On Anne's Mind

What do you think of when you hear the word Tomboy? 

Does it bring back memories of roughhousing with your brothers, tinkering in the garage with your motorbike and preferring blue jeans to princess dresses? Or do you think of sports and how your confidence and character were shaped by playing on a team and having a coach who challenged you to pick yourself right up after setbacks and get back in the game? 

For me, a Baby Boomer who grew up in the 1950s and 60s, being a “tomboy” was all about freedom. Freedom to play tackle football with the neighborhood boys, ride horses and know I could hold my own in a fight with my three brothers. 

I never had the chance to play organized sports. So I'm jealous when I see young girls in uniforms running on soccer fields and females pushing the edges of athleticism at the Olympics. But most of all, I am THRILLED when I see female athletes stepping forward as leaders to call out and challenge continued gender inequities in sports and fight for equal opportunity. Not just for themselves, but for all the girls to come.

That’s exactly what Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and their U.S. Women’s National Soccer teammates have been doing -- collectively -- for six years. Despite wining four World Cup titles, four Olympic gold medals and six straight years ranked FIFA’s No 1, they had to sue their own organization, U.S. Soccer, to fight for equal treatment.

These world-class athletes refused to accept lower pay, inferior working conditions and lack of marketing support, as they dramatically outperformed their male peers in global soccer competition. They fought for equality, as a team, as fiercely as they fought for championships. 

Their collective courage and tenacity paid off.  U.S. Soccer just agreed to pay $25 million to settle the lawsuit. “Tacit admission,” according to the NY Times, “that compensation for the men’s and women’s teams has been unequal for years.”  

That’s one gigantic step forward for women in sports. 

While there's still a long way to go, let's relish this hard-fought victory and recognize its lasting legacy: the domino effect it helped to kick-start.The U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team, WNBA players and Canada’s women’s soccer team have all followed the U.S. soccer team’s example by fighting for equal pay in their own workplaces.

What a great way kick off Women’s History Month.  

While we’re celebrating, let’s also reflect on the tremendous impact of athletes such as Billie Jean King who, nearly 50 years ago, formed the Women’s Tennis Association, threatened to boycott the U.S. Open and led the successful fight for equal prize money for women in tennis.  

And the important role modeling of Serena Williams, considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. Gymnast Simon Biles who changed the conversation about mental health and athleticism. Baseball trailblazers Kim Ng, the first female General Manager, now leading the Miami Marlins and Rachel Balkovec, just hired by the NY Yankees to manage their minor league Tampa Tarpons team. And 19-year old Belgian-British pilot Zara Rutherford who just set a world record as the youngest woman to fly SOLO around the world. 

I suspect that all of those women considered themselves “tomboys” as young girls. If you relish that part of yourself, as I still do, or perhaps the tomboy spirit in your daughter or granddaughter, you might like the new book, TOMBOY:The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different, and my interview with the author, Lisa Selin Davis, for my POWER UP WOMEN podcast. 

The word "tomboy"has gone out of style, but the freedom and exhilaration of women discovering their own physical capabilities, as well as the inspiration we feel from watching other females prove in multiple new ways, "Yes We Can!" never will.

This week's GUILTY verdict in the sexual assault trial of Harvey Weinstein, once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, was a long-awaited WATERSHED moment in our centuries-long fight for safety from sexual assault and "boys will be boys," toxic work cultures. It took the tenacious reporting of Pulitzer Prize-winning, NY Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, as well as 90 women courageously reporting painful details of their Weinstein's assaults to finally stop the predator's decades-long crime spree of grabbing, groping, raping then silencing his victims. ("If he heard the word 'no,'it was like a trigger for him," testified one of his victims.) 

Let's celebrate this important victory, while reminding ourselves the war is yet to be won. 

For women to be believed and our judicial system to send a consistent message to men that "the age of impunity" for harassing, assaulting and disrespecting women is over, all generations of women and our male allies need to raise our voices COLLECTIVELY to demand change. It needs to happen at the grassroots level in every work place and, YES, EVERY TIME a woman is sexually demeaned, harassed or bothered by a man. That's what "no tolerance" policies are supposed to mean. NO TOLERANCE. 

It is younger women, Millennials and Gen Z's, who are leading the #MeToo & #TimesUp movements. Fewer of them are willing to tolerate what previous generations of women felt we had to put up with in order to be accepted in male-dominated professions where we were trying to prove we belonged. But let's not insist that younger women tolerate the intolerable because we had little recourse. If they are ready to lead on this issue, it's up to their older "sisters" to have their backs. 

That's exactly what's happening in the Michigan legislature now where a Senator with a pattern of sexual harassment is finally being held accountable. 

Senator Pete Lucido thought he was "just having fun" when he made a gang rape joke -- in front of a large group of high school boys -- at the expense of 22-year-pld reporter Allison Donahue.  She had the courage to object to him and then to use the power of her pen to report on the incident. Lucido thought he could brush it off as "a misunderstanding," until additional women came forward with stories of their own experiences with Lucido's pattern of sexual harassment.  The news coverage went viral.

My POWERING UP podcast guests this week are two of the women who raised their voices to help hold Lucido, a powerful senator, accountable for "wink/wink" sexual innuendo that needs to end.

MichiganState Senator Mallory McMorrow and Detroit Free Press Journalist Julie Hinds both spoke up -- after Gen Z Donahue led the way.  My POWERING UP podcast conversation with them is is compelling and can be found wherever you get your podcasts, as well as through my AnneDoyleLeadership website. 

I hope you will listen and share it with others who will join us in insisting that #TimesUp!

Alexandrea Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), the 29-year-old, newly-elected Congresswoman from NYC is a millennial in a hurry. She stunned the political world by beating a rising star incumbent to become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. And she’s not about to be intimidated by the good-old-boys who have been treating the U.S. Capitol like their personal country club for decades. Case in point:  When Senator Lindsay Graham, who has been in Congress for over 23 years, tried to intimidate Ocasio-Cortez with an insulting tweet, she lectured him right back. 

The rising star’s leadership style is a classic example of the generational differences between ambitious, Millennial women and their Baby Boomer and Gen X “big sisters.” Millennials, such as AOC and her generational peers, have no interest in “waiting their turn” until more seasoned women leaders are ready to start sharing power it took them decades to achieve.  During the recent Midterm election campaigns, Ocasio-Cortez and multiple other first-time congressional candidates (including Elissa Slotkin and Haley Stevens, just elected from my home state of Michigan) vowed to voters that it was time for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and the old guard to pass the leadership gavel to the next generation.

