BOSTON Credit unions are contributing to what one person is calling the “Red Suit Vision” the hope that women will hold 30% of top leadership positions in corporate America within the next decade.
That vision and more was laid out by Mary Davis-Holt, author of “Break Your Own Rules,” who spoke as part of a Women’s Leadership Summit at NAFCU’s Annual Convention here. The term “Red Suit Vision” comes from the notion that women wear red suits to the office while men wear grey.
Davis-Holt noted that the overall numbers of men and women in the workplace today are nearly equal, yet men hold exceedingly more C-suite-level positions than women. Females only account for 14% of top-level executive officer positions (including C-suite and one level down), make up only 16% of board membership, and hold only 19 of 500 CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies.
Davis-Holt offered a number of “new rules” that can help women be successful, including:
* Take center stage instead of focusing on others.
* “Proceed until apprehended” instead of seeking approval.
* Project personal power instead of just being modest.
“If you are passionate about what you are doing and can speak proudly about it, it is not bragging,” said Davis-Holt.
