When addressing the gender leadership gap, there is wisdom in the phrase, “it takes a village.” I’ve held a variety of leadership roles during my 20 years as an attorney at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. Currently I chair Brownstein’s nationally recognized Real Estate Department and also co-chair the firm’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI).
My career has come with regular reminders that I need to claim my seat at the table — and help other women do the same. In my experience, women can be hesitant to apply for leadership positions. Because women don’t think to put themselves up for leadership, having the encouragement of both male and female colleagues can be a powerful way to shift the paradigm and empower women to step forward. Putting a formal support structure in place is important to increasing women-led management, particularly in the legal industry, where some reports show women are only in 14 percent of leadership positions.
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