Tips from the Top: Breaking the Glass Ceiling


By Anne Saile/Women@Work

Anne Saile is an award-winning CEO, entrepreneur, executive coach, author and owner of the Saile Group LLC, a leadership and business consulting company. (Photo by Joan Heffler.)

The term “glass ceiling” was coined in 1986 to refer to the seemingly invisible barrier that keeps women and other minorities from advancing in their professional careers. It is still used widely today.

But even when the term was born, the concept wasn’t new. I remember my mother and grandmother talking about barriers they bumped up against — my mom’s difficulties trying to advance in her accounting career in the 1970s and my grandmother’s fruitless struggles seeking promotion in the manufacturing world in the 1920s.

Though the term “glass ceiling” is still around, there’s good news: A crack has formed in that ceiling. Here are a few timeless lessons that remain relevant in today’s business world that women in my life — including my mother and her mother — taught me about breaking through that ceiling.

1. My grandmother used to always say, “Look up, you’ll see amazing things.” And she was right. You have to see the glass ceiling in order to go through it. So look up. It does have a crack — it is not unbreakable. After all, it’s made out of glass.

2. Never think that you know everything there is to know. Learning at its best is a lifelong process, and the importance of what you learn doesn’t always have the stamp of a degree.

3. Speak well, write well, and listen intently. Communication gone wrong can derail a career. Before making an important decision, answer these three questions: Is it kind? Is it in everyone’s best interest? Is it fair?

4. Believe in yourself. Confidence is an absolute must to advance in the work world. Self-deprecation will get you nowhere. Say positive things to yourself about your ability to make things happen, to do an exceptional job. Give credit when and where credit is due, and always (always!) accept credit when the compliment and recognition comes to you.

5. Walk where the wild things are — dream of the things you want to do and figure out how to bring those ideas to life. This is how great achievements happen. Extraordinary things are rarely accomplished without taking risk.

6. Be a team player. The result will be better and you’ll gain the trust and confidence of colleagues.

7. Treat others as you would like to be treated. (OK, I know I sound like your mother here, but really! They call it the Golden Rule for a reason.)

8. Think about a person whose job you would love to have, imagine that you are in it, and think of what unique qualities you would bring to the position. Write down how you might envision the job description and then go after a job just like it. Do this without focusing on the barriers.

9. If a person invalidates your dream, move on and find someone else who will help you figure out the strategy for making it come true. Give yourself permission to go for it. Too often nagging self-doubt will crush the potential of capable talented women; we have all seen this happen.

10. When you dream, be clear about what you want your life to look like, how much money you want to make, and what position you want in a company.

As Stephen Covey says, “Start with the end in mind. The path that you chose to get there is up to you.” If you can imagine the job you want, you are much more likely to get there. If you are confident in the salary you ask for, you have a better chance of getting it. How many times have you seen someone ask for a salary that they think they can get instead of the salary they know they deserve?

The glass ceiling might still be there, but we have come a long way as women in the workforce. Every time we are supportive of and encourage one another in the work world, each time we ask for help when we need it and give help when asked, every time we mentor and open doors for one another, we make the crack a little wider until eventually we can step through it and the glass ceiling becomes the floor.

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Tony Pallone

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