Facebook’s COO on why Women Fail to Reach the C-Suite

The numbers tell the story clearly.

Women at the top of the professional ladder sit at around 15 percent, and that number hasn’t changed since 2002. Furthermore, the number of women at the highest level of a company seems to be dwindling. The problem is that the mentoring women receive at an early age seems to sway them away from aiming for the highest echelons.

Another issue contributing to the problem is that women seem to underestimate their own abilities. An objective study will often show that women cite their successes to outside help and not internal knowledge, whereas men believe in their own abilities as the source of their success.

Men seem to reach for opportunities more, too. The data supports women’s abilities; now it’s a matter of having our society become equally supportive. Watch the full video featuring Sheryl Sandberg for more information on this topic.