Our perennial industry conversation about what the advertising business can do to empower women is a little out of tune for me. I think it’s because the premise is what men can do for women. The greater power comes from what women do for each other.
We have more women chief marketing officers, chief creative officers and CEOs, yet a 2022 HubSpot study finds 90% of women have experienced imposter syndrome. It shows up in a tendency to overthink or psyche ourselves out because we’ve seldom had the chance to try, fail and learn over the centuries.
We can change this with a more concerted, disciplined approach to encouraging and inspiring each other. It’s not about others creating policies for us. The basics of success in advertising—creativity, discipline, grit, resilience, and respect—have no gender bias. And women are a woman’s best allies. This goes double for women of color, who remain severely underrepresented in leadership.