Women who don't get into exec ed are missing a lot. Women also can gain an international network of contacts and a set of tools for evaluating their management styles and abilities. With many companies leaving diversity out of their plan for filling top seats, B-schools are doing what they can to attract women to exec ed. Yoffie says men use as much as women do. Cornell is more proactive.
Women have to roll up their sleeves, too.
Susan Vinnicombe, director of the Centre for Developing Women Business Leaders at Cranfield School of Management in England, says women should be aggressive. If exec ed isn't an option, she adds, women should ask to work on tough and varied projects while reminding their bosses what they're doing and how well they're doing it. The ultimate remedy, though, is for companies to decide to groom more women for top leadership roles. The percentage is that high, Tracy says, because the company rotates a large number of managers through challenging job assignments, which quickly develops their ability to lead. Those women are paired with executive coaches who help them climb the corporate ladder.