But a funny thing happened once these young, impatient leaders arrived in Washington, D.C.

Behind the scenes, 78-year-old Pelosi has been working her magic. She is a master at bringing people together, which is how she succeeded in getting the Affordable Care Act passed (which had floundered in D.C. for decades), and raises millions in political contributions. I'm sure she needed every bit of political savvy to convince a new generation of confident, hungry and impatient young leaders that a battle-tested general, such as herself, skilled in managing the levers of power in Washington, DC, still has much to offer.  Which she did!

It's a valuable, learning moment for all of us who are trying to figure out how to get three very distinct generations of ambitious, educated women to stop criticizaing and competing with one another and collectively turn our sites toward the real prize: Political, Economic and Cultural POWER.

In my book, POWERING UP!, I  explain the mindset differences, strengths and blind spots of each of the three generations of high-achieving women in the workplace today.  I call them Pioneering Interlopers (think: Pelosi), Influential Insiders (think: Michelle Obama) and I’ll-Do-it-My-Way Innovators (think: Ocasio-Cortez). 

My POWERING UP! podcast this week explores these generational differences in a fascinating episode called, Stilettos and Sneakers. You'll find it wherever you get your podcasts, or through my website. 

As a new generation of aspiring  women, who were raised to believe they could "be anything and do anything," begins to hit its stride, we're witnessing a fresh surge of female activism and a re-kindling of feminist flames that were mere memories for decades.  Ambitious female Baby Boomers and Millennial women have more in common than most realize.  Both are products of extremely large and activist generations that share the hunger, courage and ability to advance social change. Millennials leading the #MeToo revolt picked up where the feminists left off. 

Women born into the smaller, Gen X generation tend to be very different.  Often following tough, trailblazers into work environments, they developed the skills of diplomats following marines into freshly-conquered territories.  They found more success with fitting in as “one of the guys” than aligning with the gender role boat-rockers. 

But I believe Gen X women leaders, such as Michelle Obama, are about to play an esssential role in helping men, in particular, undertand and effectively navigate the gender white water ahead.  The likes of Lindsay Graham and Mike Pence (whose "Pence rule" is the male backlash to #metoo outrage) are terrified by women such as Octavio-Cortez who have no interest in playing by the old rules and are poised to dramatically change the game. 

Michelle Obama stood aside and softened her public image while her husband ran for and served as president. But she is now becoming an important guide for a time that is about to become much more turbulent.  Millions are buying her memoir and filling stadiums to hear her speak. She shed new light on an age-old conundrum when she told an audience, "That 'lean-in' shit doesn't always work!"  

So grab your pink pussy hats, Chicas. Millennial women are just getting warmed up and Baby Boomer trailblazers can feel that fire in their bellies burning again!  Smart men will welcome wise female guides -- of every generation!

 As always, I'd love to hear from you!  Enjoy your holidays.  Anne

I know. I know. I've heard from quite a few of you who have been wondering why it has been several months since I was last in touch. The answer is in this photo. Her name is La Brava (spanish for brave female), and she was my Christmas present to myself. Brava is now five months old, house-trained and beginning to calm down a bit. So, I can finally begin turning my attention to more than simply integrating the "new baby" into my household.  

The other reason for my blog silence is that I haven't felt that I had anything new to say or compelling enough to share with all of you. My lens on the world is that of a journalist. I'm always looking for "the story." What's new? Where are the cultural edges? Based on USA news coverage for the last few months, you'd think there was nothing else happening in the world other than the incessant verbal abuse that Republican and Democratic presidential "wanna-bes" have been hurling at each other. All I can say about the present state of the U.S. presidential campaign is simply this: "I can hardly wait to see the TV debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump!"

Finaally Some News Worth Mentioning: We're On the Eve of Significant Change. The cultural tide carrying talented, skilled women leaders to positions of significant power and global influence is about to come in. I've sensed for some time that a gigantic wave of change was beginning to surge. Because the old narratives about women and leadership are as worn-out and as irrelevant as those 1980's "dress for success" female bow-ties.

You know the platitudes: Needing to fill the talent pipelines. Fixing women to fit in to Neanderthal work cultures and master male behaviors. Walking the tightrope between being too passive or perceived as a bitch. And, of course, being realistic about work/life balance. Men can be both high-achievers and good parents;women, however, must choose. We could sense that times have been "a changin'." But finally, there's evidence that enough women (an emergent critical mass) have achieved executive leadership positions to be successfully leading transformational change. 

The Everest Project is an unprecedented study of how women are successfully leading change and innovation in corporate America. Its first report, "Eve of Change: Redefining Corporate America," has just been released. I was alerted to this ground-breaking research by personal friends at EY (formerly Ernst & Young), one of the study's sponsors. Everest Project Co-Founders and study authors Pamela Carlton and Lily Tang call the compelling insights revealed by their findings, "A call to action to CEOs, senior executives and all women executives (1) to examine opportunities for leading change and creating cultures of innovation and (2) to fully support women executives who in many respects are leading the way." Here is how Carlton and Tang summarize several of their Key Findings.  

Finding 1: Women Lead Transformational Change. Women executives who are effectively leading -- aka "Everest Women" -- are actually transforming companies, through not only their own behavior as role models, but also as catalysts for collective behavior change in corporate America.

Finding 2: Women Embrace Smart Risk. "Contrary to popular belief," the authors report, "women often take significant risk on behalf of their organizations." In my book, POWERING UP!, I call this leadership skill the ability to Drink at Dangerous Waters. It includes everthing from having the courage to voice a contrarian opinion, even when you are the only woman in the room, to being willing to throw assumptions about "how we've always done things" out the window.  

Finding 3: Humility is the New Power Tool. But be careful, Carlton and Tang advise. "Confidence and credibility are prerequisites for leading with humility, which is all about the delicate balancing act between signaling leadership presence without being perceived as too agreessive or arrogant." The gender tightrope that women leaders must walk is a little wider thesse days, but navigating it well still takes skill. 

Finding 4: Collaboration is Not Consensus. Everest Women take the view from ten thousand feet across the organization, communicate well, are open to new ideas and encourage healthy debate. But they also understand that it eventually falls to take the critical step forward.   

Finding 5: Difference is More. I wrote an entire chapter in POWERING UP! about the leadership skill I call "Womaninity," to explain why leading as a woman is no longer a weakness to be overcome; it is a strength to be leveraged. Everest Report authors Carlton and Tang agree. "Because of their difference, women are multidimensionally competent," they report. "Women who have figured out how to use their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and cultural background as part of their leadership toolkit, bring far more to the table for their corporations and teams." 

