Developing women for strong leadership positions in organisations, especially those who aim to move to directorship and board level, requires guidance and assistance from experienced women for aspiring women to navigate the obstacle course up the corporate ladder. Already successful, influential women in the corporate environment need to extend themselves to mentor other women and pave the way to create opportunities for their own and other women’s future successes.

to identify strong women mentors but they themselves tend to be more reluctant mentors than their male counterparts. Women in senior positions thus need to take the lead to be role models for younger women wanting to advance in their careers, as it is usually only once women personally experience the benefits of the mentoring and networking process, that they understand and appreciate how they can gain and, in turn, assist others. Mentoring is a powerful means of helping people make significant personal transitions, both professionally and personally and has seen a rapid up-take in recent years, particularly due to the need for individuals in organisations to accelerate their learning to gain an understanding of self-management and develop their leadership abilities. The essence of mentoring is imparting wisdom through a process of providing support, advice and feedback that allows the individual to identify their aspirations, maximise their strengths and make their own best decisions*. The process can be very empowering. Women need to become more aware of their abilities and their own worth. Says Niven Postma, former CEO of the

The power of others: why we all I

nformal research indicates that there are a number of women who, already in fairly senior positions in companies, struggle

BWA, “One of the biggest issues limiting women in their career development, particularly in South Africa, is their lack of self-esteem. Of course there are other career challenges for women, but I think that it is largely women’s incapacity to take positive ownership of their sense of self worth and empower themselves to truly believe in their abilities that limits their opportunities for advancement most.”

74 Management Today | August 2011