Reduced Inequalities

When Oprah Winfrey wowed the world at the Golden Globes with her rousing call for greater opportunities for “little brown girls,” it signaled a turning point for HP’s Chief Diversity Office, Lesley Slaton Brown. “I watched it over and over and over,” she says. “I cried. I laughed. I rejoiced. I cried some more. I got inspired. I have goosebumps now, just talking about it. Literally, arms-to-legs goosebumps.”

On March 20, the Melville Hub was buzzing with young women seeking leadership skills advice from our own leaders. The day’s activities were designed to inspire the next generation of empowered women. Fifty-four 10th, 11th and 12th graders from New Hyde Park, Connetquot and Sewanhaka high schools attended the Young Women’s Leadership conference that we co-hosted with Junior Achievement.

Changing the dynamic for women in the workplace means upsetting the status quo. This includes knocking down the different "rules" for men and women regarding advancement in their careers. Changing the perception of driven women in the workplace-acknowledging their contributions, strengths, and performance equitably-promotes a well-rounded workforce and therefore a more successful operation.

You may be staring right at a $300 billion auto service and repair market opportunity, but not seeing it at all: women. Your competitors are starting to take note, though, which means either you do the same, or you give away your share of what is now an essential source of auto shop revenue.

Can ignoring gender bias make it go away? Of course not.

But I do wonder whether the specter of gender bias is creating self-limiting stories for a generation of women entering the workforce. This question was inspired by a recent visit to the campus of one of our nation’s most respected universities.

Engineering is in Barbara Rusinko’s blood. Her father, now 93 years old, was a Bechtel engineer and she’s been with the global engineering, construction, and project management company since starting as a summer intern in 1985.

Recently called Britain’s most successful female engineer by The Telegraph, as well as an inspiring role model by Construction News, MacAdam’s career includes major projects all over the globe, including Boston’s Central Artery highway and Sydney’s Metro City and Southwest Project.

Women occupy just 15 percent of board seats worldwide. In the US, women account for just five percent of all CEOs among S&P 500 companies. In the UK the situation is worse: in 2016 there were more male CEOs named David (eight) than women CEOs (six) in the FTSE 100.

These figures make for uncomfortable reading for men and women alike, but we have two choices in the face of this harsh reality – we can either feel discouraged by the lack of progress and downbeat about the prospects for women in the workplace. Or, we can allow this data to fuel women’s rise to the top and help drive the change that is needed at the higher echelons of business.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, JetBlue and Marie Claire magazine are excited to share their Women On The Fly video series. The two brands recently sat down for “A Quick Q&A With…” three women business leaders from very different industries to gather their top career tips. These three power players shared advice on being a good leader, sparking passion in their teams and leading by example.