Women Want Power More Than Flexibility

The myth that women lack ambition is just that—and if you’re not convinced, here’s more research to prove it. A study from the Center for Talent Innovation found that women want five main things at work: freedom and autonomy to flourish; the ability to excel and be recognized for their achievements; meaning and purpose in their work; the ability to empower and be empowered by others; and financial security. In other words, women are plenty hungry for career success.

There is one notable feature missing from the aforementioned list: flexibility. As Harriet Minter puts it in The Guardian, “It seems women don’t need work-life balance to be happy, we’ve just assumed they do.” Her assertion is backed up by a poll at a recent London Business School event: when asked what would make them feel successful at work, more than twice as many women chose being in a leadership position over the ability to achieve work-life balance.

The takeaway for managers, according to Minter: “Don’t make decisions for your team based on what you think they might want in the future, listen to what they want right now.”

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TAKE THE LEAD prepares, develops, inspires and propels women to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across all sectors by 2025. It’s today’s women’s movement — a unique catalyst for women to embrace power and reach leadership parity.