Today I had the honor of being a special guest at a luncheon titled “Leadership: Women’s Next Frontier” featuring guest speaker Anne Doyle. Back in the day my mom & I would hold up our 3 fingers to show a “W” & proclaim “Women Power” whenever we did something great or beat my Dad & brother in some sort of competition. There was & still is truth to that statement. Women do hold power.
The luncheon was held at this beautiful facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, called Meadowbrook Hall.
Anne shared some relevant stats that are helpful in framing the discussion. Women…
- make up 52% of the world’s population
- provide 66% of the world’s output
- earn 10% of the world’s income
- own 1% of the world’s property
- hold 15% of the major leadership positions
- earn more than 60% of college degrees
- make 80% of household purchasing decisions
Reading the stats starting from the top makes it seem like women don’t hold too much power. Only 1% of the world’s property…15% of leadership positions…doesn’t sound to powerful. Make your way to that last statistic & pow! That is power! 80% of purchasing decisions.
Women Power.
So women buy stuff, big deal?! It is a big deal. And an even bigger deal is the growth in women leadership. We have come a long way & we’re going to continue to soar. Anne mentioned that women leaders need to have courage, political savvy, & confidence. No argument there.
With all this potential, why haven’t women exercised their power to take over the world yet & turn some of those statistics on their head?!
Consider…
- Women need to be advocates for one another.
- We need to start thinking more highly of ourselves. It takes women 10 years longer than men to realize how good we are.
- Men are promoted faster & paid more, even when credentials are similar.
So for all the gals out there, remember, change is inevitable, but positive change doesn’t just happen. It requires leaders! Be a leader! “No one is going to invite you to the leadership dance. You have to invite yourself.”
Thanks Anne for inspiring today’s discussion.
Venture on gals, venture on,
mel, the venture gal