This is fascinating and actionable insight. I urge you to download the report, read it and share it.

I'm Celebrating:

• Roberta Gibb's 50th anniversary as the first woman to finish the Boston Marathon.  
• Harriet Tubman about to replace former slave owner Andrew Jackon on the $20 bill. 

I'm Watching:

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advocating for male engagement in gender parity at this year's Davos World Economic Forum 
• Confirmation -- HBO's excellent new movie on the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas showdown that held our nation spellbound 25 years ago and deepened our understanding of sexual harassment. 

I'm Reading:  

• Unfinished Business: Women, Men, Work Family, by Anne Marie Slaughter
• Unconventional Leadership: What Henry Ford and Detroit Taught Me About Leadership and Diversity, by Nancy Schlichting

Next month, I'm travelling to Tel Aviv to participate in my 12th global conference of the International Women's Forum, one of the preeminent networks of women leaders from every continent. As the newly elected president of the Michigan IWF chapter, this will be the first time that I will participate in the President's Council sessions, as well. The content is always cutting edge and this year's theme is, "Seek, Solve, Soar." I promise to take great notes and to share the most compelling insights and stories  . . . SOON! 

Spring Greetings from Motown - a city beginning to rise again.  Anne 

I just returned from a 10-day trip to South Africa.  The trigger for my travel was the World Cornerstone Conference of the International Women’s Forum, hosted by the leading women of the new nation (only 21 years old!) of the Republic of South Africa. 

Entitled “Legacy & Inheritance: Journey to the Future,” the Johannesburg conference attracted over 600 women leaders from 30 countries and five continents.  The 3-day agenda was packed with some of the most respected and visionary thinkers, activists, elected leaders and business people at work today in southern Africa. 

I was struck by their willingness to openly engage in courageous conversations about the lessons learned from South Africa’s disturbing, apartheid past, as well as the challenges they are tackling today as they work to build a “rainbow nation” that lives up to the non-racist, non-sexist, “Ubuntu” promises of South Africa’s (1997) Constitution.

What is Ubuntu?  It is a deeply-held idea from the Southern African region of the world that literally means “human-ness.” Our conference hosts defined it as: “I am because you are.” It was expressed in another way on a beautifully-painted bench on Signal Hill overlooking the spectacular Cape Town harbor, which read:  “Your Respect is My Strength.”

South Africa is one of the shining lights of the African continent, although as a democracy it is a very young nation, born April 27, 1994.

I could write pages about what I learned during my first visit to this spectacular country of 47 million people speaking 11 official languages and striving to collectively heal from the damage done to the nation’s psyche and soul as they look to the future. But I’ll try to be concise. So, here are a few highlights, whose themes are universally relevant to individuals and nations aspiring to the values of Ubuntu.  

Stunning Beauty, Bitter Lessons -- My travels took me from the crashing waves of the Cape of Good Hope and lush fields and majestic mountains of Wine Country to close encounters with born free lions, elephants, leopards and rhinos in Kruger National Park. Blessed with gold, diamonds and spectacular beauty, South Africa is one of the continent’s jewels.

But its bitter history cannot be ignored. I walked the streets of SOWETO (Southwest Townships of Johannesburg), home to over 4 million people, some living in tin shacks with no water or electricity, as well as the homes of two Nobel Peace Prize Winners – Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.  And I soaked in the sobering lessons of humanity at its worst on display at the Apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieterson Museum, named for the 13-year old boy who was shot by police during the student uprisings of June 1976. The photo of his death alerted the world to the tragedy of apartheid. All over the world, including in my own country, racism still raises its ugly head.

The Path to Equal Justice. For me, the most powerful voice of the conference was that of the Honorable Joyce Banda, former president of Malawi and the 2^nd female head of state in an African nation. She unapologetically focuses her efforts on lifting women and children, who are the majority of the world’s poor. “Education breaks the yolk that oppresses most women and girls,” she said. “We must begin with education and then invest in women who are natural producers . . . of life . . . of food from the ground and as entrepreneurs.”

Dr. Banda challenged the global IWF leaders to “live extraordinary lives” and use our talents to change the world, telling us, “You are only a leader when you reach out and lift others. Are you sleeping on the job? Or are you awake to the cries of the human family?”

Lessons From Animals – And how can I not mention the impact of spending three days in the company of some of the world’s most spectacular wild and free animals at a tented camp in Kruger.  I couldn’t help but notice the dramatic differences in male and female behavior.    

Over and over, I observed the collective strength of matriarchal societies where females bond together to feed their young and survive. Elephants, zebras, lions, hyenas, antelope and many others kick males out of the herd when they reach puberty and start “causing trouble. The females decide what is best for the group and the survival of the next generation. Their strength is collective.  Male strength was individual and concerned with their own physical needs – food and sex.  It is the female lions who do the hunting, but the males eat their fill before the lionesses get a bite.  Adult males live solitary lives, fighting other males for access to females during mating season.

Observing the ways that matriarchal instincts and collective female strength protect life and nurture healthy group behavior, I couldn’t help but wonder why and when we lost our collective strength. In most societies, adult females are paired off with individual males, which distances women and children from the protection of other females. And because most women are physically weaker than men, we are vulnerable to dangerous males. Rampant domestic violence, campus rape and sexual trafficking of young girls are all glaring examples of how far females have strayed from the wisdom of nature. I've felt that collective power each time I've been privileged to spend time with women who travel from all corners of the globe to learn and be energized by one another at the outstanding IWF global conferences.

Two fabulous examples are the leaders in this picture, Ntsiki Memela-Motumi, a Major General in the South African army and Marsha Sampson-Johnson, a speaker, change agent and retired Bell South senior executive.   

 Making It In A Man’s World Is Just the Beginning. I’ll leave you with the words of an African leader who told her gathered highly-accomplished sisters, “Too many of us are congratulating ourselves and one another for ‘making it in a man’s world.’ But that’s just the beginning. The real accomplishment will be making this a ‘human world” where all god’s creatures can thrive.”

Ubuntu!

Forget about listing all of your credentials and accomplishments when you are being honored.  If you want to spice up an awards event, ask one of your siblings to introduce you -- and give them free hand to tell the audience the "back story" about how you became the person you are today.  I'm the big sister of seven children -- and my youngest brother, Vince, just did a great job introducing me.  To hear his intro and my comments, CLICK HERE. 

