Women make up more than half of the world&rsquo;s population, and yet, according to an article in Fortune, <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/06/02/female-ceos-fortune-500-2021-women-ceo-list-roz-brewer-walgreens-karen-lynch-cvs-thasunda-brown-duckett-tiaa/">women occupy less than 10% of executive positions</a> worldwide. That&rsquo;s a problem not only for women in the business world but also for companies and consumers around the globe. 
The simple reality is that we are all diminished by the relative dearth of women at the top of the corporate ladder. This article explores the reasons why women should pursue C-suite positions. 
<h2>Overcoming Imposter Syndrome</h2>
On the surface level, of course, the reasons why women should go for executive positions in business are obvious. They&rsquo;ll earn a significantly higher income. They&rsquo;ll enjoy more professional prestige. They will have enormous career mobility and a vast array of professional opportunities unfolding at their feet. 
These, however, are only the obvious and perhaps most immediate perks. Other advantages of pursuing a top-level leadership position may be less apparent but are likely far more meaningful. 
No matter the industry, a large number of women in business suffer from &ldquo;imposter syndrome,&rdquo; the pervasive and often debilitating sense that their best simply isn&rsquo;t good enough. Perhaps even worse, imposter syndrome leads people to believe that their successes, their accomplishments, are meaningless, a freak of chance rather than the manifestation and outcome of true talent and diligent effort. 
When you have imposter syndrome, you believe, whether you are consciously aware of this belief or not, that you and your accomplishments are fraudulent. That self-perception typically elicits one of two types of responses. 
Either you drive yourself relentlessly and mercilessly to delay the inevitable day when you are finally found out and you lose everything, or your lack of belief in yourself prohibits you from striving for more. Thus, you never aspire for the C-suite, because, in your heart of hearts, you don&rsquo;t think you belong there. 
Women, and women of color, in particular, have been found to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200724-why-imposter-syndrome-hits-women-and-women-of-colour-harder">suffer disproportionately from imposter syndrome</a>. This may come as no surprise given the traditional dominance of men, especially white men, at the highest echelons of the corporate world. Historically, companies have been led by men, and a corporate culture shaped by &ldquo;masculine&rdquo; traits, such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, and dominance. 
Heteronormative and patriarchal gender norms have historically counseled cooperativeness, compromise, and, yes, even submission, from women. These are characteristics that hardly spell success in the business world, at least according to traditional paradigms. 
A recent report by YPO on the issue of <a href="https://www.ypo.org/ypo-reports/gender-equality-in-the-c-suite/">gender equality in the global workforce</a> found that while 51% of male executives aspired to a senior leadership position early on, only&nbsp;one-third of female business leaders report having begun their careers with such ambitions. 
The researchers suggest that societal norms have served to temper women&rsquo;s career goals and, by extension,&nbsp;implicitly and explicitly characterize the C-suite as the proper provenance of men. It is little wonder, then, that women should experience imposter syndrome, that they should consciously or unconsciously perceive their success to be at once false and temporary. 
<h2>Behaving Your Way to Success</h2>
As pervasive as imposter syndrome may be, it can be overcome. Indeed, pursuing an executive position is probably the surest antidote for imposter syndrome, particularly when self-doubt takes hold. 
This is why it is imperative for women in business to always be future-focused, not only for their organization but for their own careers. Even in the earliest stages of their careers, women should be defining the trajectory they want their professional path to take. Ideally, this process would include partnering with management to <a href="https://onlinemba.montclair.edu/how-to-grow-within-a-company/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">formulate a strategy for growth within the company</a>. 
And once you have that strategy in place, you have to pursue it to the hilt, acquiring the training and <a href="https://www.careercircle.com/blog/post/7-essential-soft-skills-for-getting-and-keeping-a" rel="follow noopener" target="_blank">honing the essential soft skills</a> that make a leader. In other words, vision, when supported and affirmed by action, builds self-confidence and a sense of belonging in the halls of power. As those attributes grow, the effects of imposter syndrome inevitably decline. 
<h2>Redefining How Business Works</h2>
Every woman who aspires to the C-suite does more than simply cultivate her own career. She also systematically models success for other women and traditionally marginalized groups. At the same time, she reshapes what the corporate world looks like and, quite literally, how it works. 
When a female executive enters the C-suite, she establishes it as her own, and, in so doing, she chips away at the long-standing assumption that the executive office is the domain of men. 
However, women change the dynamics and culture of the C-suite not just by their presence but also by their ideas, values, and lived experiences. Female leaders, for example, bring new <a href="https://lucidspark.com/blog/understanding-voice-of-the-customer" rel="noopener" target="_blank">perspectives on the &ldquo;voice&rdquo; of the consumer</a>, who they are, what they want, and how they are to be served. &nbsp;
 After all, women aren&rsquo;t just half of the global population, they are also half of the global market, and yet their purported needs and interests have been defined and served almost exclusively by men. Women in senior leadership enable the executive suite to enjoy a much more accurate, holistic, and comprehensive view of the market &mdash; and there are few things more important to a corporation&rsquo;s success. 
<h2>The Takeaway</h2>
For centuries, women have played subordinate roles in business, that is, when they have been admitted into the corporate world at all. Even today, men represent a highly disproportionate number of senior executives. If a sea change for gender equality in the workforce is to occur, more women must pursue C-suite positions. Doing so will mean more than advancing her own career. It will, inevitably and systematically, inaugurate a shift in corporate culture and will revolutionize the way businesses operate.
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Content Contributor:
Ainsley Lawrence is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in better living through technology and education. She loves traveling to beautiful places and is frequently lost in a good book. <img src="https://cdn.buttercms.com/ddtAhqjuRJGpTsY3S4lA" width="230" height="231">

