Women would change the world.

Since our Vision 2021 retreat, I cannot stop thinking about the role of women in the workforce, particularly as leaders.

The news hasn't been great over the last few months....

• The US Economy lost 140,000 jobs in December. All of them were held by women.

• Women, especially women of color, carry a disproportionate amount of the burden

• Women make up 39% of global employment, but count for 54% of job losses

• Worldwide, 20 million girls of secondary school age may never make it back to a classroom

And this doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the toll on women who are the primary caregivers in their families and those who make up most of the healthcare and essential workers.

This quote really got me:

"As a result of these dynamics, more than one in four women are contemplating what many would have considered unthinkable just six months ago: downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce completely. This is an emergency for corporate America. Companies risk losing women in leadership—and future women leaders—and unwinding years of painstaking progress toward gender diversity."
- Women in the Workplace Study, McKinsey & Co.

Here is why this is really bothering me....

In one short afternoon at the Vision 2021 retreat, I witnessed 40 women who didn't know each other come together, share their dreams, offer support and agree to hold one another accountable for achieving those dreams. It was magical to witness. And, it happens every time women gather with intention.

I cannot stop thinking...what if this happened every day?

What if one woman took time out of her day to reach out and ask another woman how she could support her? What if one woman prioritized the time for herself to focus on her dreams? What if one woman stepped into her leadership and owned it?

Here's what would happen: Women would change the world.

Women would take this stinking, dumpster fire of a current situation and turn it into a more equitable, sustainable way of showing up in this world.

So, here is my challenge for you:

What is ONE THING you can do TODAY
to lean into your strengths to help a woman succeed? GO DO IT!
(And, that woman you help may just be you.)