Dear Thinkers, Friends, Global Citizens, 

The “fire in my belly” is focused on helping to create a world where women and girls can achieve their full potential. It fuels my work as a Keynote Speaker, Author and Voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. It is also the area of greatest opportunity for human evolution. Because, at the beginning of the 21st Century, our greatest untapped natural resources are the brainpower, talent and wisdom of the female half of the human race.

 But I also care deeply about protecting and respecting the safety of the world’s children, the health of our planet, and the right of every individual, as our U.S. Constitution affirms, “to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” That is why I am dismayed and grieving, along with millions of Americans, over a stunning event that just occurred in our nation. A fleeing male, African American U.S. citizen was shot in the back eight times by a white, male, South Carolina Police Officer. Because someone was courageous enough to capture those terrible moments on cell phone video, the officer has been fired and charged with murder. The video is difficult, but important, to watch. 

In every corner of our globe, humans are the only life form that attacks its own for inexplicable reasons. This is one of those days when I stagger under the weight of another tragic commentary on our species.  My response is an even deeper commitment to do everything in my power to help bring balance to the decision-making of the human family. We must CLOSE THE GENDER LEADERSHIP GAP. Let’s not leave it for others to do.  

On My Mind – What else am I thinking about?  

Spain- I spent the month of February in Spain and was privileged to teach at ESADE Business School in Madrid, as part of PROMOCIONA -- an Executive Women’s Leadership Program for women from top companies in Spain. Here’s a photo of these fabulous, young leaders just after they received copies of my book, POWERING UP! 

 • Ellen Pao and Sexism in Silicon Valley. Reddit CEO Pao may have lost her case but her conviction in confronting VC firm Kleiner Perkins has turned up the heat on hostile, frat-boy work climates that are driving women out of STEM fields in staggering numbers. Here’s one of the best articles I've read on the ongoing impact. 

• Women in Tech Experiencing Death by 1,000 Cuts. Those are the words of Ellen Pao. Here's a terrific Harvard Business Review article on the facts behind Pao's compelling claim. Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers. 

•  A Woman's Place is On the Money. Momentum is building in the U.S. for the first woman to be featured on our paper currency.  African American Shero Rosa Parks, whose refusal to sit in the back of an Alabama bus symbolizes the beginning of the Civil Rights movement in the USA, is the leading vote-getter to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Here’s the link to vote. 

• London Women's Leadership Conference. I’m thrilled to have been invited to be one of the Keynote Speakers at the June Women Mean Business Conference in London, co-sponsored by the Women’s Leadership Network and the UK’s Department for Business Innovation and Skills. My theme: Invite Yourself to the Leadership Dance! 

• Jimmy Carter Raises His Voice Against Religious Sexism. The former U.S. president and deeply-spiritual Christian has just severed his ties with the Southern Baptist Convention over church leaders re-newed insistence on the subservience of women to men. Here's his compelling explanation of why he has taken this painful but powerful step. I’ve long admired and appreciated the decades of contributions President Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, have made to lifting the human family. I highly recommend his most recent book, A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power. 

Cool Upcoming Events: 

 • Global – Johannesburg, South Africa. The Global Cornerstone Conference of the International Women's Forum, one of the preminent global networks of women leaders, will be in South Africa this year. Over 600 inspiring and accomplished “Sisters” from nearly 40 countries will gather to learn, discuss and consider, "Legacy & Inheritance: Journey Into the Future." I’ll be there.  

USA – New York City, April 22-24. Women in the World Annual Conference is one of the BEST I have ever attended. Big Names; Powerful Content. If you haven't attended, add it to your bucket list -- this year or next! 

• USA – Detroit, Michigan, April 28. Women of Courage & Achievement Awards, hosted by Michigan Women’s Foundation attracts over 800 movers and shakers. Great networking. See you there!  

 • USA – SE Michigan, April 30. WONonder Women Awards, annual event hosted by the Women Officials Network (WON), which is committed to increasing the number of women in office. I’ll see you there, too!

In the wake of the tragic shootings in Paris and the controversy in the USA over the movie, THE INTERVIEW, I've been thinking a lot about leaders and the importance of continuing to raise our voices, even in the face of push-back, disdain and threats.

Sometimes those threats can mean life or death, as in the case of the French journalists or Martin Luther King, Jr. and the thousands who marched with him in Selma, Alabama (the topic of a powerful, new film). Often, it can mean social ostracism and disdain as Susan B. Anthony and the American Suffragettes faced for decades as they fought for the right to vote. 

Or, it can be as subtle as well-intentioned, but insidious, career advice. I'll never forget the Ford executive who told me, "Anne, you've got to stop always seeing things through the eyes of a woman. People are getting really tired of it!" The "people" he was referring to, of course, were all men, many of whom would have preferred I always saw things their way, or at least stifled myself more often! 

My 2015 message is simply this: BE COURAGEOUS. Dare to continue raising your voice to make a positive difference. Everywhere we look, the human family is crying out for the mothers of the world -- women -- to step up and take an equal role in shaping the economic, cultural, educational, military and public policy decisions that impact all human possibility. 

I love the words of Admiral Michelle Howard, vice chief of U.S. Naval Operations, who is raising the Navy's game. She recently told a Washington, DC audience, "My definition of leadership is 'Not standing around and doing nothing while watching everything go to hell!'” Everywhere we look, things are going to hell. Pick your passion. Then put your shoulder to the wheel and let your voice be heard -- particularly if you are the lone voice who brings different perspective to decisions.

Leadership is rarely easy. I draw courage from watching or reading about others in action, such as the movies: Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay; Iron-Jawed Angels and Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon. Or, pick up, "Race Across Alaska," the fascinating book on Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the 1,000-mile Iditarod dog-sled race. Plus, right before our eyes, fabulous examples of powerful, brave and wise women are rising up and taking action. For example: 

• United States Congress. We now have 100 women (out of 535) elected to the U.S. Senate (20) and House of Representatives (80). That's nowhere close to what it should be. Two of our newest Congresswomen, Brenda Lawrence and Debbie Dingell, are from Michigan and pesonal friends. Here's a fascinating articles on the women who led the way in the ultimate "boys club" and the sexism even U.S. Senators still contend with.
• DC's Matriarchy - For the first time in history, the Mayor, Police Chief and School Chancellor of an American city are all women -- and two are women of color. It's time for the rest of America to catch up!
• Women of Africa Rising -- Kah Walla, a courageous political leader I met years ago at a global conference, is running for president in Cameroon. Her TedTalk is a must-view primer on this critically important continent. 
• Marissa Mayer and Silicon Sexism - 2014 brought fascinating revelations about the blatant sexism in Silicon Valley. In Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! author Nicolas Carlson blames Mayer's Oscar de la Renta shoes !!!) instead of Silicon Valley culture for any sexism she faced. The recent review in NY Times magazine is worth your time.
• Actress and activist Geena Davis continues to raise her voice on behalf of girls and women. She is partnering with Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods and Walmart to host a film festival promoting women and diversity in movies. 
• Hillary Clinton -- Yes, of course she is running for president in 2016. And she will be elected. Let me know if you want to help!

