Getting Anointed for Advancement: The Case of Executive Women

How do women become identified in early career as promotable, viable candidates for senior management positions? To answer that question, fifty-five high-profile executive women were interviewed about key events in the early stages of their careers that allowed them to become fast tracked. In some ways, while each had a unique story to tell, all of them faced five similar hurdles: 1) getting assigned to a high visibility project; 2) demonstrating critical skills for effective job performance; 3) attracting top level support; 4) displaying entrepreneurial initiative; and, 5) accurately identifying what the company values. In each case, effectively jumping each of these hurdles in early career contributed to their eventual success. The rich experiences of these women also revealed vital lessons for any manager--male or female--who wants to successfully move up.