This document discusses the challenges women face in achieving leadership positions. It notes that while women outperform men in education, they remain underrepresented in corporate board seats, CEO positions, and political office. Women face barriers like the "sticky floor" of societal stereotypes that hold them back and the "glass ceiling" that makes top positions invisible. The "leadership labyrinth" describes factors throughout a woman's career, like family expectations and discrimination, that impact their progression. The document provides recommendations for navigating this labyrinth, like breaking down gender stereotypes, negotiating salaries, and promoting oneself for leadership roles.

1. Through the labyrinth of leadership:
overcoming challenges for
women in the workplace
Parsa Zoqaqi
Director, Centre for General Studies

2. 1 Overview
Statistics
Sticky Floor
Glass Ceiling
The Leadership Labyrinth
Navigating the Labyrinth
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3. 2
Women take care
and men take charge!
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4. 3 Education
Higher performance
Better transferable skills
More opt for education
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5. 4 Holding Board Seats in Fortune 500
Companies
90.00% 84.80%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00% 15.20%
10.00%
0.00%
Famale Male Thursday, April
11, 2013

6. 5 CEOs in Fortune 500 Companies
120%
100% 97%
80%
60%
40%
20%
3%
0%
Female Male Thursday, April
11, 2013

7. 6 Members of Parliament
100%
90% 87%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20% 13%
10%
0%
Female Male Thursday, April
11, 2013

8. 7 Sticky Floor
Societal stereotypes
Women’s own decisions
Harder choices
Perceived less capable and reliable
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9. 8 Glass Ceiling
Elite positions visible
Elite positions not accessible
Inequity and discrimination
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10. 9 The Leadership Labyrinth
Factors faced throughout career:
Family expectations
Society norms
Discrimination
Inequity
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11. 10 Problems
Quit jobs for family-related
Don’t promote themselves for leadership
positions
Serve as social facilitators
Decision-makers influenced by
homosocial reproduction
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12. 11 Problems cont’d.
Don’t ask for what they want
Don’t negotiate (persuasive skills)
Are put in situations associated with
greater risk and criticism
Popularity versus Competence
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13. 12 Positive Changes
Organizational culture
Gendered Stereotypes
Leader diversity
Parity in domestic responsibilities
Negotiating for positions & resources
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14. 13 Myths
Eagly & Johnson (1990)found:
Not more interpersonally oriented
Not less task oriented
But are
More participative or democratic
More transformational Thursday, April
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15. 14 Navigating Through the Labyrinth
Societal Level
Break gender stereotypes
Encourage sharing
Personal level
Negotiate 7%
Be visible
Compete
Tap yourself on the shoulder Thursday, April
11, 2013

16. 15 Refrences
 Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.).
Thousand Oaks, California, USA: Sage.
 Eagly, A. H., & Carli, L. L. (2007). Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How
Women Become Leaders. Boston, Massa, USA: Harvard Business School
Publishing Corporation.
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17. Thank you!
Parsa Zoqaqi
16 Director, Centre for General Studies
pzoqaqi@ruw.edu.bh
Thursday, April
11, 2013