The Instigators are Watching Us. We need to start innoculating and preparing our next generation of girls much younger to successfully navigate the toxic cultural waters they must wade through on their way to embracing all the possibilities of Womaninity. Over the holidays, a dear friend and fabulous "Innovator" entrepreneur invited me to get to know her beautiful daughter, part of the generation I call "the Instigators." This young Instigator show her Mom and me that even 8 months old isn't too young to start learning to "power up"! 

Remember: There's nothing to fear in this moment. And this moment is all there really is. 

These days, I think of myself as a SCOUT -- lucky enough to travel freely in multiple directions, meeting leaders, from across industries and global cultures, who are on the cuttting edge of women's progress. It's not enough for me to experience the pulse of change. I feel the responsibility to share what I've learned and observed with my network. I'm deeply aware that each of you has your shoulder to the wheel, pushing the edges of possibility in your circles of influence. We need you there.... because we are all laboring in the same vineyard.  So here's my news from the front lines!

World Leadership Conference of International Women's Forum: I was one of over 700 women leaders from 30 countries who gathered recently in Atlanta, the home of the US Civil Rights movement. The theme: Human Rights/Human Responsibility: Towards a Better Future. Highlights for me of three days of powerful dialogue with brilliant, courageous and inspiring thought leaders included: 

• Andrew Young, former Atlanta Mayor, Georgia Congressman and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, needed only a couple of minutes to light a fire in the hearts of attendees at the opening reception, telling us: "Keep raising hell! You are doing the work of the angels.  Remember -- well-behaved women never make history!" The opening reception was held at the spectacular Center for Civil and Human Rights, which just opened in June. The interactive museum includes a replica of "white only" lunch counters where courageous African Americans defied local laws and dared to sit down in the early 1960's. Visitors can sit at the counter, put on a headset and hear the sounds of the hatred that black citizens faced, including people being pulled off stools beside them and beaten.
• Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee and author Sheryl WuDunn teamed up for a powerful presentation and discussion about human rights abuses that girls and women throughout the world still face. I've read Gbowee's book, watched the documentary about the women's rebellion that she led to stop 10 years of war in Liberia - Pray the Devil Back to Hell, and have heard her speek multiple times. Each time, she inspires me to do more. Her message in Atlanta, "We need to unleash the greatness in girls. Reach out to one girl and take her on a leadership journey -- someone who is not related to you. Make it part of your legacy!"
• Memorable Women: Of all the fantastic women I met during this conference, three stood out for me. First, the Honorable Maureen Harding Clark. As an Irish-American whose grandmother hopped a boat for America at age 16, I was see thrilled to see her inducted (photo) into the IWF Hall of Fame.  A member of the International Criminal Tribunal, former member of the Ireland Supreme Court and one of the most respected jurists in the world, she is down-to-earth and oozing with self-deprecating, Irish wit. When we shared an elevator, she told me, "I've started reading your book, Anne Doyle. If there is anything I disagree with, you'll be sure to hear from me!"
• Second, I was lucky enough to sit down at lunch next to Linda Davis, who introduced herself as a rancher from New Mexico and the mother of six children. We talked about our mutual love of horses. She never mentioned that she would be honored at the closing reception as an IWF legend -- nor that she is in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the CEO of CS Cattle Company, one of the most honored cattle and quarter horse ranches in the West.  She offered to show me around NE New Mexico -- on horseback. One of my 2015 goals is to take her up on that invitation!
• Finally, former First Lady Rosyln Carter, one of the founder's of the Georgia chapter of the International Women's Forum, who was honored for her 44-years of human rights activism. She felt fragile when I shook her hand, but she spoke powerfully about her lifelong commitment to raise awareness about mental health.

GAMERGATE: If you haven't heard about the recent uproar and terrifying backlash against outspoken women who have dared to raise their voices against the pervasive violence toward women in video games, you need to know. Female game developers who have dared to complain receive rape and death threats. And Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist media critic who has done excellent reporting on the excessive violence and victimization of women, was forced to cancel a presentation at Utah State University after USU received threats of a mass shooting if the "craven little whore" was allowed to speak. It was my 22-year-old son, Kevin, who brought this outrageous situation to my attention. Hope you are paying attention to the images and messages that gamers in your family are saturated with.

GOLDIEBLOX TAKES ON BARBIE: Finally, here's some fun. Take a look at the latest GoldieBlox ad about the first action figure for girls. With the gift season coming up, hope you'll keep the message in mind as you choose gifts. Remember the words of the indominatable Leymah Gbowee and help "unleash the power of girls"!

Happy Thanksgiving, Anne

As a long-time journalist, I'm always looking for the "edges" of cultural change and fresh thinking. Here are several items related to women's leadership and the global gender gap, which have caught my attention recently. 

 Relentless Incrementalism -- Compelling two words that a U.S. State Department Foreign Officer recently shared with me over a cup of cofee in Washington, DC. They are her mantra for making a positive difference when working in a new culture and country, which is her life's work.  "First, you have to look for and understand where the cultural "edges" are," she told me. "Then, you try to steadily move them in a positive way. That's relentless incrementalism." I love the image -- two very powerful words that can be a great mindset for just about anything you're trying to accomplish. 

The Confidence Gap -- Atlantic Magazine recently published an article that made my blood boil. Here's the subtitle: "Evidence shows that women are less self-assured than men—and that to succeed, confidence matters as much as competence." I'm sick to death of articles on "what's wrong with women" compared to men. There's NOTHING WRONG WITH WOMEN. We've spent nearly five decades educating ourselves, learning the rules of every professional arena (written by and for men) and acquiring the professional seasoning and savvy that centuries of women were denied the opportunity to learn. Here's the Atlantic Magazine article that had me ranting.  What do you think? Would love to hear your reactions. 

Having It All -- Matt Lauer asked GM CEO Mary Barra whether she could be a both a good Mother and an effective CEO. And Indra Nooyi, long-time CEO of PEPSICO, was asked the same question at the Aspen Institute's recent Ideas Festival. This question has been put to women leaders ad nauseum! It's time to start asking this question of male leaders. When a male CEO recently spoke up about this issue, his frankness made national news. 

