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You are here: Home / Featured Home / What Women’s History Month Means to Women’s Leadership Today – Part 1

What Women’s History Month Means to Women’s Leadership Today – Part 1

March 8, 2016 By Lynn Varacalli Cavanaugh

For women in leadership, Women’s History Month holds special significance. The official recognition allows us to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of women in the past and see how those great women in history can guide the women making history today. Honoring these women and learning from their lives can make us better leaders today.

This year the theme for Women’s History Month is: “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.” The theme fits well this year as 2016 sees more female heads of state than any time in history. To help honor this year’s theme, let’s hear from a few of women in U.S. history who broke new leadership ground the glass ceiling by becoming the first of in their respective positions:

436px-AlbrightmadeleineMadeleine Albright
First Female Secretary of State
“As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view.”

Ella_T_GrassoElla T. Grasso
First Female Governor Elected in Her Own Right
“It is not enough to profess faith in the democratic process; we must do something about it.”

Sandra_Day_O'ConnorSandra Day O’Connor
First Female Supreme Court Justice
“Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, may have the opportunity to earn respect, responsibility, advancement and remuneration based on ability.”

This short list illustrates just a few of the important milestones by women in government. Many more women in history have helped shaped what it means to be a women leader in today’s world.

What Women's History Month Means to Women's Leadership Today

[via US Embassy The Hague – Flickr]

The sacrifices and hard work of these women helped to forge new pathways for women to follow. Just as important, they show women today how to take on new challenges and open doors that were previously closed to women. For many of these reasons, great leaders in history can help today’s leaders:

  • Find a path to discovering your authentic voice
  • Define your leadership style
  • Lead with passion
  • Persevere against roadblocks, and
  • Not just survive in “a man’s world” but to change that world to be inclusive to all.

These themes and ideas as well as others will be explored in Part 2 of this article coming up on Thursday, March 10.

In the meantime, tell us what Women’s History Month means to you as a leader in our comment section below.

Filed Under: Featured Home, Women in the World

About Lynn Varacalli Cavanaugh

“An important attribute of success is to be yourself. Never hide what makes you, you." -- Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo

As editor-in-chief of Woman’s Own and American Woman magazines, I have championed the personal and professional development of women for years. I started my career unsure of my own path and abilities, but I always had a natural curiosity and an interest in words and writing. When selected to launch American Woman as editor-in-chief, after a string of editorial jobs, I was thrilled—and terrified at being responsible for a brand new venture. All I could do was my best, based on my instincts and years of experience. American Woman was a success, offering me things I hadn’t achieved before—the confidence to do public speaking and a journalism award (Exceptional Merit Media award from the National Women’s Political Caucus & Radcliffe College). I hope my insights, now as an editor for Progressive Women’s Leadership, will help you on your own journey to career success.

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