According to a Harvard Business Review report, more women in leadership roles were rated by their peers, their bosses, their direct reports, and their other associates as better overall leaders than their male counterparts — and the higher the level, the wider that gap grows. Despite that, however, the majority of business leaders in the United States are men, holding 64% of leadership positions. This number increases among higher-level management, with 78% of top managers being men. Given this discrepancy, it is important that women find unity and guidance from their peers.
As women develop most through supportive relationships, Dr. Sharon Lamm-Hartman believes it is critical for women to have supportive relationships in business. “Having a mentor or coach can help women have the confidence and courage to take a leap of faith and start their own business,” says Dr. Sharon.
Dr. Sharon is the founder and CEO of Inside-Out Learning, Inc. (IOL), a global consulting firm that helps companies with increased employee engagement, improved retention, increased promotions, and revenue growth. She believes that in addition to having a mentor or coach who can help, women thrive in supportive communities. “We need peers who are walking through the journey of being a women founder together,’ she says. “This is why I am in WPO (Women’s Presidents Organization), WBENC, KNOW Women. I meet with my WPO group each month for 3 hours, we mentor one another and bring “help needed asks” to the group. These women are like my sisters because we support one another in our personal and professional lives. I don’t know what I would do without them. Therefore, whenever we are coaching a women business owner or coaching a woman who is launching her own business, we encourage them to pick at least one organization to join to ensure they have support from peers who are walking the same business owner and founder journey. These connections also refer business to one another and support business growth.”
Given the off-balance ratio of men in leadership positions, some women may find they lack the self-confidence to achieve their goals, which is why Dr. Sharon believes it’s important for women to surround themselves with those can offer encouragement. “Sometimes we don’t believe in ourselves, and we need someone external to believe in us and be our support system to help us believe we can do this,” she says. “This is why we offer coaching to individuals to help them feel empowered to really start the business of their dreams and successfully make the transition to do so.”
ABOUT DR. SHARON LAMM-HARTMAN:
Dr. Sharon Lamm-Hartman is the Founder and CEO of Inside Out Learning, Inc. (IOL), an award‐winning global leadership, team and organization development consulting business. In addition to running IOL, Dr. Sharon is a global executive and presentation skills coach, leadership and organization development consultant, speaker, writer, educator, wife and mom. She has designed and delivered over 2,000 innovative programs, including many women’s development and executive presence and presentation skills programs. She has her doctorate in leadership and organization development from Columbia University and a master’s degree from Cornell University. Dr. Sharon has coached thousands of CEOs, executives, educators, professionals, and entrepreneurs worldwide. In her upcoming book, The Authenticity Code™: The Art and Science of Success and Why You Can’t Fake It to Make It, Dr. Sharon helps you understand that the secret to your success lies in being your authentic self. The Authenticity Code™ is currently available on Amazon. For More Information Visit: insideoutlearning.com
