Thank Heaven For 11: Take The Lead Celebrates 11 Years Working Toward Mission of Equity
The Power Up Conference 2024 panel on wealth building.
Take The Lead is 11 years old this week on February 19. Eleven years ago, Gloria Feldt and Amy Litzenberger co-founded the organization with the bold mission of society reaching leadership gender parity across all sectors by 2025—this year.
For the past 11 years, Take The Lead has been working towards achieving gender and racial equity in leadership across all sectors and industries. In that time, Take The Lead has been making an enormous impact affecting hundreds of thousands of women in their careers and lives.
“For the past #11years, @takeleadwomen has been working towards achieving #gender and #racial #equity in #leadership across all sectors and industries.”
In the study of numerology—if you adhere to that belief—the number 11 is the first of the master numbers, or the double digits that hold power and meaning, and are “an indicator of greater potential.” This is a perfect fit for Take The Lead.
Recently Take The Lead won first place in the Ragan 2024 Video, Visual and Virtual Awards in the Interview/Q&A category for “Take The Lead: Women, Power, and Leadership: A Conversation with Gloria Feldt and Gloria Steinem Facilitated by Jamia Wilson.” The video, in honor of Take The Lead’s 10th anniversary, is an exploration of the legacy, efforts, and impact of Take The Lead’s programs and offerings.
The anniversary event that won the award brought together Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead, international expert on women’s leadership, bestselling author, former CEO and president Planned Parenthood Federation of America, with Gloria Steinem, co-founder of Ms. Magazine, trailblazing feminist organizer, political activist, writer, and lecturer, in an expansive discussion facilitated by Jamia Wilson, award-winning feminist activist, publisher, author, writer, speaker, and podcaster.
Read more in The Take The Lead on the anniversary event.
“Our only agenda is to fuel your success which then fuels the collective success of people of all diversities and intersectionalities,” Feldt says. “ When you win, Take The Lead wins.”
“Our only #agenda is to fuel your #success which then fuels the #collectivesuccess of people of all #diversities and #intersectionalities. When you win, @takeleadwomen wins. -Gloria Feldt”
A decade plus one of supporting women with an array of resources, events, trainings, and offerings is what Take The Lead has accomplished.
Dr. Lily McNair, Take The Lead Board Chair and former President, Tuskegee University, says, “I know from my own experience that organizations are stronger and more successful when women have an equal voice in leadership,” says McNair. “I am honored to serve as Take The Lead’s Board Chair and look forward to working with Gloria and our passionate and dedicated board members to further Take The Lead’s important mission in a significant manner.”
“I know from my own experience that #organizations are #stronger and more #successful when #women have an #equalvoice in #leadership. -Dr. Lily McNair, @takeleadwomen Board Chair, Former President @TuskegeeUniv”
To honor Take The Lead’s 11 years, here are 11 of its key resources available to everyone who wants to own their power and make a difference.
1. 9 Leadership Power Tools Course. Created, revised, and revamped by Feldt from her original best-selling book, No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power, this is a virtual course of 13 modules for two tracks: entrepreneur and on an organizational track, or someone intending to move up the career ladder in an organization. “We do this work and offer this course because you deserve the equal pay, positions, and power of your highest intentions. This course will teach you the specific thought processes and skills to identify and channel your inner strength and power,” Feldt says. “You already have more power than you might realize. Our job is to give you the tools, show you how to use them and then set you free to conquer your world.”
“You already have more #power than you might realize. Our job is to give you the #tools, show you how to use them and then set you free to #conquer your world. –Gloria Feldt”
Read more in Take The Lead on the 9 Leadership Power Tools Course.
2. Power Up Conferences. Held every year for the past five years since 2020 on Women’s Equality Day, the Power Up Conference has been a day long virtual and in-person gathering of expert voices and leaders on a host of relevant topics and concerns for women leaders. The recent 2024 Power Up Conference and Concert with the theme, “Together We Lead” was held in Washington, D.C. and honored the iconic actor, performer, producer Lynda Carter with the Leading Woman Award. Panels on wealth, health, policy, career pivots, collaboration, and entrepreneurship were part of the day, including awards for Changemaker, Leading Company Award, Leading Advocate Award, and Leading Man Award.
Learn more from Kathleen Turner at Power Up Conference 2024.
Watch a round up of the Power Up Conference 2023.
