What's Worse Than The Glass Ceiling? The Broken Rung!

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

Jo Piazza, Influence Inc.

Society & Culture, Parenting, Kids & Family, Personal Journals, Technology

4.3 • 787 Ratings

🗓️ 2 April 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You've earned the degree, landed the job, and crushed your first assignments—so why aren't you moving up? The shocking truth: it's not you, it's the system. "For every 100 men at the entry level that get that first big promotion, only 81 out of 100 women make the same leap." Join us as McKinsey senior partner Lareina Yee, co-author of "Broken Rung," reveals why the first step on your career ladder might be sabotaging your entire professional journey—and what you can do about it. Our guest, a McKinsey senior partner and co-author of "Broken Rung," shares startling insights about this persistent issue that has remained stubbornly unchanged over the past decade. Learn the warning signs that you might be stuck on this broken rung and discover tactical strategies to actively manage your career from day one. The conversation explores: How to recognize when you're stalling in your early career years The concept of "experience capital" and why the first 5-7 years are critical Why choosing a company culture matters more than choosing a job How technology skills can future-proof your career Practical ways successful women can help others climb past the broken rung With 12 million occupations expected to shift and change by 2030, this episode offers essential guidance for women at any career stage—whether just starting out or pivoting industries. Discover why success isn't a solo act and how building strong networks with both mentors and sponsors can make all the difference in navigating today's rapidly evolving workplace. Buy The Broken Rung here. Join our newsletter community here. Pre-order EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If the career ladder is a real thing, I think I might have fallen off of it a long time ago.
0:11.9	Or maybe that's not right. Maybe my career is more of like a fancy jungle gym. You know, the kind of the nice playgrounds on the other side of town, where you climb
0:22.3	up and over and sideways and then down again for a little while, and then maybe onto a fun, but
0:27.7	kind of precarious rope swing, you know, the kinds that are all made from beautiful organic
0:33.0	materials. Because to me, careers no longer seem linear, and the career world seems to constantly be
0:40.4	changing the rules. This is going to be more true than ever as AI climbs the career ladder,
0:48.4	like a bitchy vine, changing the structure of everything. I'm Joe Piazza, and you're listening to Under the Influence.
0:59.3	Now, you've all heard about the glass ceiling,
1:02.4	but what if the first step on that career ladder was actually broken?
1:08.0	Or, rather, what if the first step on that ladder was broken for women from the get-go?
1:15.7	Because I've got some pretty shocking statistics for you today. For every hundred men promoted at
1:22.6	entry level, only 81 women get the same kind of promotion.
1:30.2	And there's so much more where that comes from.
1:33.9	Today we're talking to McKinsey's senior partner Lorena Yee.
1:36.7	She's the co-author of the book The Broken Rung,
1:39.4	which reveals why the first step in your career ladder might be sabotaging your entire professional journey.
1:43.8	She's also got plenty of advice about what we can
1:46.0	do about it. This episode is not just for people starting out. Over the next five years,
1:53.9	millions and millions of jobs are going to change because of artificial intelligence. So even if
1:59.5	you think you've already climbed that ladder, even if you
2:02.4	think you're done, you may still be starting at the beginning.
2:12.1	Is the career ladder for women broken? Is there, is there a broken rung on it? And if so, where, because I just
	...

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