Dear corporate America: stay committed and keep going

Welcome to The Lead, Lean In’s newsletter connecting you with the latest news and insights to help you advance in your career and achieve your ambitions. Let’s dive right in.

Yesterday, we launched Women in the Workplace 2024 . Our 10th-anniversary report provides a detailed view of progress, decline, and stagnation in women’s representation and experiences over the past decade.

In the last 10 years, it’s clear companies have taken real action that has led to important progress. The number of women in senior leadership has steadily increased, and these women are reshaping the workplace and inspiring a new generation. And there are better policies in place to support employees, as well as more efforts to foster inclusion.?

We would like to be cautiously optimistic about the future, but there is one glaring finding in this year’s study holding us back: company commitment to diversity is on the decline. At a moment when companies should be doubling down on their efforts, there are early signs they are pulling back.

“For the first time in 10 years, we are seeing a drop in companies’ commitment to both gender and racial diversity,” Lean In co-founder and CEO Rachel Thomas told USA Today . “That’s, of course, concerning for us.”

The next phase of change will require even more tenacity, creativity, and optimism—and that starts with rekindling the commitment to diversity and fairness that got us to this point. In the report, we offer a road map—based on research-based tips and strategies—for going deeper and breaking new ground, including:

• How to activate employees to change the culture of work — giving them the “why” and explaining what they have to gain is a good start
• How to evaluate the quality of your employee training — not all training is effective; in fact, research shows that low-quality training can be counterproductive
• How to more fully engage men — it’s essential that senior-level men, in particular, are in the know and on board
• How to unlock the power of managers — this may start with ensuring managers have the time and resources they need to advance women

I encourage you to check out these solutions in the report itself. Better yet— @mention someone in your network in the comments below who would appreciate these insights.

?? ? ? —Caroline Fairchild, Lean In Editor-in-Chief

Nearly 50 years away from parity. At the current pace of progress, it will take 22 years to reach parity in corporate America for white women—and more than twice as long for women of color—and that assumes companies can translate their somewhat precarious momentum into more substantial and sustainable gains. [Forbes ]

A fragile corporate pipeline. Over the past decade, there have been important gains for women at every level, but the pipeline is not as healthy as the numbers suggest. At the beginning, too few women—and especially women of color—are advancing into management positions. And at the highest level—the C-suite—what drove gains in representation will be nearly impossible to replicate in the years to come. [Fortune ]

How work has changed for women. There has been a lot of progress in corporate America over the last ten years, but gender equity still remains uneven. And there’s concern that the next decade may not bring as much progress as the last one. [HBR ]

“Nixing” career programs for women. Amid a larger “DEI backlash” in corporate America, only 37% of companies surveyed for our study now say they have formal mentorship programs for women, down from 39% a year ago and 48% in 2022. [Bloomberg ]

Sexual harassment is just as common. Sexual harassment remains common in the workplace, and women are still more likely than men to be on the receiving end of it. Roughly 4 in 10 women have experienced some form of sexual harassment during their careers, from hearing sexist jokes to having obscene or sexually explicit comments directed at them. [CBS News ]

Circle Leader Training (60 minutes)?

How to get your Circle started, from deciding on your Circle’s purpose and recruiting members to join, right up to hosting your first meeting.

September 24 , September 27 , September 30

50 Ways to Fight Bias: Latinas in the Workplace (90 minutes)

Join us this Hispanic Heritage Month at one of our events hosted specifically for Latinas.??This session focuses on addressing the specific biases and microaggressions Latinas encounter at work. It’s a free virtual event covering materials and concepts that empower participants to identify and challenge bias effectively in their workplace.nbsp;

October 1

According to this year’s report, women are far more likely than men to deal with comments and actions that undermine their skills and expertise, such as having their judgment questioned. And this has not improved over time. These everyday forms of disrespect, often called microaggressions, make it harder for women to speak up, take risks, and surface concerns at work.?

So, what can you do the next time your competency is questioned at work? First of all, know that it’s not on you to confront anyone. But if you want to say something:

• One option is to simply state the facts. Researchers have found that this is one of the best ways to make people aware their behavior was wrong while minimizing the risk of a defensive response.
• Another way to respond is to ask someone to explain their thinking. We know from research that this is a good way to get people to reexamine their assumptions.
• You might also be surprised by the power of the simple question, “What makes you say that?” You can use this question if a colleague makes a comment about your age, questions your experience, and in lots of other situations.

In our leadership curriculum, we offer more practical advice on how to respond to microaggressions. Watch the video and download the discussion guide.

This week, we’re “Leading with” our founder, Sheryl Sandberg.?

At 4:00 PM PT/7:00 PM ET today, Sheryl will join LinkedIn’s Editor in Chief Dan Roth for a live conversation about this year’s report, elevating your career, and driving equity at work more broadly.?

“Everyone wants women in senior leadership roles, but five years out of college… if for every 100 men, you only promote 81 women and 54 women of color, you're never going to get there,” Sheryl said about the importance of fixing the “broken rung” women continue to face at the first step up to manager.?

Have a question for Sheryl? Join the discussion on LinkedIn and put it in the comments—Sheryl and Dan will be selecting a few to answer live.?

Join Sheryl on LinkedIn Live Here

Follow us on Instagram , Facebook , and LinkedIn for the latest and greatest tips to help you navigate bias and create a more equal and inclusive ??.