Diversity Toll -- Did you hear about the research just released by the University of Colorado, which found that women and people of color can pay a “political price” for aligning themselves and leading around issues of Diversity & Inclusion?  But guess what.  White men earn points for taking the lead on diversity and inclusion! The news made the Wall Street Journal.  This doesn't surprise me, but confirms my believe that the the engagement of men is the "Leadership Missing Link" needed for us to make significant progress. And as for "the price" women may pay for speaking up about the gender gap -- remember Mother Teresa's mantra: Do It Anyway! 

Pax Ellevate Global Women’s Index Fund (PXWEX). Finally, here's the most exciting development I've come across in months.  Sallie Krawcheck, former Wall Street SuperStar and now owner of Ellevate (fomerly 85 Broads) has teamed up with Pax World Funds to create a stock mutual fund that invests in 400 of the top female-focused global corporations, including Blue Chips such as Microsoft, Nestle, Xerox and Lockheed Martin.  I recently interviewed Joe Keefe, CEO of Pax World Funds, who told me, "If you don't put your money to work in support of your values, you are leaving your most powerful arrow in your quiver."  Here's the segment that the PBS NewsHour did on the new fund, including interviews with Krawcheck and Keefe. Women’s fund seeks share of prosperity for female-focused firms.  I'm planning to invest. Hope you'll consider doing the same and share this news with your network.

Finally, just for fun, here's a photo with Sloan, a big, powerful, fabulous mare.  Horsin' Around is my favorite way to re-charge my batteries.  

"The Corner Office" column in the New York Times, by Adam Bryant, tackles cultural headwinds still faced by ambitious women in most work environments --  a topic we've tried to avoid for at least a decade.

Time to start talking about the elephant in the room! Click here to read. 

Terrific Harvard Business Review article on Women Rising and how to crack through "Second Generation Gender Bias" that is still so pervasive.  It's much more subtle than the overt and legal discrimination of years past, but to reach our full, individual potential, women must push against cultural headwinds, while ambitious men are carried by cultural tailwinds they don't even recognize as the wind at their backs.  Here's the link.

Two global, economic powerhouses just  took an historic step forward, together, for womankind. For Amway, it was the first time they have EVER hosted a women’s leadership event. For Microsoft, it was the first time in the Midwest.

I was lucky enough to witness their first steps in an important new direction and captured the highlights and insights for Forbeswoman. Click here to read. 

As I reflect on the progress and slippage of the female half of the human race in 2012, as well as the mighty challenges we face in the year ahead, it's clearer than ever to me that the human family is crying out for women to step up to leadership roles in numbers we've never done before.

Here are the some of the thoughts I shared recently in Washington, D.C. when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce invited me to their Center for Women in Business podium.  You'll also find them on Forbeswoman.com, including the video and lively Q&A. 

The Human Family is Crying Out for Women to Step Up and Lead 

As I reflect on both women’s progress and set-backs in 2012 and look ahead to the challenges that await us in 2013, it is clearer than ever that the human family is crying out for the world’s women to step up and lead.

Everywhere we look, whether inside the halls of a dysfunctional Congress, as far away as India, where thousands of women just marched to protest the gang rape and murder of a med student, and Pakistan,where cowards tried to silence a courageous 15-year-old, or as close as an elementary school in a peaceful Connecticut hamlet, I can hear the plaintiff call. Can you?

In my book of life, it’s not enough to take great care of our own families once we know that millions of children are starving, being sold into sexual slavery or slaughtered in their own classrooms.

Another year has now passed with the collective intelligence of the other half of the human race -- female brainpower, perspective and life experience -- barely tapped.

How long will we wait before millions of women find the courage and commitment to take our rightful places in leadership roles, side-by-side with men -- to shape the kind of communities, nations and planet we want to leave as our legacy?

According to Catalyst, men still hold over 80% of the most powerful economic and political positions. While, according to the U.S. State Department, women  . . .

• Are 52% of the world’s population
• Are responsible for 66% of the world’s output
• Earn 10% of the world’s income
• Own 1% of the world’s property

There is so much wrong with this picture.

Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business organization, invited me to their podium in Washington, DC to talk about women and leadership. The luncheon event marked completion of the first year of the Chamber's new Center for Women in Business (CWB) initiative and was live-streamed on its website.

For me, it was a fantastic opportunity to engage with three generations of aspiring professional women (and a few courageous men!), who had more questions than I had time to attempt to answer.

What was my message? Of course I celebrated our progress, and women definitely had some gold medal moments in 2012. My favorites include:

• The incredible performance of women athletes at the London Olympics.
• Augusta National Golf Club, host of the Master's and one of the business world’s most powerful “good-old-boy” networks, finally invited two great women to become members.
• Shannon Eastin became the first female referee of an NFL game.
• Google executive Marissa Meyer, only 37-years old and a new mother,was named CEO of Yahoo.
• For the first time in history, 20 (one-fifth) of our 100 U.S. Senators are women.  I won’t rest until it’s 50-50.

But it would be naïve to ignore the headwinds aspiring females still face, including:

• Demeaning, insulting gender-based attacks by national commentators on women who dare to raise their voices, even regarding our own reproductive health.
•  Millions of females, old and very young  -- Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai is just one -- who pay a high price for speaking up for their desire for education, freedom to dream big and a culture that takes violence against its women seriously (Every 18 seconds a woman is raped in South Africa).
• The onslaught of over-sexualized images of women in our movies, advertising and music videos that insidiously ingrains in our girls and young women that “hotness” is still their strongest card.
• National magazines continuing to beat the drum that women “still can’t have it all.” Anne Marie Slaughter’s Atlantic article was excellent. But why it it that high-achieving  men EXPECT to have it all – great careers and wonderful families. Yet  equally talented and ambitious women are repeatedly reminded of all the reasons we must compromise our dreams?

Engaging the Strengths of Our Gender: We’ve all read the research that repeatedly confirms the unique skills that women bring to leadership.

How much more research do we need to finally believe it ourselves? To recognize that the strengths of our gender are needed more than ever to address the increasingly complex conundrums we all face as members of the human family and residents of planet earth.

Despite all of the United States' flaws, Americans are blessed to live in a country where we take for granted legal rights, social freedoms and educational and economic opportunities millions of our global sisters only dream about. Women throughout the world look to us to lead the way.  As one Moroccan woman told me during my trip to west Africa this year,“When you rise, it helps us all rise.”