Discover insightful articles on building inclusive work environments and fostering diverse talent communities.

Why Women Should Go For C-Suite Positions | Getting Hired

Why Women Should Go For C-Suite Positions

Four Women with Disabilities from History You May Have Overlooked&nbsp; Women with disabilities are powerful, complex, and accomplished people with valuable insights. Unfortunately, many famous women from history have had their disability identity erased from their legacy in the historical record. By highlighting women with disabilities from history, we honor these women&rsquo;s legacies and send a message to today&rsquo;s women with disabilities that they have the power to be tomorrow&rsquo;s leaders. 
With that in mind, here are four women with disabilities from history you may have overlooked:
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Harriet Tubman. Most famous for being a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman was an escaped enslaved woman who dedicated her life to assisting other enslaved people escape to freedom. She acquired <a href="https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/10/harriet-tubman-disability-democracy/">several disabilities</a> <a href="http://www.harriet-tubman.org/early-life/">as a direct result of her enslavement</a> and had frequent headaches, narcolepsy, and seizures throughout her life. More recently, <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/730157">academics are beginning to highlight</a> the role her disabilities played in her prominence as a freedom fighter.

Frida Kahlo.&nbsp;Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican painter whose work centered around themes of pain, self-image, and beauty. While most people know Frida Kahlo&rsquo;s imagery and bold self-portraits, her <a href="https://deyoung.famsf.org/kahlo-identity">experience with chronic pain</a> is consistently erased from accounts of her life. After a childhood experience with polio and a severe bus accident, Frida Kahlo often used a wheelchair and many times painted from her bed. Some <a href="https://newhistories.group.shef.ac.uk/disabled-impressionism-art-through-the-eyes-of-frida-kahlo/">critics believe</a> that it is this experience that makes her work so powerful.
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Fannie Lou Hamer. Born into a poor sharecropper family in rural Mississippi, Fannie Lou Hamer found her calling as <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/fannie-lou-hamers-dauntless-fight-for-black-americans-right-vote-180975610/">a voter&rsquo;s rights activist</a> when she was in her mid 40s. Hamer also had polio as a child, the effects of which were exacerbated by a later brutal altercation with police in a Mississippi jail. This experience <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676267/until-i-am-free-by-keisha-n-blain/">adds a new dimension</a> to Hamer&rsquo;s most famous quote, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m sick and tired of being sick and tired.&rdquo; 
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Kitty Cone. A fierce leader in the Independent Living Movement, Kitty Cone was a white lesbian disability rights activist and credited for being <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/obituaries/kitty-cone-overlooked.html">the &ldquo;organizational brains&rdquo; behind the Section 504</a> Sit-In protest in 1977. The sit-in is widely recognized as the longest non-violent occupation of a government building in United States history. In <a href="https://oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt1w1001mt&amp;brand=oac4&amp;doc.view=entire_text">her oral history of Section 504</a>, Cone notably states &ldquo;I am thankful for my disability. I feel like the constraints and the choices that it has given me have made me who I am. And, you know, I like who I am.&rdquo;

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Four Historic Women with Disabilities

