How Can Online Communities Empower Women in Tech to Break the Glass Ceiling?

Online communities support women in tech through mentorship, skill-building, and advocacy, fostering networks to break the glass ceiling. They spotlight success, offer educational resources, and provide platforms for open dialogue, leadership training, and job opportunities, empowering women towards career advancement and equality.

Online communities support women in tech through mentorship, skill-building, and advocacy, fostering networks to break the glass ceiling. They spotlight success, offer educational resources, and provide platforms for open dialogue, leadership training, and job opportunities, empowering women towards career advancement and equality.

Empowered by Artificial Intelligence and the women in tech community.
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Navneet Anekal
Specialist - Network and Telecom at IESO
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Zanel Viljoen
Head of IT Recruitment at Bluegrass
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Creating Supportive Networks

Online communities can empower women in tech to break the glass ceiling by fostering supportive networks that offer advice, mentorship, and resources. Sharing experiences and challenges in a community helps members navigate their careers more effectively and confidently.

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Zanel Viljoen
Head of IT Recruitment at Bluegrass
Tue, 05/07/2024 - 04:07

By facilitating the participation of women from diverse backgrounds, virtual networking events enrich the tech community. Diversity in experiences, perspectives, and skills leads to more innovative solutions and inclusive technology developments. These events enable women to share their unique insights and learn from others, fostering a more holistic view of the tech landscape.

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Zanel Viljoen
Head of IT Recruitment at Bluegrass
Tue, 05/07/2024 - 04:06

Virtual events break down geographical barriers, allowing women from all over the world to participate and connect without the need for travel. This global reach opens doors to opportunities that might be unavailable in one's immediate physical locale, ranging from job openings and collaborations to insightful discussions with industry leaders across different countries.

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Spotlighting Success Stories

Highlighting and celebrating the achievements of women in tech can inspire others to pursue and excel in their careers. Online communities serve as platforms to showcase these success stories, making role models more accessible and visible to women at all stages of their career.

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Navneet Anekal
Specialist - Network and Telecom at IESO
Tue, 11/05/2024 - 22:26

Online communities and forums open up a world of stories and personal journeys from women across the globe. Today, I was inspired by the story of a woman who went from being a homemaker to becoming the head of sales. Access to such empowering experiences is made possible through these online communities, where people share, support, and uplift each other.

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Access to Mentorship and Sponsorship Programs

Online communities can connect women with mentors and sponsors who can guide them, offer valuable advice, and open doors to opportunities. This direct access can significantly impact career advancement and breaking through the glass ceiling.

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Skill-Building Workshops and Webinars

Through organizing free or low-cost educational webinars and workshops, online communities can help women in tech update their skills and learn new ones. This continuous learning approach is crucial for staying relevant in the rapidly evolving tech industry.

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Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns

Online communities can lead and amplify advocacy and awareness campaigns focusing on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. These campaigns can influence policy changes within organizations, promoting a more equitable workplace culture.

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Peer-to-Peer Learning

Empowerment can also come from peer-to-peer learning opportunities available in online communities. By sharing knowledge and experiences, women can help each other overcome common obstacles and advance in their careers, reinforcing solidarity and mutual growth.

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Job Boards and Career Opportunities

Online communities dedicated to women in tech often feature job boards and alerts about career opportunities tailored to their membership. These resources can help women discover roles that value diversity and are committed to breaking the glass ceiling.

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Safe Space for Open Dialogue

Offering a safe space for open dialogue about challenges, biases, and sexism in the workplace, online communities enable women to discuss sensitive issues and find collective solutions to common problems, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support.

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Leadership Training and Development

Empowering women to take on leadership roles is critical for breaking the glass ceiling. Online communities can offer leadership training and development programs specifically designed for women, equipping them with the necessary skills and confidence to lead.

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Hana Ngo
Executive & Team Coach, Founder at Grow Future Leader
Tue, 11/12/2024 - 10:56

Leadership development start with Your Self awareness

From years of working as & with leaders and coaching teams, I’ve seen & experienced firsthand how leadership development isn’t just career advancement, it’s about unlocking your potential to genuinely make a difference.

Strong leaders don’t just succeed individually, they uplift their teams, create a lasting impact on culture, and even drive organizational success by significant margins.
For example, leaders who consistently develop themselves tend to inspire 70% better team engagement and contribute to 25% higher profit margins.

To guide your journey, here are some questions and practices I encourage every young leader to embrace:

* Cultivate Self Awareness: What are your unique strengths, and where could you grow?
Leadership starts with knowing yourself.
Take time for regular self reflection, and don’t shy away from asking for feedback.

* Practice Influence and Communication: Are you truly listening to and connecting with your team?
Strong relationships build trust, and trust builds influence.
Try active listening, and make a habit of asking clarifying questions. It’s incredible how much people respond when they feel genuinely heard.

* Build Your Decision Making Muscles: Are you willing to take risks and own your decisions? Leadership often means making tough calls. Start small, learn to decide with courage and reflect on each outcome to deepen your judgment.

* Empower Your Team: Are you actively helping others grow?
I’ve seen countless leaders rise by lifting others.
Delegation isn’t about offloading work, it’s about trusting others with responsibility.
Start small, build trust, and watch your team step up.

