Issue 258 — May 6, 2024 Leadership lessons come from all kinds of places. Ever since I saw the 1986 movie “Crossroads” (not the later one with Britney Spears!), the metaphor of the crossroads has been in my head. “A thin line separates the good from the great,” the old bluesman tells young Lightening Boy who is on a quest to find the original “Crossroads” song by the legendary Robert Johnson. It’s the same for leaders. When tested at the moral crossroads of crisis, conflict, and controversial issues in previous years, saying “the business of business is business” and staying in that lane coul ..read more

While there has been progress, motherhood and the workplace need improvements. Just ahead of Mother’s Day, it’s prime time to examine the changing M Factor influencing the role motherhood plays in the workplace. Some say it is changing for the better. Some say it is the same. Others say mothering in this culture—often referred to as the Motherhood Penalty—is worse, thanks to COVID and economic factors forcing women to take on traditional roles. “Just ahead of #MothersDay, it’s prime time to examine the changing M Factor influencing the role #motherhood plays in the #workplace.” And those who ..read more

Issue 257 — April 22, 2024 I’m listening to Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, looking for inspiration for my more-or-less weekly column, “The Sum.” As in the sum of the week, what it means or what I learned about my favorite topics — women, power, and leadership — from whatever happened during the past week. The last couple of weeks for me were all Beyonce all the time with the release and immediate race to the top of the C&W charts of her album Cowboy Carter. (How many versions of dancing to “Texas Hold ‘Em” have you seen on social media so far? I’m obsessed.) Then ..read more

The workplace is complicated often by untruths from employers as well as employees. (Adobe Stock Photo) The truth is on hold on both sides of the hiring process at many career levels, as the recruiter often offers misleading information about the job and perhaps the company. Potential employees often pad their resumes. Does the employer’s white lie and candidate’s CV padding cancel each other out? Maybe each party deserves what they get because they were less than 100% honest and transparent. “The #workplace is complicated often by untruths from employers as well as employees. #career” I ..read more

Regina King (center) as Shirley Chisholm in the film, “Shirley.” (photo by Glen Wilson/Netflix) 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, C-suite and even the highest office in the country. “In th ..read more

University of Iowa star player Caitlin Clark signing autographs for young fans. Even if you are not a huge sports fan, it was almost impossible to miss the attention that Caitlin Clark, the 22-year-old basketball star playing for University of Iowa in NCAA March Madness, was earning including from NBA Superstar Steph Curry. As the No. 1 scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history, Clark is a key factor in the rise of viewership for women’s basketball and also a role model and incentive for those identifying as women playing sports at all levels from minors to para-Olympians and professional ath ..read more

Gloria Feldt is Cofounder and President of Take The Lead, a nonprofit organization providing training, coaching and cohort building, inspiring role models, and thought leadership to individuals and organizations, with the mission of intersectional gender parity in leadership. Gloria is the author of 5 books and former president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She is a Forbes 50 over 50, angling for 80 over 80. Hear Gloria discuss: Why she started Take The Lead? What will it take for women to reach parity in leadership positions, power, and pay? What is the necessary ..read more

Issue 255 — March 25, 2024 I often share the metaphor of a hammer in leadership development training and speaking. That’s because power is like a hammer — you can build something with it or break something apart. Power has no attributes of its own. It’s energy to be used at will, and it becomes whatever we do with it. It’s the same with leadership. I’ve found in both my research into what holds women back from leadership and in doing training, as I had the pleasure of doing recently with 100 women@amazon, that when I root the discussion first in understanding power and shifting the paradigm f ..read more

Using social media to promote your work can be positive, but you need to be careful. In 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, ev ..read more

Issue 254 — March 18, 2024 I absolutely love Women’s History Month. I love it as an opportunity to write into the generally known history the many women who have been overlooked or under-recognized for their accomplishments. And increasingly, I focus on tomorrow’s history that we each make by our actions today. Know your history and you can create the future of your choice. This past week, I had so many opportunities both to celebrate and to join with other women and men to make the future of our choice, one where equality and parity are values that drive our decisions, our work, our policy a ..read more