3. 50 Women Can Change The World. Successful cohorts in entrepreneurship, healthcare, journalism, finance, law, nonprofit, as well as media and entertainment, have offered participants the training, tools, mentorship and networking possible for big shifts and changes in their lives and careers. With a specific curriculum designed to define power in a new way that will energize you, increasing your joy and the value you bring to your organization, The 50 Women Can Change The World programs offer a set of strategies and a system to create a Strategic Leadership Action Plan, as well as accountability and collaborations to make it happen. Tools to overcome barriers to parity and how to accelerate your own career are shared with the hundreds who successfully completed the cohorts. A high percentage report they achieve higher leadership roles within six months.
Read more in Take The Lead on 50 Women Can Change The World in Finance.
4. Podcasts and Videos. Scores of Power To You podcasts feature Feldt and fascinating guests from many sectors and areas of expertise discussing the latest topics and strategies connected to their careers and pathways to leadership. The Intentioning This podcasts feature authors, C-suite leaders, journalists, influencers, and coaches talking candidly about their routes to fulfilling their dreams and goals in business and life. On Take The Lead’s YouTube channel, there is a treasure chest of video offerings from the Virtual Happy Hour discussions with top business leaders chatting with Feldt, to roundups of conferences, convenings, trainings and events.
Read more about Take The Lead podcasts.
5. Virtual and in-person trainings. Whether training individuals on their own or in groups through a company, sponsor, or organization, thousands have benefited from the hands-on approach in person as well as virtually in programs that concentrate on Creating a Culture of Inclusion Program for Women and Men, Gender Bilingual Communication, and Women’s Leadership Programs Proven to Accelerate Advancement. Forty percent say that after taking part in a Take The Lead program, they have been promoted to a higher level of leadership within six months.
Read more about Take The Lead trainings.
6. Coaching and Mentorship. Every superstar athlete has a trusted coach. Every powerful leader has a coach. Whether you are interested in individual coaching, small group, or corporate coaching, Take The Lead can pair you with a successful leader who can tailor advice to your needs. Strong mentorship and advice are at the start of every superstar’s journey.
Learn more about Take The Lead coaching here.
7. Leadership Ambassadors. Take The Lead’s roster of superb facilitators and trainers are certified and all Leadership Ambassadors have completed a rigorous teacher training in The 9 Leadership Power Tools. Hailing from diverse backgrounds and building a movement together, these trainers with industry expertise—from technology, healthcare, finance, media, arts, social justice, nonprofit to education sectors, and more—can lead a national sales event, deliver keynotes, offer facilitation of workshops, courses, webinars, or gatherings.
Learn more about Leadership Ambassadors.
8. Power Up Concerts. The most recent 2024 Power Up Concert with world-renowned pianist, composer, and musician Marina Arsenijevic, trio BETTY, and the legendary vocal group, Sweet Honey in The Rock, performed an evening of ballads and original songs that all received a standing ovation. For five years, Arsenijevic, globally acclaimed performer and musician, has wowed virtual and in-person audiences with her performances for Take The Lead on Women’s Equality Day.
Read more about Power Up Concert here.
9. The Movement Blog and The Sum. Every week Michele Weldon, editorial director of Take The Lead, or a guest editor, writes a topical post with the latest evidence, research, insight, data, and context on an issue related to women’s leadership. Addressing needs for audiences from early career to C-suite, the blog profiles key women leaders globally, and also rounds up conferences and events offering priceless resources and updates. Gloria Feldt’s Sum is a friendly and conversational take on the happenings of the week in culture, business, economics, leadership, entertainment, and life.
Read the archive of The Movement Blog here.
10. Power To Change Stories. Each week Take the Lead highlights true, personal stories from around the world from people telling their own story in the first person about what they have the power to change. It is personal, poignant, and profound, and covers every industry and business as well as multiple levels of experience from college to retirement. With this brave storytelling, it is possible to support each other in the mission to reach gender and racial parity in leadership across all sectors.
Submit your own Power To Change Story here.
11. Weekly Newsletter. Honored as No. 8 out of the top 40 international women’s blogs on leadership, the Take The Lead newsletter sent every Tuesday at 11 a.m. EST is a round up the latest Movement Blog; Gloria Feldt’s Sum; Power To Change Stories; event, course and training announcements; a collection of the top news stories on women’s leadership—the good news and the not so good news; plus an inspiring quote of the week.
Sign up here for the weekly Take The Lead newsletter.
“Take The Lead’s cohorts propel women to higher intentions and help them make strategic plans to implement their goals,” Feldt explains. “We deliver custom solutions for organizations to achieve gender parity and inclusion. We are driven by the vision of women and men holding fair and equal shares of top leadership positions. And this will create a world that is more equitable and prosperous for all.”
“We are driven by the #vision of #women and men holding #fair and #equal shares of top #leadership positions. And this will create a world that is more #equitable and #prosperous for all. –Gloria Feldt”
