“Financial Services: Women at the Top—A WIFS Research Study” by authors Arthea Reed and Diane Dixon had a goal to attract, develop and advance women in their field. “In the attempt to answer these questions, we identified approximately 50 women in the industry who are successful by every measure,” Reed said. “We then invited the women to participate in the lengthy interview process and 23 agreed.”
“This industry is a land of opportunity for women with an entrepreneurial spirit,” Dixon said. “The long term payoff in this career far outweighs the short term, and the short term is pretty great if you are willing to work and learn all you can.”
Successful Women Balance Career, Marriage and Motherhood
Juggling, keeping many balls in the air at the same time, is an image women have used since the 1970s to refer to their lives as “working women” who are also mothers, wives, coaches, friends, teachers, and team players. They are arbiters of ethics and etiquette—and all the other things women do to keep themselves and their families healthy, happy, and fed.
The term juggling has negative connotations for many successful professional women today. Most would agree that early in her career, particularly when a spouse and children first entered her life, she had to juggle. It was important to figure out how to keep all the important elements of her life moving in sequence. However, as she matured, she began to recognize the danger of juggling. If many elements are juggled at the same time, it is possible for one or more of these life elements to fall out of place—and all could tumble.
The very successful women interviewed love what they do professionally and recognize the importance of their work in the lives of their clients. But above all else, they value their families. And they are committed to the service they provide to charities, their communities, their companies, and their profession. It is simply unthinkable that one element of their lives falling out of sequence could jeopardize the rest.
Therefore, successful professional women today, who learned from the pioneering professional women who preceded them, move as quickly as possible from juggling to blending (or integrating) all parts of their lives into one.
Source: Arthea Reed: Financial Services: Women at the Top: A WIFS Research