| This phenomenological study was undertaken to understand and describe the nature and meaning of the experience of being a woman enterprise leader. Due to changes in workplace demographics and the business environment, organizations will need leaders who can work effectively across the enterprise. The experience of women is noted to be challenging due to an imbalance in the representation of females in executive positions, barriers to their advancement, and a disconnect between the kinds of experiences identified as critical to advancement and the experiences of most corporate women today. While some women have advanced into these roles, relatively little is known about them. To gain insight into what this experience is like, in-depth conversational interviews were conducted with 12 participants. The key criterion in the selection of these participants was their assertion that they had held enterprise leadership positions with accountability for profit-and-loss or revenue-generating responsibility from mid- to large-sized organizations. Through an analysis of the interview text, five essential themes emerged: (1) driven by a desire to control their destiny; (2) aspire to leadership positions with impact; (3) achieve influence through a connect and collaborate style; (4) initiate culture change while staying focused on results; and (5) apply self-knowledge and resiliency to address challenges. These themes were present across all enterprise leadership positions and industries. The findings provided further clarity on how women approached their careers and lives, the roles of the enterprise leader, the manner in which women led and managed, and the issues they confronted on their journey to become an enterprise leader. |
