The cost of leaning in

In 1982, the comic strip “Frank and Ernest” noted that Ginger Rogers — standing in for all women — did everything Fred Astaire did but “backwards and in high heels.” Even 41 years ago, that sentiment felt like a well-known acknowledgement, and it still holds true now.

This issue, in our third annual Women in Leadership Awards, Virginia Business honors a cohort of 37 women executives, many of whom have succeeded in male-dominated industries, and some of whom started their careers in the wake of the women’s liberation movement.

That’s not to say every male executive intended to make life harder for their female colleagues, but there was at the very least a knowledge gap in most workplaces. Mothers’ rooms, or lactation rooms — private spaces where new moms could pump milk at work — were not a thing in most workplaces before the 1990s. And young women had few female C-suite role models, let alone formal mentoring programs. Our Women in Leadership honorees persisted, and, by and large, they’ve served as mentors for many women at their workplaces and their communities.

In the 21st century, women were told by former Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg to “lean in” at work and strive for leadership roles — never mind that many professional women work second shifts of child care, housework and/or caregiving for aging family members. Not everyone can afford nannies or other help. The pandemic solidified this remaining area of inequality, as many women not only performed their jobs remotely but also managed their children’s remote schooling or watched their little ones when day care closed.

Many couldn’t do it all, and they left the workforce, at least temporarily — to the tune of 2 million by early 2022. Even women in the C-suite acknowledged feeling exhausted and made changes. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki left her job in February after nine years, saying she wanted to focus on “family, health and personal projects.” Sandberg herself left Meta in 2022 but continues to chair her Lean In Foundation — now renamed the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation.

The expectation that women will continue to take care of things at home while also taking leadership roles at work — and, oh yes, keeping their hair, makeup and clothing up to date and professional — is, for many, a recipe for burnout and fatigue. It also leads to feelings of guilt, especially for parents who miss important moments in their children’s lives. And often, women undervalue themselves, both at home and work.

As of 2022, women were paid 82% of what men make in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center. Sometimes that’s because they miss out on networking opportunities outside regular hours, or because they move to part-time roles after becoming mothers. A lot of women accept first salary offers and don’t negotiate higher wages.

There are exceptions — as we see in Virginia Business’ annual CEO compensation report, women CEOs at large public companies are richly rewarded. However, according to financial research firm Morningstar, U.S. women executives made 75 cents for every dollar earned by men in the C-suite in 2020, a record low since 2012. 

The root of this problem is, no doubt, structural. Pay gaps will continue without affordable child care and realistic leave policies for caregivers, as well as companies’ acknowledgement of the extra work that often falls on women’s shoulders.

While we celebrate this year’s Women in Leadership Awards honorees — an amazing group of women executives who deserve to be celebrated — let’s also keep in mind how much work and time they put in, both at — and outside of — the workplace.