On stage at the Power Up Concert 2024, (L to R) Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president, Take The Lead; BETTY ; Marina Arsenijevic; and Sweet Honey In The Rock. (Photo by Zoryana Foroshivska)

It has been 104 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 that granted women the right to vote, and Women’s Equality Day on August 26th is a salute to that milestone. In 10 years, Take The Lead has acted on the mission to reach gender parity in leadership across all sectors by 2025.

"Many of the inequalities protested in 1970 remain: pay and leadership gaps, roll backs of reproductive rights, and the Equal Rights Amendment, written 101 years ago, is still not in the Constitution," said Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead at the recent Power Up Concert & Conference Event. '
"I said when we decided to hold the conference in D.C. this year that we would either celebrate the ERA in the Constitution or raise hell that it isn’t," said Feldt, speaking at the fifth annual Power Up event for Take The Lead.

Combining the two historic efforts results in the Power Up Concert & Conference Event 2024 on Women’s Equality Day in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme of “Together We Lead” emphasizes the world-changing movements, personal and professional advancements possible when women lead together with allies, partners, policy makers, colleagues, administrators, mentors, and associates. All have the goal in mind of parity in leadership across all gender, racial, geographic, age, ideological, physical, and mental identities and communities by 2025.

“I always understood how racism, sexism, antisemitism, and homophobia are joined at the head,” Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead said recently in an interview. “We have to fight all of them together. That is what propelled me,” says Feldt, who has been at the helm of Take The Lead for 10 years, offering mentorship, programming, training, coaching, and resources for thousands across the world.

““I always understood how #racism, #sexism, #antisemitism, and #homophobia are joined at the head.” — @GloriaFeldt1”

“Leadership parity has come a long way thanks to the women’s movement and organizations like Take The Lead, but there is still much work to be done,” Feldt writes. “When it comes to the most urgent challenges humanity faces today, from advancements in health and wellness, to ethics in technology, to financial and economic equality, effective solutions must include gender parity in leadership.”

““Leadership #parity has come a long way thanks to the #womensmovement and organizations like @Takeleadwomen, but there is still much work to be done.” — @GloriaFeldt1
”

In honor of the 10th anniversary and the 5th year of Power Up, here are five reasons Take The Lead’s Power Up 2024 is making a difference and why that is important.

1. Learn from legends. The iconic actor, performer, producer, advocate and leader Lynda Carter, offers her take on volunteerism , professional success, and powerful action as she receives the well-earned Leading Woman Award. “We are collaborative and we are organizers,” says Carter. “Times are changing, and if you’re not looking at the qualities of great male and female leaders when considering what leadership means to you, you’re really missing out”.

““Times are #changing, and if you’re not looking at the qualities of great male and female leaders when considering what #leadership means to you, you’re really missing out.” - @RealLyndaCarter”

“The way American women claim individual power is changing every day,” says Carter whose philanthropic work is with organizations including The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation and The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement; The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation; Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure; GLAAD; and Fandom Forward. Carter is also working with City of Hope and TGen to discover new drug therapies for myelofibrosis patients.

2. Pivot when needed. Award-winning actor and author Kathleen Turner serves as a role model for many generations in the excellence she performs on stage, screen and in real life as a social justice advocate and someone who is flexible and open to change. Serving on a panel at the Together We Lead Conference on Women’s Equality Day, Turner will offer insights and strategies for making career pivots.

“Fearlessness at 20 springs from not knowing what challenges lie ahead. Fearlessness at 50 comes from having wrestled with life’s challenges and learned from them,” Turner told Feldt in a podcast.

““#Fearlessness at 20 springs from not knowing what challenges lie ahead. At 50 it comes from having wrestled with life’s challenges and learning from them.” — @RealKTurner”

Listen to Gloria Feldt in conversation with Kathleen Turner

According to a 2023 study published in Harvard Business Review, “Seventy percent of the women we spoke with pivoted twice or more in order to pick up momentum. Within the 27% of women who remained with the same company, more than half described geographical moves, entire field changes within a multinational company, or agile maneuvering to survive acquisitions.”

The HBR article continues, “If you’re offered an opportunity to move into a role outside the bounds of your current subject matter expertise or you’re encouraged to take a lateral move to learn new areas of the business or acquire new skills, make sure your decision is grounded in your ultimate career goals.”

3. Know your civic responsibility. While committed to nonpartisanship at Take The Lead and working with individuals regardless of political affinity, it is impossible to avoid the historic significance of the 2024 presidential campaign season as a first in this country for a woman of color aiming for the highest office in the country. Vice President Kamala Harris shows women and girls in this country from all demographics and belief systems that change and progress in systems is possible. In her acceptance speech of the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention, Harris says this is “A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”

“VP @KamalaHarris shows #women and #girls in this country from all #demographics that #change and #progress in systems is possible. ”

Zakiya Thomas: President of ERA Coalition, receives the Leading Advocate Award at the Power Up event, and speaks on a panel on engagement with local and national organizations designed to create equity systemically beginning with individual action.

In a new report on the 2024 election involving both parties from Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics, candidates running for office are not at the highest level, but still will increase numbers if successful. With 25 women holding U.S. Senate seats, 50 have filed as candidates in races. For the House of Representatives, 125 women hold office, and 278 women of both parties are running for office. With 12 female governors today, seven are running for office in 2024.

Read more in Take The Lead on voting

4. Stay connected. The enduring power of meeting at a conference is what you do to hold on to connections, pursue correspondence, and come through with promises you have made. With hundreds of people attending, and your information available to conference attendees in person and virtual, you are bound to have networking opportunities that can assist you.

According to the Science of People, “More importantly, the right conference, done the right way can prove to be a gold mine of opportunities. Whether you are going to a trade show, festival or business conference, you have to be prepared.” Additionally, give, don’t just take. “When thinking about your event, don’t think about what you need or what you want to ask for - focus only on what you can offer. How can you help people at the conference? What can you give them? What do you have to offer the people you meet? That’s the mentality I want you to walk around with because it breeds authenticity and confidence.”

5. Celebrate with joy. The Power Up Concert on Friday, August 25th honors Take The Lead’s anniversary and the momentum of change that continues forward. Aligned with Take The Lead’s mission to build your career, business, health and joy so you can lead your dreams, Sweet Honey In The Rock performs at the Power Up Concert as does the group BETTY, and Emmy award-winning, globally revered composer, equity advocate and classical music piano performer/singer, Marina Arsenijevic.

“Voice is an essential power for women,” says Arsenijevic, who has performed original and iconic music at Every Power Up Conference.

Why is it important to celebrate and salute successes as well as outline hard work ahead? According to Indeed, “Celebrating successes at work is important in bringing a company together and to foster a feeling of belonging and connection with others in the workplace community. Celebrations may promote company culture by allowing team members to come together and enjoy fun activities and feel like a part of a company family.”

Take The Lead heralds the successes of the past 10 years and five years of Power Up Concert & Conference events, with the intention of knowing the path of the past and the mission of the present to create a different future.

“@Takeleadwomen heralds the #successes of the five years of #PowerUp Concert & Conference events, with knowing the path of the past and the #mission of the present to create a #differentfuture. ”

Leadership Takeaway of The Week:

“The way American women claim individual power is changing every day,”

Lynda Carter, Iconic actor, performer, producer, philanthropist

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About the Author

Michele Weldon is editorial director of Take The Lead, an award-winning author, journalist, emerita faculty in journalism at Northwestern University and a senior leader with The OpEd Project. @micheleweldon www.micheleweldon.com