Developing women leaders: The role of women's professional organizations

Women face obstacles to leader development within their organizations. We investigate how women benefit from joining women's professional organizations (WPOs). We first conducted a pilot study in which we surveyed members of a WPO in the Southeastern United States to investigate whether women join these types of organizations for leader development, with results indicating that most members joined for leader development. We then interviewed members of this same organization to explore what leadership-related benefits they derive from their involvement. We found that experiences within this organization allowed members to hone their leadership abilities, network with other women, work directly with and observe women leaders, and receive support from others to take on leadership roles. In turn, these members had increased leadership aspirations, more confidence in their leadership capabilities, and a more expansive view of leadership within their careers. Overall, the findings from this exploratory study highlight the important role that WPOs can play in women's leader development.