambitious)
• Susan Colantuono's TEDx research found men are mentored in business fundamentals while women are mentored in executive presence — creating a structural experience gap
• Running a P&L may require taking lateral or lower-level moves, but Doughty considers it non-negotiable for CEO readiness
• Crisis navigation requires decision-making, stakeholder management, and problem-solving under pressure and scrutiny simultaneously
• The Chicago Network's Launchpad Leadership Summit (Sept 20, 2023) helps women VPs and directors chart their C-suite path

Connections: The Chicago Network · Leadership Development · Executive Skills

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/janinemaclachlan/2023/09/14/reaching-the-c-suite-requires-a-duo-of-essential-skill-sets/