Sit at the Table!

I just watched this TED talk and felt compelled to share it here. It's fantastic. Sheryl has three basic messages for women who want to stay and succeed in the workforce:

• sit at the table
• own your success
• don't leave before you leave

I think her talk is so important because I've seen exactly what she's talking about many times over, whether it be as a student or otherwise. I've seen women who literally sit at the back or sides of the room rather than at the table with the leaders, and I've seen women play down their success and attribute it to luck, help from others, or hard work (heck I do this a lot myself). I've also fielded countless 'when is the right time to have a baby' questions from students in first or second year university, who likely won't be having children for years to come.

I really hope people of both genders watch this talk, which isn't judgemental or preachy; it made me sit up and realize what kinds of messages are being sent to women and men in the workforce around me, and I hope it will do the same for you too.