Career progression often depends upon taking risks and advocating for oneself—traits

stretch assignments and take on high-visibility projects,

A more junior woman (or man) can also intervene in the situation when a female colleague has been interrupted. She can gently but firmly tell the group, “Before we move on, I’d like to hear what [senior woman] had to say.” This action not only benefits the senior woman but can raise the stature of the junior woman as well, since speaking up for

Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post, believes that learning to withstand criticism is a necessity for women.

Once the facilitator taught me The Ask—how to speak up and demonstrate clearly how my contributions justified recognition—I was promoted and then went on to double my salary and bonuses within three years.

One of the things he told me was that my desire to be liked by everyone would hold me back. He said that when you want to change things, you can’t please everyone. If you do please everyone, you aren’t making enough progress. Mark was right.

Conscious Business.

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”

(Although Fred would caution my son to take out the “but” and everything after, since it tends to deny the preceding statement.