Let's Make a Quantum Leap in 2013: I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of hearing the same old statistics about women’s progress, with only infinitesimal change. It’s time for the millions of overly-qualified women Achievers now in the workforce to make the leap to leadership. As we begin a new year, I hope you will remember this: No one is going to invite you or me to the leadership dance. It’s time to invite ourselves and invite other women.

I hope this is the year you'll:  Run for office. Raise your hand for stretch leadership roles. Be a rainmaker for other female professionals. Raise your voice to ensure that women at your company are paid equally with men for similar responsibilities. Become a Girl Scout leader and help innoculate our girls from the cultural quicksand that slowed us down.

The list of ways we can all put our shoulders to the wheel to help close the gender leadership gap are endless. Sooner or later, it's going to happen. Let’s not leave it for later. Let’s do it on our watch.

Here’s to POWERING UP! in 2013.

Emily Gail was a high-energy Motor City businesswoman in the late 70s and early 80s when I was covering sports for CBS-TV, Detroit and helping to open sports locker rooms for women journalists.  She recently interviewed me about those days and my new book on women's leadership, POWERING UP!  Click here to listen.  Scroll down to the Nov. 17th interview.  

Men have been mixing business with pleasure for centuries.  Their golf game deals are legendary. So why are so many women uncomfortable mixing business with pleasure? This is an Achilles Heel that is holding us back. That's why I wrote about this issue for Forbeswoman.com.  Click here to read.   

Charlotte Beers is a legendary leader -- who is now sharing her decades of insight and experience about leading as a woman who understands her own POWER and is very comfortable in her own SKIN.  I call that female leadership skill:  Womaninity -- and write an entire chapter about it in my book, POWERING UP!

Here's a terrific interview with Beers done by the NY Times Adam Bryant.  It's packed with actionable wisdom.  

How about this for a women's leadership book topic -- Surviving Adversity With Dignity, Grace & Integrity. The first person I'd interview would be University of Virginia President Terry Sullivan who was just re-instated after faculty and students reacted with outrage over her ouster by the Board.

What a fiasco -- but what lessons learned President Sullivan could share.  Hope she writes her own book one day.  She's a brilliant and terrific leader -- and a tough Texan who cut her academic teeth in Texas before becoming Provost at the University of Michigan.  I met her during her years in Michigan and interviewed her for my book, POWERING UP!  

Here's more from the Boston Globe on the leadership fiasco perpetrated by the Board of the University of Virginia -- they now have egg all over their faces and Sullivan has been re-instated.  

Gender Landmines have been exploding all around recently.  From women legislators being "muzzled" in Michigan to women executives being told they had to move from a "men-only" table in one of the most prestigious private business clubs in the USA.  

Believe me, I can't make this stuff up! If you're still wondering if the War on Women is a figment of our imagination, here's my perspective, which I wrote recently for Forbeswoman.com.

WARNING TO WOMEN:  Don't Say Vagina and Don't Sit at a Men-Only Table

I'm still flabbergasted over two astonishing, recent incidents -- one triggered by a Michigan legislator who dared to use the word "vagina" during a floor debate over proposed regulation of female bodies, and the other, which I personally witnessed, involving a dues-paying member of Philadelphia's Union League being ordered to move from a “men-only table" she and her guests had inadvertently chosen in an empty dining-room.

Throw in the fact that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is investigating the 100-year-old Girl Scouts and I have all the evidence I need that the "war on women" is not only real, it's gaining momentum.

Michigan’s Vagina Dialogue

Last week, Michigan’s House of Representatives was considering some of the most restrictive, anti-choice legislation in the country. During the floor debate, Rep. Lisa Brown (D) told her colleagues, "I'm flattered that you are all so interested in my vagina, but No means No!”[youtubevid id="BGS9vo1avVg"] Brown's mostly male colleagues apparently have no problem passing laws to regulate vaginas, but were outraged when she uttered the word in public.

Another Michigan legislator, Rep. Barb Byrum, (D) attempted to add an amendment to the bill requiring men to prove a medical emergency before being allowed a vasectomy.

Both female leaders were publicly scolded. And they next day they were muzzled. House Speaker Jase Bolger (R) refused to allow either  elected official  to speak -- on any topic.

The good news is that vaginas everywhere -- and men who support the "V's" right to make their own medical decisions -- are outraged.  Rochelle Riley of the Detroit Free Press called it an "Attack on Women -- and Democracy." Detroit News columnist Laura Berman objected to women only being allowed to speak  if they agree with men in power.

Then the Rachel Maddow Show called.  And playwright Eve Ensler is flying in Monday to lead eight female legislators in a performance of the Vagina Monologues on the steps of the Michigan Capitol. Suddenly the word that "shall not be named" on the floor of the Michigan House is going viral.

Can you imagine what Steven Colbert could do with this? It would be funny, if it weren’t so outrageously tragic.

Stepping On A Gender Landmine in Philadelphia's Union League.  

The second disturbing example of the cultural headwinds that aspiring women still face occurred at Philadelphia's storied Union League, which considers itself one of the premier City Clubs in the country and, according to its website, a “diverse gathering place for the business and intellectual elite."

Like many such private clubs, the 160-year-old Union League was long known as one of the “hardest to crack old boys’ network" in the City of Brotherly Love. Today, not only can women apply for membership, the League boasts its first woman president.

All that’s great.  But imagine this scene.

Three high-powered women, two PhDs and an author (me!), each with decades of expertise in transformational leadership and work culture equity, spend the morning leading a discussion on women's leadership with some of Philadelphia's most influential women. One of the three, Dr. Ilene Wasserman, then invites her two, out-of-town guests to join her for lunch at the Union League, where she and her husband are new members.

When we arrived, the elegant Founders dining room was empty. We were invited to, "Sit anywhere you'd like."  We chose an isolated table by the window. Our drinks arrived and we began settling in for a relaxing lunch.

But then an atomic moment occurred. Two embarrased employees approached and apologetically informed us we would have to change tables. "This is the club table of the Groundhogs and Crickets and the president of the club is adamant that no women be allowed to sit at this table,” we were told. “You can choose any other table, but you must move."

At first, Dr. Wasserman, Dr. Placida Gallegos and I thought it was a joke.  But when the employees informed us that they "feared they could be fired" if they did not get us to move, we realized we had inadvertently stumbled upon one of the League's leftover, gender landmines.

So researchers that we are, we probed, asking, “Is there any table in this dining room where African Americans can never sit?"  The employees were shocked by the question."Of course not."

