english language article writerI have written many times in the past on the subject of wanting more women in technology roles – or in the wider field of business. This is not just a favorite topic of mine – it has dramatic ramifications for every business, large and small.

As Claire Cain Miller reports in the New York Times, there are clear correlations between having women on the board of a corporation and out-performing your competition:

In a study analyzing the relationship between the composition of corporate boards and financial performance, Catalyst, a research organization on women and business, found a greater return on investment, equity and sales in IT companies that have directors who are women.

But this issue is not so simply solved. It is not a question of talent – for there are certainly many gifted and driven women entrepreneurs. The problem is supply.

From my own experience, for every job that I advertise, the number of women applying seems to fall. So while the skill base of women continues to grow – capturing around 60% of associate, bachelor and masters degrees, these numbers don’t translate to a ready pool of women business leaders. Certainly not in contrast to the numbers of men.

It can’t be just me noticing this.

I have a feeling that the problem is not one of capability – but one of visibility. We need to trumpet our successes. We need to showcase our expertise. And perhaps, most importantly, we need to encourage others to do the same.

Nina Nets It Out: When it comes to women leaders, we need to feed both ends of the funnel. We need to increase the size of the pool and we need to showcase those who are achieving success. Please share your successes in the comments below.