Women Lead the Way

With the historic campaigns of women in the 2008 national election, the temptation is to crow, in the words of the old cigarette ad, "You’ve come a long way, baby."

After all, American women are the majority of voters; they’re said to drive 80 percent of consumer buying decisions; they’re the majority of graduates of colleges, professional and graduate programs; and they are considered the driving force of American entrepreneurship.  Yet, disparities continue as wage gaps persist; and only a handful of women are on corporate boards or in top leadership slots in the Fortune 500.

Linda Tarr-Whelan is author of "Women Lead the Way: Your Guide to Stepping Up to Leadership and Changing the World." She argues that women must make up 30 percent of all leadership groups in the male-dominated power structure to permanently create change.

Formerly Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women in the administration of President Bill Clinton, Tarr-Whelan says the country needs a more meaningful conversation about women's representation in leadership positions.