Thank Heaven For 11: Take The Lead Celebrates 11 Years Working Toward Mission of Equity

Take The Lead is 11 years old this week on February 19. Eleven years ago, Gloria Feldt and Amy Litzenberger co-founded the organization with the bold mission of society reaching leadership gender parity across all sectors by 2025—this year.

For the past 11 years, Take The Lead has been working towards achieving gender and race equity in leadership across all sectors and industries. In that time, Take The Lead has been making enormous impact affecting hundreds of thousands of women in their careers and lives.

On Banning Ideas, Finding Your Tribe and Winning the Prize

Picture this: It is 1972. I am a student in a relatively progressive suburban public school system, one in which the chorus sang excerpts from “Hair,” (I still know all the words to “Age of Aquarius”), but Home Economics was only for girls and Wood Shop for boys.

Along comes a new magazine: Ms. It challenges the patriarchy and traditional roles. It shakes up the status quo. It does not conform to “expectations.”

Inspire: Take The Lead...Take The LeadFebruary 13, 2025Leadership, Gender Parity, Equality, Anniversary, Womens Equality, Ms. MagazineComment

Good Grief: Assist Colleagues, Customers, Clients, Friends, Family After Disasters

It’s the signature of Susan B. Anthony that Ellen Snortland cannot replace, along with so much else lost in the devastation brought by the California wildfires that destroyed her home in Altadena.

But it is the support and comfort she has received from her friends in her 50 Women Can Change The World in Media & Entertainment, a Take The Lead cohort in 2017, that uplifts her.

“The 50 women should be called 50 angels,” says Snortland, a journalist, author, actor, writer, producer, director, lawyer, coach, advocate and counselor. After her home was completely destroyed, Snortland says, “They stepped right up, with Nancy de Los Santos leading the charge; They Venmo’d me a nice chunk of cash immediately.” De Los Santos is a screenwriter and member of the 50 Women cohort.

Community Building, Inspire: Take The Lead...Michele WeldonJanuary 24, 2025Disaster Relief, LA WildfiresComment

All Good: Are You Really As Good As You Think You Are?

This is not about Imposter Syndrome, performance reviews or career aspirations. This is about deciding your motivations and how you are as a person and how you behave toward others. Do you do good works just so people see them or just because it will help someone?

Life tools and tips, Inspire: Take The Lead...Michele WeldonJanuary 14, 2022self-improvement, self care, KindnessComment

Silent Auction Spotlight: Jewelry Exec Director Shines In Family Business

Visiting Rome after college and viewing the masterpieces of 17th century sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini proved to be a career shift for Maria Soldier, executive director of Alex Soldier, an international jewelry enterprise created by her father.

123 Women and The Lessons of History on Veterans Day And Beyond

Issue 74 — November 11, 2018. Feast your eyes on this Washington Post infographic tracking wins by female candidates for Congress and Governorships in last week’s elections.

Inspire: Take The Lead...Gloria FeldtNovember 13, 2018Gloria Feldt, Leadership, The Sum, Women, Women's LeadershipComment

The Sum — The Meaning of This Week Is Powertopia

As in sometimes you have to make up a new word to say what you mean.

As in a world where power and leadership are shared equally by men and women.

As in Take The Lead’s amazing performance event, “Powertopia: Women, Power, and the Art of Leadership Equality.”

The Sum — The Meaning of This Week: Connect

As in the world turns on human connections.

I must have said this tens of thousands of times over the course of my personal and professional life. It is without any doubt the most important leadership lesson I’ve learned over several decades as a CEO.

Three Lessons to Make the Women’s March Worthwhile

I’ve marched in and organized many marches. So I supported but wasn’t planning on going to DC for the January 21 Women’s March, feeling good that younger women were rightly leading this time around. As the time grew nearer, Take The Lead’s Leadership Ambassadors created an Action Party event that grew just as the Women’s March itself was growing beyond all expectations. I had to be there—for our event and in solidarity with the millions of other marching women and men around the world.

The State of The Women: Where Female Entrepreneurs Stand Today

Celine Dion, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson and Toni Braxton ruled the pop charts while “Forrest Gump” and “The Lion King,” drove movie ticket sales. It was 1994 and also the year the U.S. government declared the goal of awarding 5 percent of all contracts to small businesses owned by women.

Listen Up, Women Leaders: The Voice in Your Ear Says, “You Can Do This”

Here’s the management truth many of us know too well: We’re promoted because of our track record as front line employees. Our job skills are strong, so they put us in charge of the work. That’s when we discover we need a whole different set of skills, because we’re not just managing work, we are leading people, a responsibility that is complicated and challenging, worrisome and wonderful – and rarely easy.

March Comes In Like a Lioness: Celebrating Women Role Models

March is Women’s History Month, so it is fitting that the month begins like a lioness and hopefully will stay as strong in recognition of women role models for the rest of the year. No bowing out like a lamb. Aiming to honor all those who have shaped our culture throughout history and those who are coming up in the world, we march into March applauding our sisters who are women leaders and role models in business and beyond.

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