Breaking into the Men’s Room: Five Traits of Women Engineers with a Boardroom Seat
Publication: Leadership and Management in Engineering
Volume 10, Issue 4
Abstract
The engineering industry is welcoming more women into the ranks, but few have made it through the boardroom door. It is imperative that companies incorporate more women into all levels of employment, but especially upper leadership positions, for three reasons: the labor pool is shrinking, lack of women among leadership dampens an organization’s productivity, and bottom-line results are better for organizations with women on the board. This article discusses these reasons and then describes five traits women (and men) can develop in preparation for effective leadership: persuasively communicate, lead with heart, take care of yourself, see the big picture, and know yourself.
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References
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Biographies
Jeannine Wirth is a civil engineer with almost 30 years of experience working for private engineering companies. She is currently the owner and president of RiversQuest Consulting, providing career coaching and training for engineers and engineering organizations. She can be contacted via e-mail at: [email protected].
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© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 6, 2010
Accepted: Jul 6, 2010
Published online: Sep 15, 2010
Published in print: Oct 2010
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