UWLP Blog - Leadership

Researchers conducted a study to establish a baseline of public perceptions about the awareness, understanding, and attitudes around challenges Utah women and girls face. This summary includes leadership development, STEM fields, and male allyship.

This research synopsis, in partnership with scholars from around the state, provides a collection of data points that move the conversation from individuals’ perceptions of Utah women’s experiences toward data-driven realities.

Read our blog or watch the full recording of our second Fall Women’s Leadership Forum about sexism in Utah.

Did you miss this Fall forum? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Spring Women's Leadership Forum? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this celebration? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Women's Leadership Forum event? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

Did you miss this Women's Leadership Forum event? Don't worry! You can read about it and watch the full recording here.

This brief provides an update for 2021, focused only on the higher education portion of the previous related briefs. The purpose of this brief is to determine what, if any, progress has been made in women’s leadership within Utah’s higher education sector.

Read about our Spring Forum event with Sheri Dew and Dr. Susan Madsen and find the link to the full recording in this blog recap.

On November 11th, the Utah Women & Leadership Project held a Women’s Leadership Forum event entitled “Feeling Like a Fraud: Navigating Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome as Women.” Read the recap here

When both men and women work together in leadership roles, organizations thrive. This holds true for government—and democratic governance processes in general—and it supports the call to reflect gender diversity at all levels.

Understanding the relationship between gender and those who are in positions to influence agenda-setting strategies and public policy can translate into behavior-changing actions. Identifying and mitigating persistent challenges and barriers clears the way for enhanced opportunities for women’s equal representation across city agencies and leadership levels. This shift will benefit not only women and government organizations, but also families, communities, and the state as a whole.

Understanding the relationship between gender and those who are in positions to influence agenda-setting strategies and public policy can translate into behavior-changing actions. Identifying and mitigating persistent challenges and barriers clears the way for enhanced opportunities for women’s equal representation across state agencies and leadership levels. This shift will benefit not only women and government organizations, but also families, communities, and the state as a whole.

On August 18th, the Utah Women & Leadership Project held its first Women’s Leadership Forum of the academic year called “The Gender Wage Gap: Digging Deep into Understanding The Complexity.” This event was a panel discussion focused on understanding the wage gap issues in Utah.

Understanding the relationship between gender and those who are in positions to influence agenda-setting strategies and public policy can translate into behavior-changing actions. Identifying and mitigating persistent challenges and barriers clears the way for enhanced opportunities for women’s equal representation across state agencies and leadership levels. This shift will benefit not only women and government organizations, but also families, communities, and the state as a whole.

Women whose professional expertise includes advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within organizations know from personal experience, in addition to their research and training, about the barriers women of color face, and how they can be addressed.

In an article published by The Atlantic, Karyn Bruggeman asserts that “if women are going to achieve parity in elective office, most of the gains will have to come from the GOP” (Bruggmen, 2015).

Utah is below the national average in terms of women holding leadership roles within nearly all settings (e.g., state boards and commissions, business, education, government, politics, and religious).

In 2016, the Utah Women & Leadership Project published a research and policy brief titled “The Status of Women on Utah State Boards & Commissions.” It provided useful data to individuals, groups, organizations, and communities working toward improving the equality and impact of girls and women throughout the state.

This idea sheet is based on a 2019 gathering of 30 Young Women leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter, “the Church”) in Utah. Since around 60% of Utahns identify as members of the Church, these leaders have the potential to influence a large segment of Utah teens.

Although Utah research has shown that there has been slight progress in terms of women and leadership in some sectors, national sources continue to rank Utah as one of the worst states for women’s equality. Clearly there is still work to be done to “move the needle” so that more Utah women become leaders.

In 2014, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) released a research and policy brief titled “The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Business.” The document was one of four released in 2014 that focused on understanding the status of women’s leadership in politics, education, nonprofits, and business.

The nonprofit sector “consists of entities or organizations that are neither part of government nor generate a profit.”2 Nonprofits typically encompass voluntary, charitable, independent, third, or nongovernmental agencies, associations, and foundations. According to the IRS, the U.S. nonprofit sector is the third-largest employing industry after retail trade and manufacturing.

Utah is full of engaged, passionate individuals who frequently ask the question, “What can I personally and/or professionally do to strengthen the impact of Utah girls and women?” To provide specific answers to that question, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) team hosted a series of “think tank” gatherings to collect best practices.

Sheer numbers tell us it’s difficult for women to reach the highest echelons of business, politics, academia, and entertainment. Cultural and social norms can make it feel like a woman’s place isn’t in leadership, and sometimes the little voices in our heads tell us we just aren’t good enough.

In 2014, the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) released a research and policy brief titled, “The Status of Women Leaders in Utah Education.” The document was one of four released in 2014 that focused on understanding the status of women’s leadership in politics, education, nonprofits, and business.

It has been three years since the release of the first set of UWLP status briefs. This report updates the 2014 brief titled “The Status of Women in Utah Politics.” Tracking progress through updated status reports is an important way to help decision makers and other influencers clarify what is working and to determine and refine best steps moving forward.

Six primary themes emerged from the qualitative data gathered from the combined survey and dialogue table notes. There is interesting overlap between these data and those listed above. First, the most frequently mentioned solution is to help more women in Utah to attend and complete college.

In this blog we highlight the results from the first two research questions analyzed: “Why does Utah struggle with getting more women in leadership roles?” and “What do you think about Utah women, leadership, and confidence?” Data on these questions were gathered from the UWLP LinkedIn group.

The UWLP has published a number of research and policy briefs to help Utahans understand the status of women in a variety of settings and roles (i.e., politics, education, nonprofits, business, and entrepreneurs). This brief continues that research by exploring the status of women on Utah state boards and commissions.

