The new film, Shirley, with Regina King as U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm in her 1972 run for the presidency as the Democratic Party nomination, is a vibrant reminder of the value of male allies and mentorship for younger women.
In the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, these are key lessons women can take to heart in every field and into practice at every step of the ladder from college to early career to mid-career and even the highest office in the country.
Read MoreIn light of the recent overwhelming vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to ban TikTok in the U.S. due to its Chinese ownership and use of data from its 170 million users, it is prime time to take a look at your own social media use. And what it can and cannot do for you professionally.
Some posts can get you fired. But a positive social media presence and a willingness to expand your digital skills can enhance your career and your standing in the organization.
Just remember, every post lives forever, even when you delete.
Read MoreThe Oscar-winning film, “Oppenheimer,” that recently won Best Picture, has stirred national interest in the STEM career of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the nuclear physicist who is called the “father of the atomic bomb” as well as the field of physics.
With a predominantly male cast, in the film set in the 1940s, the closest a woman gets to sharing in scientific work and notoriety is his wife, Kitty, a traditional non-working spouse. Lisa Meitner, a prominent German nuclear Scientist, was asked to work on the project and she refused.
Read MoreFor Gloria Feldt, founder and president of Take The Lead, it was watching Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” in the theater as a young girl that taught her anything was possible.
“It was the first movie I saw where the female was the protagonist. Dorothy was a role model when girls did not have role models,” Feldt said in the recent lively conversation with Gloria Steinem and Jamia Wilson, author and activist.
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It’s job application season for those who are graduating this winter and spring.
The good news is newly minted students graduating now with undergraduate and graduate degrees are finding high paying jobs in engineering, computer and IT, plus transportation, according to new data from QRFY.
But for many women and those identifying as women, the work cultures of engineering and tech jobs are steeped in gender and racial bias.
But where there is disruption, there is opportunity to change the culture.
Read MoreChange the work culture, change the system, change the path forward for all female leaders and it is possible to change not only the workplace, but the world.
A new study in Nature outlines distinct patterns of attitudes and behaviors in organizations that prevent and stymie a fair and inclusive workplace for women of color, particularly Black women.
“Our findings suggest that the compound influence of racial and gender biases hinders the advancement of minority female leadership by perpetuating stereotypical behavioral schemas, leading to persistent discriminatory outcomes. We argue for the necessity of organizations to initiate a cultural transformation that fosters positive experiences for future generations of female leaders, recommending a shift in focus from improving outcomes for specific groups to creating an inclusive leadership culture,” the report shows.
Read MoreIt’s holiday party time at work.
If you are spending your days in an office, or you are going in from your remote office for the special in-person occasion of a year’s end celebration, there will be an abundance of buffets, holiday treats and goodies.
That can be wonderful and it can also be dreadful, particularly if you are labelled as overweight, a person in a larger body and fatshaming, fatphobia and sizeism are prevalent in your workplace culture. Subtle or overt comments such as, “Thats a full plate!” or “Why not try the fruit instead of the cookies?” may make anyone want to opt out of any celebration.
Sizeism is defined as bias or discrimination against an individual based on their weight or size. Women and weight is a toxic workplace stew with millions affected.
Read MoreZ friend was recently agonizing to a handful of us at a party about her great job offer in the company where she has worked for seven years. The offer included a title promotion, raise, cost of living expenses, global travel and high visibility.
What was the problem?
She would have to move almost immediately to New York from Chicago, a city where she enjoyed her personal and professional life with a great apartment, positive workplace culture plus family and friends close by.
Read MoreFinally. We all could use positive news about women business owners in the post-pandemic, pre-recession universe. Thankfully, it’s here.
“Women business owners have a positive business outlook… Most expect revenue growth over the next 12 months, and a majority feel equipped to weather a potential recession.” According to a new Bank of America report, 2023 Women & Minority Business Owner Spotlight.
Read More”Why not bring your authentic self?”
Sandy Ko, founder and principal of Customer Contact Week Women, says her background as a South Korean immigrant shaped her leadership style and gave her permission to “exist loudly.”
“Growing up in the 90s, in my second corporate job, senior leadership was the Boys Club of all white males.” She adds that she found, “There is power in connecting outside of your wheelhouse.”
After moving with her family to New Jersey when she was six, she found, “Everyone had a network. We didn’t have any family here. It was difficult to find Korean communities.”
Read MoreCut to the chase: Are you a female entrepreneur? Take The Lead has an incredible opportunity for you to get the mindset, skillset, and connections to scale your business. (And get a $10,000 value program for pennies!)
The BIG NEWS IS: tada! By popular demand we’ve changed the dates of the 50 Women Can Change the World in Entrepreneurship program.
Apply NOW - Start 10/25 to get “jet fuel for your business.”
“Fear is an opportunity. Challenges are part of every life journey—in work, business, relationships, challenges are opportunities for growth,” says Homaira Kabir, founder of The Goodbye Perfect Project and a women’s leadership coach.
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