As women make up half of the U.S. work force and business owners as well as 57 percent of household top earners, the economic recovery is dependent on the productivity and innovation of women in the workplace, according to a new book by Apollo Research Institute.
The book, "Women Lead: Career Perspectives from Workplace Leaders," looks at six industries with the quickest growth that provide women with paths to career advancement. These industries include business services, education, health care, information technology, nonprofits and manufacturing.
Of the book's major findings, women rank at the top of charts in key skills. Specifically, women outperform men when it comes to communication, coaching, organizing people, thinking creatively and solving problems. Additionally, women place higher in empathy, transparency and inclusiveness, which are all necessary characteristics of collaborative work environments that prevail.
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Generation X and Y workers tend to see a smaller gender gap than baby boomers, the book reveals, and women follow career paths and exhibit leadership styles that are more in line with younger generations. Another 58 percent of women leaders consider their career paths nonlinear while 87 percent of female executives and managers changed career directions midlife.
In the high-growth industries, 90 percent of jobs must have at least some postsecondary education, and managers list education as the most critical requirement for leadership positions.
"Women leaders often stand out for their relationship-building skills," says Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director of Apollo Research Institute and the book's lead editor. "But our findings highlight how women also excel as negotiators, risk-takers and entrepreneurs."
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