"Are there any tables in this dining room where men can never sit?” Same answer. "No."

What Do Leaders Do? 

So what should leaders do, when confronted with blatant or insidious, gender bias? Other than being outraged, what strategic steps can we take to turn these confrontations into transformational moments that can lift everyone involved to a higher level of awareness and behavior?

While researching my book, POWERING UP!  How America's Women Achievers Become Leaders, I learned that transformational leaders don't stand on the sidelines when the going gets tough. They Raise Their Voices. They Break the Rules. They Claim Power. And they repeatedly Drink at Dangerous Waters.

American women are at a key moment in our evolution toward gender parity. Evidence is mounting that hard-fought gains achieved decades ago could slip away. Leaders pay attention to the forces at play around them -- and act.

What did Wasserman, Gallegos and I do? We decided to move – purely to protect the employees from possible consequences if we made a scene.  But we took two other steps to make sure the learning opportunity wasn’t lost on the Union League's leadership or its Members.

We alerted the news media.  And, after accepting the profuse apologies of the League's General Manager and President about what they insisted was "a terrible misunderstanding," we asked for a commitment that the Board would review all "written and unwritten policies, practices and traditions" that are contrary to the League's 21st Century, inclusive image.

What Are American Women Afraid Of?

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of hearing Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee speak at the Women in the World conference in NY.  Gbowee is the Liberian leader who rose from the ruins of a decade of horrifying civil war in her country to lead the women's revolution that finally stopped the bloodshed.

She is a courageous survivor who has witnessed dead bodies in the streets being eaten by dogs, fought to save her children and herself from starvation and stood up to warlords who threatened to kill her. I  will never forget the moment when she looked out at the NY audience and asked, "Where are all the angry American women?  What are American women afraid of?"

Great questions, Sister Leymah.

What are we afraid of?  How many women elected officials will be silenced?  Women leaders marginalized and reminded of "their place" -- be it in private clubs or corporations?  Or organizations committed to empowering girls and women, such as the Girl Scouts and the Association of Women Religious, relentlessly harassed before American women wake up and realize our struggles for gender parity have just begun?

Are you an Achiever who is content to squat on the shoulders of those who fought hard for the banquet of opportunities too many American women now take for granted? Or, are you a Leader who understands that our daughters and granddaughters are counting on us to show them the way forward and to continue to push the edges of possibility for the human family?

Next time you are faced with an opportunity to confront gender bias, Ask yourself, "What would Leymah do?"

A highly-respected Detroit sports broadcaster, Vince Doyle was an unwavering advocate for female sports journalists -- including their right to equal access to sports locker rooms.  To meet one of the world's great mentors,  click here.   

When Liberian leader Leymah Gbowee, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, speaks people listen.  And wait till you hear the challenge she issued to the women gathered at the 2012 Women in the World Summit last week in New York.  

I was there for every riveting moment.  Here's the column I just wrote about the event for Forbeswoman.  

The third annual Women in the World Summit, hosted by Newsweek magazine and The Daily Beast, attracted several thousand activists, organizers, politicians and leaders and thinkers from more than a dozen countries to New York City for 2 1/2 riveting days of interviews, discussions and stories., March 8-10th.  

From the opening evening, highlighted by a conversation with IMF head Christine Lagard, to the closing moments with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the summit was packed with courageous conversations about some of the toughest global issues facing women all over the world -- including human trafficking starvation, rape as a tool of war, genital cutting, sexual attacks on women in the U.S. military and women's continued exclusion from the highest levels of politics, business and civil society.

I was privileged to be there and to engage with incredible women such as the two in this photograph -- Kah Walla, who ran for president in Cameroon last fall, and Bibi Hokmina, a member of an Afghanistan Provincial Council who has been dressing as a male since childhood. 

Think of a powerful female leader working to change the status quo for women and girls in the world and she was there. Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee from Liberia; Molly Melching, the U.S.-born founder of the Tostan organization, who has lived in Senegal for more nearly 40 years, working to stop female genital mutilation; Madeleine Albright, Kosovo president Atifete Jahjaga,  American actvists Gloria Steinem, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey.  And some of the brightest lights among the young women -- some still in their teens -- who are already stepping up with new solutions to complex problems.  

It is all online -- whether you only have time to browse the highlights or can give yourself the gift of listening to it all, don't miss sampling this rich brew.  It will challenge you to ACT!  Click here to listen.  

,

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told global leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos that a "Gender Ambition Gap" is a major barrier to women moving into leadership roles. What can we do to close that gap? Get over our reluctance to leverage our  personal and professional networks -- to achieve our own goals and to invest in the business, influence and political success of others.  

And let's stop "punishing" women who are savvy enough and courageous enough to mix business with pleasure, as men have been doing for centures.   Becoming a conscious and strategic product champion is a powerful skill.  

Here's the column I wrote for Forbeswoman on why we need to master the skill and stop stifling it in others. 

.

.

Why is it that Americans who temporarily leave their jobs to serve in the military are "serving their country," yet parents who temporarily leave their paid work to serve on the parental front lines are "opting out"?  There is something deeply wrong with this engrained attitude in our culture.  Here's the column I just wrote on the topic for Forbeswoman. 

A recent trip to Texas gave me multiple examples of ways that growing numbers of women are beginning to support and lift one another.  That's exactly what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was advocating when she challenged global leaders at the APEC Summit on Women and the Economy to put muscle and commitment behind freeing women from the deeply ingrained chains that hurt families, economies and nations everywhere. Clinton's visionary remarks are embedded in the column I wrote for Forbeswoman.com.  

"When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity."

The June issue of HBR reports on fascinating new research on group intelligence.  Can you guess WHY the presence of more women in a gruoup tends to raise the collective IQ?  Here's the Forbeswoman column I wrote on the topic. 

Recent events of photo-shopping Hillary out of history and presidential language that doesn't include half the human race were rich clay for my most recent column for Forbeswoman.com.

Forbeswoman, a great source of fresh news and commentary on women, work and gender hot topics, has invited me to become a contributing columnist on leadership.  My column is called Powering Up Women.  I'll be writing about the next big challenge for women: opening the leadership locker rooms.  here's my first national Forbeswoman column.

Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus hits the bullseye with her column today lamenting the lack of women leaders in public office.  Even younger women aren't running.  The discouraging facts that Marcus cites about how women are slipping in political leadership positions are why one of the themes of my book, Powering Up!, is that American women are Leadership Underachievers.  We've been stalled for well over a decade.  If you don't believe me, here's Marcus column.