* Create and Share Your Vision: What drives you, and can you inspire others with that vision?
Strong leaders articulate a clear purpose. Reflect on your values, and practice speaking about them. The impact of a clear, inspiring vision can be transformative.

Leadership is a journey, and there’s always more to learn.
Start here, and ask yourself: How can I grow today to make a greater impact tomorrow?

This is the approach that has driven success for countless leaders I’ve coached, give it time, and it will for you too.

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Hana Ngo
Executive & Team Coach, Founder at Grow Future Leader
Tue, 11/12/2024 - 11:07

How to Know Yourself and Develop your self awareness as Leader.

When I first stepped into leadership, I thought success would come from managing tasks, hitting goals, and guiding the team. But I quickly realized there was something else at play, the leaders I admired the most had a rare quality: they seemed to truly know themselves.
This self awareness wasn’t something they learned from a manua, it was an understanding they’d built over time, one that guided them through difficult decisions and inspired trust in their teams.
It took me a while to understand that, and even longer to start building it in myself.

For many managers, self awareness can feel like a vague concept. But I can say from experience, developing it is both practical and possible. And it begins with a simple idea that leaders throughout history have held close: 'Know Thyself.'

Here’s how you can start building that self awareness in practical way:
1. Reflect on Your Core Values

Years ago, I asked myself a simple question: What do I really stand for?
That question forced me to think about what truly mattered to me, integrity, truthfull, creativity, agility, resilience, together & accountable. I remember writing these down and being surprised at how often they showed up in my decisions. Identifying my core values became a compass, helping me make choices that felt authentic, even when they were tough.
I invite you to do the same => list out your values and see how they show up in your actions.

2. Embrace Your Strengths and Blind Spots

Early in my career, I used to focus only on what I wanted to be good at, but a mentor helped me realize the power in knowing my real strengths and my blind spots. I’ve found that asking a trusted colleague for honest feedback can give you more insight than any assessment ever will. Their honesty feedback helped me see where I needed support, and it allowed me to lead more effectively.

3. Recognize Your Emotional Triggers

One day, after a particularly tense meeting, I noticed my jaw was clenched and my shoulders were tight. I realized that stress was impacting my reactions more than I wanted to admit. It was a turning point=> instead of brushing off these feelings, I started paying attention to them. I noticed patterns, how I’d react under pressure, how certain comments would irritate me. Observing my emotional triggers helped me become a steadier, more thoughtful leader, and it’s something I encourage every leader to do.

4. Make Feedback a Regular Part of Your Growth

I remember the first time I asked my team for feedback. It felt awkward, even a bit scary. But their insights opened my eyes to things I’d never considered, like how my tone sometimes came across as distant or how a few extra words of encouragement made a huge difference to them. Over time, asking for feedback became a habit, and it’s one of the best tools I’ve used to understand how I come across to others. Remember, feedback isn’t criticism; it’s a gift that helps you grow.
and Better off, asking for FeedForward instead of Feedback!
I will share later on about FeedForward in next article.

5. Create Space to Reflect

One of the simplest yet most powerful habits I’ve developed is carving out time for reflection. Every day, I spend a few minutes thinking about what went well, what didn’t, and how I felt. Sometimes I jot things down in a notebook, and over time, I’ve noticed patterns in my decisions and reactions. This small act of reflection has been invaluable, helping me see myself and my journey with more clarity and compassion.

Self awareness isn’t something you build overnight, but every step you take towards knowing yourself brings you closer to becoming the kind of leader people want to follow.
If there’s one thing I can share from my own path, it’s this: self awareness is the greatest asset you’ll ever develop as a leader.
Start today, with that first small question:
Who am I, and what kind of leader do I want to be?

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Hana Ngo
Executive & Team Coach, Founder at Grow Future Leader
Tue, 11/12/2024 - 11:14

Leadership Development, Start asking for FeedForward

You have heard of the term Feedback, Have you ever yet heard of ''FeedForward''

In Feedforward we ask about ideas, suggestions for the Future.
As We can not change the past, we can influence & change the Future.

Often when people give feedback, it is based on their experience & perceiption in the past. As we only can change the future, it is much more usefull to ask how we can do difference for the future.

The process is quite simple as following:
Write down what You want to improve as Leader in term of Behaviors, and ask your peer, direct reports, manager following question:''I would like to work on improving my...., can you give me some suggestions, ideas to work on it in the future? ''

Remember, after asked the question, you need to ''S*** up'' and Active listen to what they have to share, and Said Thank you and remember to come back to them for follow up, if these suggestions, ideas are the one you chose to experiment.

Every Feedforward is a gift, so be grateful and receive it as a gift.

As people only give Feedforward when they care.

Which Leadership Behavior Do You Want to work on?

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Navneet Anekal
Specialist - Network and Telecom at IESO
Sat, 11/09/2024 - 10:17

Leadership training and any program dedicated and designed by keeping the skills in mind required to grow is very important. I am glad there are resources available for it but a lot of training programs are catered for women already in leadership roles who are looking to hone their skills. I feel there is need for similar programs for women who want to enter in management type of role. If anyone has any such program in mind please do share.

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Networking and Collaboration Opportunities

Finally, online communities open up numerous networking and collaboration opportunities, enabling women in tech to connect with like-minded professionals, join forces on projects, or even start new ventures together, thus paving their way to the top.

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What else to take into account

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