“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” aptly remarked Shirley Chisholm, the first black U.S. congresswoman and first black person to seek the presidential nomination from a major political party.
Female leaders have long considered the idea of who has a seat at the table, who is “leaning in” far enough, and whether they’re competing for a finite number of chairs. The stats tell one story: Women make up 40 percent of the workforce for clerical jobs but only 17 percent of executive roles, potentially suggesting there is limited room for women at the top. But according to established female leaders Lisa Beaudoin, co-founder and chief customer officer at Perfect Sense, and Melissa McDevitt-Jiulianti, head of leadership, talent and inclusion at Capital One, that’s all a myth.
