A few years ago, the CEO of a German bank told me that women who wanted to have a professional career would not be able to balance it with a family life. His company, like many, has work-life balance initiatives, but this is out of reach for women who want to advance in their profession: […]
Negotiating to defend your employees: What do Guardiola and Coppola have in common?
A manager must constantly negotiate. Oftentimes, the most difficult negotiations are the ones that take place within the organization. A manager is also a leader. And as a leader, they are often required to negotiate to retain talent. Negotiating with a superior, on behalf of an employee, is a frequent occurrence in the life of a manager.
Comparisons are still odious
“Have you found a job yet?” This is a very common question when two people know each other and are on the verge of entering the workforce, such as the second-year MBA students at IESE right now, who will be graduating in a matter of weeks. But the answers can vary, depending on who is […]
Let’s Xerox it! Ursula Burns on Diversity
“Men and women ARE different“, Ursula Burns, the CEO of Xerox recently told me at an IESE event in Barcelona, (and I had to ask, “Can I quote you on this?”. Her clear and direct answer was, “Please do!”). I couldn’t agree more. Men and women are different. Otherwise, why would we need to have diversity in […]
Women Leaders are Movie Stars!
Patricia Arquette said it best, ‘It’s our time to have wage equality. Women all over the world face this same problem. According to the last report of the International Labour Organization, it remains clear: the pay gap is huge. Women in leadership are movie stars who work hard, shine brightly and contribute enormously to the overall success of the production—yet they make substantially less than their male counterparts…
Women’s leadership: reaching the top
“Looking at the world through women’s eyes”. This was the theme of the associations at the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in September 1995, which the UN has revived on its 20th anniversary to discuss the day after the celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day (March 8). Being encouraged by IESE, […]
Mindfulness on the Rise with Backing from Business
“Mindfulness” has become a bit of a buzzword in recent years, often in the form of shallow New Age recipe for feeling good. But it’s worth re-visiting here because science and research are now backing up the physical, psychological and emotional benefits of the practice; benefits which are so extensive as to seem far-fetched. Once […]
Women Executives: Are we after quotas or business?
This past November, the lack of consensus in the European Council resulted in the rejection of the European directive that would have made it imperative to have 40% women in the non-executive boards of publicly traded companies. Commissioner Viviane Reding had spent over two years advocating this measure, which had already been approved by the […]
New challenges in recruiting: Finding the hidden gem
Hiring a new employee is certainly an important decision for a company. The recruiting process is often expensive, and making a hiring mistake can prove costly. In the digital age, recruiting processes have changed so much that companies must leverage tools made available by technology to find the right person, wherever they may be. Companies need […]