One female associate at this firm, who was "unquestionably bright" and had "all the right educational
credentials," was in danger of being outplaced less than 13 months after graduating from law school.
According to this partner, she was unable to handle occasional "unfair" decisions handed down by
"apparently biased" judges who seemed to exhibit "less than perfect" integrity.
Her upbringing and educational experiences had taught her that the world was a meritocracy: that
hard work and the right facts would bring success. Evidence that this wasn't always the case - knowledge that this partner
believed most boys acquired early on through experiences with unfair football coaches or an occasional biased baseball umpire,
for example - was so shocking that it had incapacitated her.
In reflecting on my own experiences and those of many other women I have known, I believe this gentleman
is right.
In the interest of teaching proper values - integrity, valuing diversity, caring for others, responsibility,
teamwork, leadership, etc. - as well as knowledge, many of our secondary schools, colleges and even graduate schools have
failed to adequately prepare students, particularly women, for dealing with a blatantly biased judge or a boss who unfairly
gives the deserved promotion or recognition to someone else.
These women are labeled "naive," "too idealistic," or even occasionally "ignorant," all of which
imply that it's somehow their fault.
Instead of letting these women learn about the "real world" from experiencing it - a strategy that
has profoundly and needlessly hurt many - I suggest that our educational institutions do more to:
- Make women aware that a noticeable percentage of the people they will encounter as adults (perhaps 1 percent, perhaps
fewer, perhaps more) will not abide by "proper" values.
They will pay them lip sevice, and they
may hold prominent positions where the appearance of living by these values is important. But in reality, these people make
decisions primarily based on their own self-interests.
- Teach women effective coping mechanisms when they find themselves up against someone (or some organization) that doesn't
seem to play by the rules.
There is real danger, individually and collectively, in allowing this ignorance to continue. The individual herself suffers
tremendous emotional upheaval - it may even be incapacitating - when finally confronted with the reality of the unjust world.
But more importantly, widespread ignorance of the presence of unfairness, injustice, evil or whatever you want to call
it allows unfairness, injustice or evil to proceed unchecked.
And if it proceeds unchecked in even one sphere, we are not heeding Thomas Jefferson's warning: "The price of freedom
is eternal vigilance."
Join with me in urging that all young women, in fact all young adults, be exposed to these ideas and equipped with effective
coping mechanisms before they enter the work force.
Cowan-Gascoigne is founder and president of The Leadership
Co., a Cleveland consulting firm and a trustee of Laurel School. She was formerly an executive at the Cleveland Clinic and
a consultant with McKinsey & Co.
This article was originally printed in the Women's Work column in the
Business Section of The Plain Dealer on Sunday, June 11, 1995.