There are many barriers preventing girls and young women from obtaining a post-secondary degree. Financial concerns are number one, and yet all of the data points to the fact that in our state, scholarships and financial aid are drastically underutilized. The other major barrier is more subtle, and may be more specific to Utah girls.

It’s no secret that men and women are different, from the way we look to the way we behave. Amongst those differences are inherent leadership strengths each gender boasts. As female leaders, we often spend time focusing on men’s natural leadership qualities because men achieve and retain the majority of leadership positions.

A cover letter is your opportunity to show what you know about the job and to demonstrate why you’re the best fit. The cover letter lets you express your personality, passion, and goals – where your resume focuses on your skills and qualifications. A brief and well-written cover letter also demonstrates your ability to write and communicate.

Brené is an advocate of one’s vulnerability and embodiment of the phrase: good enough. She is a phenomenal woman and motivator. She has vulnerably shared her own story with the world, proving that through your own struggles you can help others to reach their fullest potential.

“Too nasty.” “Too mean.” “Too confrontive.” “Too intrusive.” These are just a few of the common responses I receive when approaching capable women about possibly running for political office. And who can blame them? Spend any amount of time watching the political pundit de jour and you can leave disillusioned and pessimistic.

There are 21 women out of approximately 65 interns. Moreover, there are only 3 women of color that I can see (including myself). Of course, this is a dramatic improvement from 1998, when now-Salt Lake City Mayor (and my former boss) Jackie Biskupski first took her seat in the House of Representatives.

Trying to choose between career paths or majors? Are you having trouble deciding between many interesting and appealing work settings? Are you looking for a rewarding, respected field where you can be a professional and still desire flexibility for your family? Perhaps you are looking for a profession with great pay.

It is impossible to overestimate the value of mothers as leaders. As the poet, William Ross Wallace, wrote, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” And we are all familiar with this quote from Abraham Lincoln: “All I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

Her job is supposed to be a part-time gig, but there’s nothing part time about the way she does it. She works seven to eight hours a day, including Saturdays. On weeknights she’s often in meetings, which is what happens when you belong to 33 boards and committees around the valley.

Women tend to exhibit different leadership characteristics and attributes than men. These are not necessarily better or worse, merely different. Sometimes male attributes are needed; sometimes female attributes are preferred, and often both sets of attributes can add value to a situation.

One retail company discovered that when their store employees matched the demographic profile of the community, it had increased sales. Since women constitute the majority of consumers today, companies are finding that it makes sense to have more female employees who better understand the needs of female consumers.

A series of recent studies has shown that organizations that have more women in management and on boards, on average, attain better financial results than do other organizations. Companies with the most women board directors out performed those with the least on return on sales.

Research demonstrates there are a host of benefits and strengths that accompany having women in management and leadership roles. But it’s not unusual in Utah or beyond for managers and top leadership teams to not fully realize the value of having women in key positions, not as the only leaders.

Did you know that engaging women in leadership positions provides a host of benefits to companies and organizations? Research points to a variety of benefits and advantages that come to companies and organizations when they include women in leadership.

A leader helps others do more than they thought they would do and also become more than they thought they could become. Look for the strengths in others and help mentor them. Sheri told of a time when she was new to a leadership position in which she was required to speak often.

Wall Street 24/7 recently published an article titled “The 10 Worst States for Women,” using rankings from various sources on gender wage gap, percentage of women in state legislatures, percentage of women in management positions, poverty rate of women, and infant mortality rate.

Women tend to care about developing others around them, which makes them particularly powerful mentors for women and men alike. Many of these traits make women effective in leveraging talent. Women contribute to increased productivity and higher team performance.

Research has shown that most managers and top leadership teams do not fully realize the value of having women in key positions, and this is the case across all sectors, including business, government, political, nonprofit, K-12 and higher education, religious, and community. Depending on the entity, this may include women in both paid and unpaid roles ranging from positions such as supervisor, coordinator, and manager, to school principal, council member, CEO, and board director.

In September 2013, the Center for American Progress released a report titled “The State of Women in America: A 50- State Analysis of How Women Are Faring Across the Nation.” This report ranks Utah last of all 50 states in terms of women being in positions of decision making and leadership.

In September of 2013, the Center for American Progress released a report titled “The State of Women in America: A 50- State Analysis of How Women Are Faring Across the Nation.” The report ranked Utah last of all 50 states in terms of women holding positions of decision making and leadership. Because the focus was solely on the percentage of women in elected office and private sector management positions, we determined that a more detailed look at the status of women and leadership in various sectors within the state would be useful.

In September 2013, the Center for American Progress released a report titled “The State of Women in America: A 50- State Analysis of How Women Are Faring Across the Nation.” This report ranks Utah last of all 50 states in terms of women being in positions of decision making and leadership. Although the focus is solely on the percentage of women in elected office and private sector management positions.

Utah leaders have set a goal of having 66% of the state’s adults earn postsecondary degrees or vocational certificates by the year 2020. The goal is based on data from Georgetown University projecting that to remain competitive, Utah’s economy will need 66% of its population to have some form of postsecondary education by 2018.

In August of 2016, the Utah Women and Leadership Project along with the YWCA of Utah brought a group of experts together to identify current resources/strengths, challenges, and potential interventions that would help increase Utah's female political representation. What follows are their recommendations organized by category.

Utah leaders created a big goal: 66% of Utah’s population will have postsecondary degrees or vocational certificates by the year 2020. Utah’s economy will need 66% of its population with some form of postsecondary education by 2018 to remain competitive.