In my soul, I am a news reporter. Naturally nosey and always looking for "the story." So, when I decided that I was going to write a book on women's leadership, I began by interviewing fascinating, accomplished women from all over the U.S. -- and even some global leaders. To date, I have interviewed nearly 100 inspiring women leaders. And in the process, I found "the story." The story is that we are now a nation of female achievers. But when it comes to leadership, American women are still "leadership underachievers." Some bristle at that label, because we Americans like to think of ourselves as "the best in the world" -- in everything. But the truth is, American women's progress has stalled in recent years. And, women in other countries aren't waiting for us to lead -- instead, they are surging ahead. For example, the U.S. is ranked 69th in the world on a global list that ranks countries on their percentage of women in their national legislatures or parliaments. The African nation of Rwanda is number 1, with 56.3% of their national representatives women. Sweden is numer 2, with 47%. And the U.S. lags way behind 68 countries -- with 17%.
But, I predict that American women are on the verge of another surge forward. This time, the frontier is leadership. One of the big hurdles for writing a book is to convince a terrific agent to represent you. I am thrilled to have just signed with Betsy Amster, a highly respected and well-connected agent. Here is a profile from the American Society of Journalists and Authors:
