n OPINION
HERE’S HOW WE CAN CARVE A
PATH FOR FEMALE LEADERS
by Allyson Hill
W
e are living and working in an exciting time for female
professionals aspiring to reach the C-suite. There are
more women in the workforce and earning degrees than
ever before. Despite these trends, data continues to demon-
strate a significant lack of diversity — in terms of both gender
and race — in leadership positions across the country.
I joined Golden 1 Credit Union in 2012 as vice president
and controller after spending 10 years with one of the big
four public accounting firms in Sacramento. As a mother of
three young children, I was seeking a position with a strong,
community-focused organization in Sacramento that would
allow me to pursue my personal and professional ambitions.
That means a company that provides a level of flexibility
in hours, understands and
supports participation in
family activities like doctors’
appointments and school
events, and values time spent
out of the office for person-
al and professional growth
opportunities.
I am now a leader at one
of the largest companies in
the Capital Region, serving
more than one million mem-
bers. I am proud to have spent
nearly seven years at an organization that values diversity
and creates pathways for all employees to reach their career
goals. At Golden 1, women hold four of the 12 most important
executive-level positions and make up nearly one-third of our
management leadership team, which is well ahead of the na-
tional average of 17 percent female senior-level managers in
the financial industry.
There’s a growing body of research that shows increased
diversity in leadership positions yields better results. We
know this. But what we may struggle with is how to most
effectively lift up women in the workplace so that they can
achieve positions of leadership. Here are some of the ways you
can work in any organization to encourage greater diversity
in the C-suite.
Provide mentorship opportunities. Having a great mentor
can be a career game-changer. Golden 1 has created a natural
environment to make sure everyone is challenged, mentored,
trained and knows their subject matter so they can develop
deeper expertise. Golden 1 makes it a priority to provide entry-
level employees and emerging leaders with an opportunity
to meet with higher-ups in various departments and even to
job-shadow, to expose them to all the opportunities available
within our company.
Encourage and empower all types of emerging leaders to
get involved. Young professionals and emerging leaders need
coaching and encourage-
ment to speak up and think
creatively. We, as leaders, can
help prepare them by provid-
ing opportunities to attend
key meetings. For example,
I bring employees I am de-
veloping into a meeting first
as an observer, letting them
take in the overall dynamic
of the meeting and the types
of conversations held. As that
person’s strengths, knowledge
and confidence grow, he or she will earn more opportunities to
participate in the meetings, eventually presenting or leading
aspects of the conversation.
Be a leader who commits to action. As female leaders, we
must commit to sharing our own stories, advocating for gender
parity in our organizations, and serving as mentors to youth
and other female professionals. The more we can share our own
stories of “how she does it” the less intimidating and more illu-
minated the path will become for women across all industries.
Our president and CEO, Donna Bland, intentionally reaches out
to me frequently and acts as an informal mentor to me, making
sure I am able to balance both my responsibilities as a moth-
As female leaders, we must commit to
sharing our own stories, advocating for
gender parity in our organizations, and
serving as mentors to youth and other
female professionals.
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comstocksmag.com | March 2019