Today, for many of forward-thinking organizations, gender equality is becoming a matter of policy, whether it’s committing to equal representation of women in the organization in senior positions, or on boardroom or hiring diversity officers.

Nevertheless the corporate pipeline by gender shows that men still significantly outnumber women at the manager level. As such there are far fewer women to hire or promote to senior managers. And the number of women decreases at every subsequent level.
So even as hiring and promotion rates improve for women at senior levels, women as a whole can never catch up. There are simply too few women to advance.

Another reality is that many women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce due to Covid-19.

For a growing number of women, the fastest route to the c-suite is launching their own business. In the multiple countries the number women-owned business have increased in the past 2 decades.

Today’s start-up culture empowers women to be their own boss and pay their own salary, defining how they want to work and making the balance of career and family life easier. Entrepreneurship presents a path for women to close the pay gap and rise to leadership positions, on their own terms.

Taking that all into account, I still stand by my motto:

Really, nothing is off limits for you. You can learn any skill. You can speak to anyone. Everything is within your ability. You just go, accelerate!

It might be that these principles are of interest for you to reflect on:

• It’s about You and Your choices. This is about being intentional, working on your life versus in it.
• Instead of inertia grabs a hold on you, you pursue your dreams, hitting the peddle.
• You follow your convictions – and decides who gets to criticize you and not all criticism is created equal.
• When it's tough, will you be relentless. Psychology research from the University of Pennsylvania indicates that mental toughness, or "grit," as the researchers call it, is the single most important factor for success
• You will be a builder, as cynics lose their power when challenged. Challenge yourself to lift up rather than tear down--be a bridge.

If this resonates with you, let me know!