Top Women Have Much in Common - Building Gender Balanced Business

Is female success bred or born? A recent study of 10 Australian women who climbed to the top levels of traditionally male-dominated careers suggests that nurture, and not just nature, may be the answer. In a study examined by the Australian publication New Age, investigators found common threads running through the lives of these successful women, along with indications that the formula for female success may well be different than that of their male counterparts.

• The study found a variety of factors in the women’s lives typical of those who achieve eminence in their fields: solid educational opportunities, strong parental support, and personal qualities such as intelligence, perseverance, and hard work.

• Socioeconomic status also played a role to a certain extent, with all of the women hailing from middle to upper-middle class upbringings.

• Beyond these common elements, researchers also found some life factors which were particular to the women, and not as notably found in the life stories of their male equivalents.

• One of these factors, academic success, has also been cited in other international studies as a unique player in the development of female talents. In contrast, academic achievement has not been found to be a fundamental factor in the success of men.

• The personal drives that powered the women’s achievement were another factor unique to their gender. According to one of the researchers, “[f]or these women their main motivations were about finding a purpose in life and making a difference to society… Eminent men have tended to be more focused on being personally successful and achievement oriented.”

• Researchers were surprised to find that 8 of the 10 eminent women were married and had children in the course of their careers, suggesting that career paths for women need not necessarily be stunted by the nature of their personal lives.

• Instead, the study posits, career development may tend to be more staggered in progression when compared to that of men.

• The study was conceived when researchers sought to uncover why women often failed to achieve high-level successes in their fields, despite their obvious functional and intellectual capacity to do so.