Women make up half of the U.S. workforce but represent only
25% of the technology industry. They lead only 8% of technology start-ups. So why aren't there more female leaders in the tech sector? One
of the answers lies in the lack of mentorship - in the lack of both mentors and
mentees.
If you look at the entrepreneurship landscape, you still see
that it is dominated by men. But without women in high places, younger women
lack the role models and mentors to help them succeed. Younger generations of
women need to have someone to look up to, someone to show them the ropes and
limitless possibilities, to help them believe. That is why it is increasingly
crucial that women who have made it to the top of the organisation commit to
guiding other women towards similar success, take a larger role and
responsibility in 'raising' the next generation of female leaders.
However, it is also the responsibility of women to ask for
mentorship. Women need to actively seek mentorship, male or female. More often
than not women in power cite their male mentors being crucial to their success.
A mentor is someone who:
• Has faith
in you, pushes you to be better, encourages you to keep moving forward when
going gets tough
• Is honest
with you, even if truth hurts, and tells you to stop whining if necessary
("tough love")
• Contributes
to your knowledge base through sharing experiences and best-known practices
• Opens up
his/her rolodex to you and utilises his/her network to help you succeed
• Helps you
towards your own vision by helping align your actions with your goals
• Is
consistent and disciplined: puts in the time, gives you homework, sets
benchmarks, holds you accountable every step of the way.
These are some other observations around mentoring:
• Mentoring
doesn't have to be an altruistic act; it is totally acceptable to have a mutual
benefit in this relationship that would help motivate both parties. You can
trade your services or help each other in different ways, but it is always best
to ensure alignment of incentives.
• Mentees
have to know what they want -- that's half the battle.
• It is
impossible to meet with everyone who wants your time as a mentor. If you are in
that position, create a barrier to entry to ensure your mentees are as
dedicated as they expect you to be.
• Don't
make gender an issue, don't take it personally. People hang out in familiar
circles because of the common interests; that's just how networks work. As a
woman, you need to become a part of solution, not a part of the problem.
• Ageism is
often an issue professionally. So if you are a young woman, you can overcome it
by sounding confident, being firm, looking others straight in the eye, and
firmly shaking hands.
• As a
mentor you have to make a commitment and stick to it no matter what. Your role
as a mentor is to push yourself out of the job by your mentee doing it well.
Positive Leadership: Mentoring Women in the Tech Sector
