ICEDR Releases Special Report for High Potential Women Leaders

“Taking Charge” Provides Rising Women Leaders with a Roadmap for a Successful Career and a Meaningful Life

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Consortium for Executive Development Research (ICEDR) is announcing the release of the ICEDR Special Report, “Taking Charge: A roadmap for a successful career and a meaningful life for high potential corporate women leaders.” Taking Charge provides an essential guide for young, high potential women aiming to reach the top levels of large, global corporations.

“The women we spoke with take a proactive and strategic approach towards their careers and personal lives”

ICEDR, a network of more than 30 global companies and over 25 business schools focused on global talent management and leadership development, interviewed 60 top female executives about their paths to success.

“While research shows companies with more women in the top ranks outperform their industry peers, globally less than five percent of CEOs are women,” said Lauren Ready, Director of Talent Management Initiatives at ICEDR and the author of the Special Report. “In Taking Charge, we unlocked the secrets of those women executives who defied the odds to reach senior-level positions. This report provides a roadmap for young, high potential women who have their eyes set on reaching the highest levels of global corporations.”

The roadmap outlined in Taking Charge identifies three ways female senior executives take charge of their work and personal lives:

• EXPLORE: Top women executives take the time to EXPLORE who they are and what they want out of work and life. They play to their strengths, lead with an authentic style and know their personal definition of success.
• OWN: Top women leaders are proactive and are not afraid to take risks or responsibility for their career and personal choices. They OWN the path they choose.
• REPAY: Top women executives are deeply invested in the success of others and REPAY them with support and opportunity. Fundamentally, it matters to them to make a difference.

“The women we spoke with take a proactive and strategic approach towards their careers and personal lives,” said Ready. “Although it is necessary for companies to put the right practices in place to advance women, the women executives we interviewed shared a valuable lesson for young women: take charge. The responsibility ultimately rests on next generation women leaders to take charge and build a work and personal life that is meaningful to them.”

The 60 leading women executives who participated in the study came from 20 organizations in 19 countries around the world, ranging in age from late 20s to early 60s. Participants included Kristin Peck, Executive Vice President, Pfizer, Rana Ghandour Salhab, Partner, Deloitte, and Beatriz Araujo, Executive Committee Member, Baker & McKenzie.

The ICEDR Special Report includes inspirational advice and stories about the women’s rise to the top and a candid exploration of their personal journeys. To access the report, please visit: http://www.icedr.org/research/12_research.html

ABOUT ICEDR

ICEDR, the International Consortium for Executive Development Research, was founded in 1991 and is the world’s premier network for companies developing talent around the globe. ICEDR engages organizations in an innovative exchange on global talent management, leadership development and enterprise-wide change. Located in Lexington, MA, ICEDR has partnerships with 35 leading global corporations and 26 exemplary academic institutions. For more information, please visit: https://www.icedr.org/