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40 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com It should be no surprise, in our filtered social media reality, that women retract from discussing the fact that cliques and catty comparisons still thrive far beyond puberty. Women are proving to be astute brand managers as they craft a life worth envy through their social media lens. is race to perfection is sadly making it more difficult than ever for some women to show the cracks in their real storyline. Yet, regardless if we discuss it, women, who undeniably build stronger, more in-depth friendships with other women than men do with each other, do not translate that bond of sisterhood into our professional lives as successfully. e truth is, if we are ever going to break the glass ceiling once and for all, we must take responsibility for lifting each other up beyond our individual capacity and tear it down together. THE QUEEN BEE Many factors are holding us back, all not entirely of our own making, but we must take responsibility for some. In 1974, University of Michigan researchers Graham Staines, Toby Epstein Jayaratne and Carol Tavris published an article in Psychology Today coining the term the "Queen Bee Syndrome." ey presented their findings based on more than 20,000 survey responses from Psychology Today and Redbook. eir research illustrated a trend where women who achieved success in male-dominated office environments were often opposed to the rise of other women. Unfortunately over 40 years later, Queen Bees are alive and well. In today's over stimulated society, baby bees begin their training as early as grammar school. By middle school and high school the Queen Bee Syndrome is born. Vicious bullying often spearheaded by one individual is the ugly result of adolescent teens vying for popularity and inclusion in cliques. While most women mature beyond this destructive behavior, some do not. As these young Queen Bees head into the workforce, they hone their skills of manipulation using them as tools to further their careers. As they succeed to positions of power rather than nurture young female talent, these Queen Bees become obsessed with maintaining their authority. By exploiting female vulnerabilities, they can effectively and viciously tear down a co-worker's reputation and self-esteem with tactics men might not even notice. According to a 2011 study by the American Management Association, 95% of the 1,000 working women surveyed believed they were undermined by another woman at some point in their career. Understandably, some women feel there is still only one seat at the board table available to a woman. By preventing the advancement of other women up the ranks, a Queen Bee can reduce the number of competitors, thereby easing her ascension up the career ladder. Women who have overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve top ranking positions are not eager to lose their alpha female dominance. e qualities that propelled these women to the top are undoubtedly not their kind hearts and generous natures. It's unfair to slap a double standard on these women by expecting them to mother young protégées, when it's their killer instincts that secured their seat at the big table. However, it would be beneficial for all of us if the Queen Bees break the cycle. It doesn't have to be as hard for the next generation of women leaders as it was for them. Young women today are achieving success in greater numbers than ever before. Since the early 1990s, women began to outpace men in college degrees. In 2012 women earned 57% of all degrees conferred that year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Women also earned a majority of master's degrees and doctoral degrees in the 2011-12 academic year: 60% of all master's degrees, compared with 40% for men and 51% of PhDs being awarded to women compared to 49% of men. While the current educational statistics are impressive, advancing to top ranking positions and securing equal pay still remain challenges for women. One step in improving those realities would be for Queen Bees to accept that inclusive and collaborative Mentoring Benefits Men MUCH More Than Women A study by Catalyst using data from 4,000 MBA students in Asia, Canada, Europe, and the U.S. shows that men benefit from mentoring much more than women across the globe. 93% VS 56% Men who had a mentor were 93% more likely to be put in a mid- management or above positions than men who did not have a mentor. Women who had mentors were only 56% more likely. $9,260+ Men with mentors received $9,260 more than women in the first job after receiving their MBAs. $6,726 VS $661 Men with mentors were paid $6,726 more than men without; for women with mentors, they were only paid $661 dollars more than women without. 21% VS 2% In 2008, for each promotion that men received they saw a 21% pay increase; women only received a 2% pay increase. *Mentoring: Necessary But Insufficient For Advancement (Nancy M Carter PhD and Christine Silva, Catalyst 2010)