Breaking the glass ceiling: It's all about who you know...

In a poll carried out during our recent Women in Leadership webinar, attendees were asked “What Skill do you think is the most critical to become an effective leader?’’. The overwhelming result (71%) was ‘Emotional Intelligence’.

Our second poll asked the question in a slightly different way. “What Skill do you think is the most critical FOR WOMEN to become successful leaders?’’.

While ‘Emotional Intelligence’ still ranked highly, the majority of respondents cited “Networking & Relationships’’ as being the most important.

In a world in which we are becoming more and more connected, the importance of networking cannot be ignored. In the past, the ability to build a rapport with peers and mentors would be limited to people with whom you have physically met, or at least interacted with through a mutual acquaintance. With tools such as LinkedIN, twitter, Zoom and others we are able to reach out further afield and engage with those who we admire, have shared interests with, or similar aspirations.

Similar to academic alumni, our network is increasingly important in breaking down barriers to success that would otherwise have been difficult to navigate.

Respondents to the survey, and attendees at our recent webinar have hit the nail on the head. Breaking down the glass ceiling, or climbing the career ladder is a lot easier if you have someone you know and trust pulling you up.

To find out more about our Applied Learning Programme geared towards Women in Procurement & Supply, click the link below:

https://www.cips.org/learn/training/mena/cips-mena-women-in-procurement-applied-learning-programme/?ec=1fBsiFCwa38