“Stare at the steps, or step up the stairs.” Vãclav Havel.
In a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (V.U.C.A.) world, preparing well for a career change especially as a woman leader is essential. More competition and time challenge makes robust planning and strategy a must.
Facts and figures about women leaders
Just 9% of CEOs in the FTSE 350 are women.
Only 18% of CFOs are women.
19% of Board level commercial roles in the boardroom are occupied by women, down from 2023. (1)
Grant Thornton’s ‘Women in Business 2024 report’ shows that female CEOs reduced from 28% in 2023 to 19% in 2024. Reasons for leaving larger firms include: public pressure, caring responsibilities and women feeling that they needed to behave like men in these roles. 2.
In 2024 compared with 2012, women HR directors have increased from 11% to 46%, CFOs from 12% to 39% and Sales Directors from 4% to 26%. 2.
According to McKinsey’s ‘Women in the workplace report’ 3, women make up 29% of C-Suite positions, compared with 17% in 2015, but men outnumber women at every level from entry to the C-suite.
This article shares insights and tips for women leaders about how to approach a change in career direction.
Make time
Ring-fence time in your diary to ensure you make your career change happen. Plan career away days or retreats. Time with an experienced career coach will ensure that you make time, however busy your work diary. Give your new career project an inspiring name.
Self-awareness
Possess up to date and heightened self-awareness. Set new 2025 personal development goals. Know your values, motivations, career needs and wants etc. Identify and address your self-awareness ‘blind spots’.
Strategic plan
“To fail to plan is to plan to fail.” Benjamin Franklin.
Use business strategic tools and frameworks for your career and have a S.M.A.R.T. career goal broken down into bite size steps to prevent overwhelm and procrastination. Have a career plan A, B and C.
Personal brand and verbal business card
What territory do you want to occupy in the minds and hearts of your target audience? What makes you unique? What sums you up in 3-5 words? When someone asks you: “What do you do?”, what is your compelling and memorable reply? Create an impactful ‘verbal business card’.
Career capital
What makes you marketable? What value do you bring? How do you prove/evidence this?
Set career capital goals for 2025 to increase your marketability in your new career area of interest. Thought leadership, qualifications and accreditations, key note speeches. Choose things you love so you are more likely to make time for them.
Network
Your network is the source of potential unadvertised opportunities and can be your ‘eyes and ears.’ Diarise time to build, support, grow and keep in touch with your network. A large and diverse network is becoming more important in the digital age. Join a new network or club to make networking expedient and enjoyable.
Create the future
Keep up with fast changing trends, in-demand growing skills, knowledge and experience so that you are in ‘pole position’ when applying for roles, and you avoid the danger of skill obsolescence.
Risk appetite
What is your appetite for risk? Create a personal internal and external risk register for your career change options, and do career scenario planning.
Career vision and purpose
What is your career vision? What is your leadership purpose? What legacy do you want to leave as a leader? Making time to clarify these will set you apart. Have women leader role models. Create a vision board.
CPD for leadership skills
Set new S.M.A.R.T. continuous personal development goals for 2025. Model leadership excellence. Audit yourself against leadership competencies: humility, gravitas, empathy, diplomacy, cultural intelligence etc.
Support network
Create your own ‘personal board’, get an accountability buddy, select an experienced career coach for your desired transition. Choose wisely – coaching is currently an unregulated market. Find a woman leader mentor who you can learn from. Define your key messages to your career stakeholders.
Avoid career ‘pot holes’
Be aware of actual and perceived hurdles and have strategies to overcome them. These include: unconscious bias, managing your ‘imposter syndrome’, higher standards for women leaders vs. men, recruiter and HR attitude ‘you’re not an exact fit’, working mother commitment bias etc.
Career adaptability
Develop the 5 career adaptability competencies: Control – proactive, decisive approach, Curiosity – open-minded option creation, Commitment – passionate and action focused, Confidence – self-belief and conviction, Concern – positive, learning and growth mindset for career change.
Summary and conclusions
In uncertain times, it is especially important to be on the ‘front foot’, not the ‘back foot’ and have a career plan A, B and C. Do you?
What is the question that you most need to ask yourself about your career?
The opportunity cost of delaying getting started is huge. What is your first step and when will you take it?
What next?
E mail Rachel: https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/contact-us/ for a free Energise Career strategy questionnaire. You will be entered into a free draw, with one prize of a 3 hour career coaching programme. The winner will be published on 1 January 2025.
About the author
Rachel Brushfield is ‘The Talent Liberator’, an experienced career strategist and coach with a strategic marketing, brand strategy and communications career heritage. She is founder of Energise, established 1986 and a published author in multiple topics. Mid-career women professional career pivots and portfolio careers are a speciality.
References
1 Source = ‘The Pipeline women count’ 2024.
The Pipeline Women Count Report 2024 | Women Count Reports
2 Grant Thornton ‘Women in business 2024 Pathways to parity’ report
Women in business 2024: Pathways to parity
3 ‘Women in the workplace’ McKinsey report 10th anniversary 2024.
Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th-anniversary report
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