Every time I read a report about women in business like the one that came out last week from McKinsey and Lean In, it occurs to me that women need to take their advancement into their own hands.

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That means generating multiple options that will provide them with choices. That means owning their leadership and skill development as well as building relationships that will create opportunities.

Some work environments are better than others. Companies have great intentions and are trying to figure out how to make it fairer for women, yet in many cases change is happening quite slowly. We see it across industries and over time. I know from being on the inside just how complex it is to transform dynamics that have been in place.

Partnering with your company to build a career you love is ideal, and the more active your engagement in driving your path, the better you will fare.

In my upcoming free masterclass, I’ll lay out a three-pronged approach...

I’m walking home from the bus.  I realize I’m about to do something radical. I’m going to leave my cushy change consultant job and start a non-profit. I want to do something that makes a real difference for women. I need to, and now. “I have no idea what I’m doing” I tell my husband, “but don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.”

You know how you always read these walk-away stories where people leave their corporate 9 to 5 and stumble into humongous success and change the world? This is not one of those stories. I did start the non-profit though, and based on what the women who went through our programs have told me, we did have an impact. And it was an amazing, life-changing adventure.

What I got out of it was that I love working with women and helping them to step boldly into their future. And I have something valuable to offer them. All these years later, this possibility still lights me up.

How my work experience informs...