Leadership

Social Media Roundup: A Glaring Example of Leadership Disparity

The Sun Valley Conference highlights the lack of women leaders at Fortune 500 companies. Also: how to connect with a busy person via an introduction email.

Seventeen.

That’s the total number of women who will attend to the Sun Valley conference, which averages around 300 attendees a year. Millennials may see the gender gap closing in the workforce, but could the conference be a sign of a continuing disparity among Fortune 500 leaders?

This issue, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Missing in Action

There’s something missing at Allen and Co.’s annual Sun Valley conference. The conference, which focuses on the future of the media, notoriously sees a small number of women attendees year after year. This year, 286 men will attend, and only 17 women. Is that a representation of the population of women leaders? Unfortunately, yes. “[T]he small number of women in attendance isn’t exactly an underrepresentation of the real world. Women make up just 4.2 percent of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 CEOs, which has traditionally been Allen and Co.’s excuse for its lack of ladies,” Rebecca Greenfield reports for The Atlantic Wire. The women in attendance include Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg and Melinda Gates, who will both participate in panel discussions during the conference. By the way, associations have this issue too, but things are improving, according to a recent study of association CEO pay.  (ht @pimplomat)

A Warm Introduction

How do you connect with someone who’s super busy? If you plan on sending an email to introduce yourself, know how to make it eye-catching, and remember that the recipient’s time is valuable. For instance, be clear about what you want to accomplish from the start. “Vague requests for ‘help’ waste everyone’s scarce time. Specific requests for certain kinds of assistance are more actionable,” Chris Fralic, partner at First Round Capital in New York, writes for Forbes. But don’t forget to show some respect. “The email should close with a call-to-action sentence that explains what you want,” Fralic continues. “Write in your natural voice to build trust with the recipient. People tend to have a poor reaction to the language of press releases.” (ht @JuandJo_)

What links have you been sharing today? Let us know in the comments.

(iStockphoto/Thinkstock)

Anita Ferrer

By Anita Ferrer

Anita Ferrer is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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