I’d always imagined that other women had my back. We were a sisterhood, at least that’s what I was brought up to believe. Together we could lean in, have it all, break the glass ceiling. After two decades in corporate North America I’m here to tell you I was wrong.
There’s no sisterhood. It’s Mean Girls out there.
Now, to the casual observer, I might have once looked like a mean girl, with my sharp skirt suits and heels, but when it came down to it I wasn’t made of strong enough stuff to join their little club.
And just like in the movie Heathers, a woman killed me. My career anyway.
What does it take to become a female executive in the corporate world? Yes, I say female, because no matter what you might want to argue, it’s still more difficult for women. I know what some are dying to say, stuff about quotas and affirmative action, but that does not level the playing field.
In the vast number of cases, women are still the ones in a familial setting who organize the household. Making sure the laundry gets done, the food is on the table, the kids get to their activities, the homework gets completed. And the cleaning.
