Glass Ceiling:
Women who have shattered the Glass
The “glass ceiling” refers to an unfair system or set of barriers inhibiting women from reaching top-level positions predominantly held by men. Today, one can clearly see that this invisible barrier has been shattered by a small percentage of women in the workplace. Hilary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice are awesome examples of women shattering through the glass and making it to the top. That said; issues in the work force challenge women on a daily basis.
The phrase “glass ceiling” first introduced in the 1980s describing the invisible and artificial barriers preventing women from high-level positions (Boyd 2011). Then used in the book The Working Woman Report, by Gay Bryant, who viewed the status of women in the work place (Napikaski). The term then became popular after journalist Hymowitz and Schellhardt published in The Wall Street Journal in 1986 (Smith, Cauputi, and Crittenden 1). Their article looked at the barriers that also keep women from reaching high-level positions. Researchers say, “that breaking through the glass ceiling is just the first struggle, and there are many more to come (Becky). Women in the corporate world make up 47 percent of the overall labor force in 2011, they accounted for only about six percent of corporate CEOs and top executives (Masta 2011).
Hilary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice shattered the glass as they rose to their prestigious role in congress. Neither of these women reached this high level of power with just one single trait, they did this with hard work and diligence. Each woman exhibits confidence, they both have tenacious views, and not nervous about making hard reliable decisions. The aspects of both of women seem to work well together. Tanya Prive (2012) explained that effective leaders should possess and emphasize many qualities. Effective leadership is a mixture of honesty, the ability to delegate, good communicate, a commitment to their business and promises...