Fewer women are in the C-suite. How companies can adjust

Since 2022, fewer women are filling C-suite roles in US companies, according to LinkedIn data, but Sarah Steinberg, head of global public policy partnerships at LinkedIn, says companies can turn those numbers around by investing in training for women and hiring based on skills. Such a shift, LinkedIn data showed, increased the hiring pool for women by 24% more than for men.

Put it into practice: One big obstacle for women filling top roles is the availability of child care services, says Steinberg. Subsidizing caregiving and offering flexible schedules can help women overcome those challenges, Steinberg notes.

Leaders can prime themselves to learn something every day by surrounding themselves with people who have different opinions and will tell them the truth, writes David Novak, the co-founder, retired Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc., who also advises sharing your knowledge through teaching or mentoring. "Hoarding what you know is a great way to shut off the flow of learning in your life, so try to do the opposite every day," Novak notes.

Put it into practice: You will accomplish many things as a leader and you'll often get credit for the work of others, so make it a practice to recognize those who came up with the ideas first, Novak writes. "Recognize people for their valuable contributions every day. And take the heat for the ideas that don't succeed."

It's good to speak up about things in the office, but when that communication goes sideways, it's up to leaders to teach their team how to listen to learn instead of react, write business professors Megan Reitz and Amy Edmondson. Take time during meetings to check in with your team and allow some time for self-reflection so they can ask questions if anything is unclear, they advise.

Put it into practice: Leaders sometimes unintentionally squelch communication from their team through body language or other ways that make team members feel disregarded, Reitz and Edmondson note. "Managers in particular must also be aware of the blind spots that can lead them to miss how they may silence others."

Meetings suck up everyone's time, but if you're going to cancel them to boost productivity, start by ditching one-on-one meetings, especially at the C-suite level, writes Zeb Evans, the CEO of ClickUp. Instead, have daily meetings with executive teams, "one-off" meetings for more in-depth discussions and do the rest of your business asynchronously through email and other tools, Evans recommends.

The Chinese city of Harbin is home to the largest indoor ice park, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, spanning nearly 6 acres and featuring nine themed areas as well as the country's largest indoor ski resort. Officials can maintain temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and much of the park's ice sculptures of cakes, donuts and fruit are tinted with edible dye to make them environmentally friendly.

As a leader, you want those around you to feel comfortable approaching you with their ideas and concerns. Often, though, as business professors Megan Reitz and Amy Edmondson point out, we may need to be more approachable by our team. We may have seemed unapproachable due to our body language, or we may have inadvertently shut down a team member or co-worker when we were having a bad day or feeling off.

These encounters may leave those around us feeling like we don't want to hear from them. You can turn that feeling around by regularly checking in with your team, being curious about their ideas and being empathetic to their concerns. Use active listening skills and show a genuine interest in what they're saying by asking clarifying questions to foster a sense of understanding.

It's up to leaders to teach their teams how to communicate effectively, and if we appear unapproachable to any team member, you're just setting the table for a communication breakdown.

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