Powerful Women Have Powerful Ideas About Flexible Work

Powerful Women Have Powerful Ideas About Flexible WorkPowerful Women Have Powerful Ideas About Flexible WorkIf you want to feel inspired, check out Fortunes latest Most Powerful Womenranking.There youll see 51 women- including 22 CEOs of major U.S. companies- who in total represent a market capitalization of $1.1 trillion.But its easy to forget as you peruse this illustrious list that to get where they are today, ansicht women had to navigate a working world that isnt always flexibility friendly. Lets take a look at what the top three of these female powerhouses have said about how workplace flexibility has influenced their career and leadership decisions.One of my early pivotal assignments was when I was the assistant to ur chairman and vice chairman. I was learning a lot and being exposed to new areas of the business. During this time, I had a young child at home and was pregnant with my daughter. It was a challenge, but if I had decided not to take the job because I was starting a family, I would have missed that invaluable opportunity. I was fortunate to have two senior officers who held me accountable and ensured that I was contributing to the business yet provided the support and flexibility I needed to be a good parent and business partner.Mary Barra, CEO and Chairman, General Motors- Fortune Most Powerful Women ranking 1- quoted in the Wall Street JournalIndra Nooyi said PepsiCo is looking at building a daycare center on the company campus that would provide benefits such as care for sick babies and technology to allow parents to see what their kids are doing during the workday. Employees would need to pay for the service, she said, noting that she thinks the government should offer bigger tax breaks to companies that provide day care. I think we ought to lobby Washington like hell, she said.Indra Nooyi, CEO and Chairman, PepsiCo- Fortune Most Powerful Women ranking 2- quoted in the New York TimesMad Men-style sexism may be behind us, but subtler and ev en subconscious forms of bias still disadvantage women. Some managers, for example, may assume that female employees with children wouldnt want to take on a high demanding assignment- and, consequently, never put their names forward when such opportunities arise. Yet, the Women in the Workplace study found that mothers were 15 percent more interested in rising to the C-suite than women without children were. Leaders should invest in diversity training programs for employees at every level. In my experience, once managers are made aware of hidden biases, most are eager to address them.Marilyn Hewson, CEO, Chairman, and President, Lockheed Martin- FortuneMost Powerful Womenranking 3- quoted on LinkedInWhile one might assume that CEOs and other top female executives dont have to worry about workplace flexibility since they can call their own shots, the words of this impressive trio remind us that no one started out at the top. And lucky for the rest of us, when it comes to setting flex ible work policies, some of our best leaders never forget where they started.And thats a powerful message to remember.Readers, what do you think about these powerful ideas about flexible work from powerful women? Tell us in the comments belowPhotos of Mary Barra courtesy of General Motors, photo of Indra Nooyi courtesy of PepsiCo, and photo of Marilyn Hewson courtesy of Lockheed Martin.