Ladies, take your seats. Now.

It’s Women’s History Month,  2016.  For more than a decade, I’ve been working and  waiting expectantly for the paltry 17% of women in top leadership positions to increase.  In the beginning, the more attention the mainstream media gave this topic, the happier I was.  When a new book for women in leadership was released, I read it with high hopes. When a new female CEO took to the airwaves to espouse the importance of having more women at the top, I championed the cause.

But to what end?

We’ve ‘leaned in’, ‘cracked the confidence code’ and discussed the ‘feminine mystique.’  But the needle stays stuck at 17% .  And all the talk?  Well, it has been largely palliative and — as the numbers prove — ineffective.

So, today I echo what I wrote back in 2014. Ladies, Take Your  Seats.  Figuratively.  Literally.   Read the article — HERE — that acknowledges the corporate cultures and mores that — yes — make it more difficult for professional women to ascend to leadership but  also challenges women to own their part… and do their part.  Instead of waiting for permission or the invitation (most of the time, it’s not coming!) simply sit down.