Living with a disability is by no means easy, but the challenges can be particularly significant when that disability is not immediately visible to others. Determining whether or not to disclose your disability at work may be one of the most important, and also one of the most difficult, decisions you can make as you strive to manage your disability effectively.
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As you weigh the pros and cons of self-disclosure, it&rsquo;s important to remember that you&rsquo;re under no legal or moral obligation to reveal your condition to your employer or colleagues. However, there may be some significant benefits to you in doing so. This article explores the potential advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your invisible disability at work and describes some key considerations to keep in mind as you make your decision.
<h2> Potential Benefits of Disclosure</h2>
 When you have a disability that isn't visible, it can be tempting to try to &ldquo;pass.&rdquo; You may prefer to keep your condition under wraps to avoid potential ramifications, such as stigmatization or unconscious biases. You may fear, for example, that your employer or colleagues may perceive you as less competent or reliable due to your disability and that this may negatively impact your work relationships or your career progression.
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The reality, however, is that self-disclosure can yield a number of rewards for you, your colleagues, and the overall culture of the workplace. For instance, discussing your condition with your employer can make it easier for you to access the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/employers/accommodations" rel="noopener" target="_blank">accommodations to which you are entitled</a> under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For example, if you are neurodivergent and have been diagnosed with <a href="https://researchautism.org/when-and-if-to-disclose-asd/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">autism spectrum disorder (ASD)</a> or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), for example, your job duties leave you vulnerable to overstimulation or other condition-specific challenges while on the job; disclosing to your employer can help you collaborate on effective accommodations. 
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<a href="https://www.tungstenringscenter.com/blog/2022/03/10/how-to-prepare-for-working-with-kids/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Working with children</a>, for instance, can present a unique constellation of difficulties for persons who have sensory processing disorders. However, by coordinating with your employer, you can develop a strategy that will enable you to care for your own needs while also caring for the children under your watch. This might include the provision of an assistant to oversee the children when you need a few moments of quiet to decompress.
<h2> The Organizational Benefits of Self-Disclosure</h2>
 When you reveal your condition at work, you&rsquo;re not only invoking the legal protections you drive and enhancing your access to the accommodations you may need, but you are also improving the overall culture of your workplace. &nbsp;
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Companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion are more profitable and productive than those that don&rsquo;t. When an organization proves safe, welcoming, and supportive for employees with disabilities, they help to alleviate fears of discrimination and bias in workers who may be experiencing physical or mental health challenges. And this means that employees are more likely to reach out for help when they need it which, in turn, leads to healthier, happier, and more loyal workers and more unified and supportive teams. 
<h2> The Risks of Disclosure</h2>
 For all the potential benefits of self-disclosure when you have an invisible disability, there are potential downsides. Not all company cultures are created equal, after all. Toxic work environments do exist, <a href="https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/small-business/fancy-tech-is-no-cure-for-bad-corporate-culture/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">even in the most sophisticated and technologically advanced companies</a>. If your company is one in which a &ldquo;villainous culture&rdquo; prevails, then disclosure is probably not going to be in your best interests.
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It&rsquo;s important to remember, though, <a href="https://www.additudemag.com/fired-for-adhd-legal-rights-at-work/#:~:text=What%20protections%2C%20if%20any%2C%20do,not%20do%20their%20job%20properly" rel="noopener" target="_blank">that you </a><a href="https://www.additudemag.com/fired-for-adhd-legal-rights-at-work/#:~:text=What%20protections%2C%20if%20any%2C%20do,not%20do%20their%20job%20properly" rel="noopener" target="_blank">cannot</a> be fired because you have revealed that you have a disability. Nevertheless, if your work environment is a deeply negative one, you may find that remaining with your current employer does more harm than good. In that case, you may do well to find another position, ideally one that actively seeks to employ persons with disabilities.
<h2> Making a Plan</h2>
 If you <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/publications/fact-sheets/youth-disclosure-and-the-workplace-why-when-what-and-how#:~:text=The%20laws%20require%20that%20qualified,you%20must%20disclose%20your%20disability" rel="noopener" target="_blank">decide to disclose your disability</a>, the first thing you need to do is determine how and to whom. Are you comfortable with discussing your condition openly with your employer and colleagues? Or do you prefer to keep your condition confidential, revealing it only to your employer? If you choose to do the latter, remember that your employer is legally obligated to protect your privacy, and can only discuss your condition with essential personnel and others you designate. 
<h2> The Takeaway</h2>
 When you have an invisible disability, choosing whether or not to disclose your disability at work can be difficult. There are decided advantages to self-disclosure, including the opportunity to access necessary accommodations and other legal protections. Disclosure can also help to create a more inclusive company culture. The key is to remember that you are under no moral or legal obligation to disclose your condition. It is ultimately up to you to determine what is best for your needs. 
<hr>
 Content Contributor:
Ainsley Lawrence is a freelance writer from the Pacific Northwest. She is interested in better living through technology and education. She loves traveling to beautiful places and is frequently lost in a good book. 
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Disclosing a Disability At Work | Getting Hired

Disclosing a Disability At Work

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Keep up to date with CareerCircle's latest blog posts on keeping an inclusive workforce.

Why Women Should Go For C-Suite Positions

Four Historic Women with Disabilities

Disclosing a Disability At Work

Why Women Should Go For C-Suite Positions

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