If you haven’t seen Hidden Figures, do yourself a favor and watch it. Not just because it’s a phenomenal movie—but because it tells a truth that still hasn’t fully sunk in.
Here’s what struck me: back in the 1960s, when no one could figure out how to launch astronauts into space and get them back safely, Dorothy Vaughn did. A Black woman. A woman who wasn’t handed the seat, or the mic, or the credit—but took it anyway. And because she did, we now have Elon Musk’s rockets launching into orbit and innovations in aerospace that were once just science fiction.
That’s not history for history’s sake. That’s impact. And it’s just one example of why we have Women’s History Month—not to “honor women,” but to recognize that many of the things we use and depend on every single day? Were invented, built, or made better… by women.
- Wi-Fi? Thank Hedy Lamarr.
- Circular saws in lumber yards? That came from a woman improving on her spinning wheel.
- Radiation research that shaped modern medicine? Marie Curie.
These aren’t stories—they’re proof. Proof that the world changes when women are allowed to speak, lead, and innovate.
Giving women a seat at the table isn’t enough anymore. They need to sit at the head of the table.
Because here’s what I know from experience…
I’m a bestselling author. I coach at Harvard. And I still walk into rooms where I have to repeat myself five times before someone hears what I’m saying. Not because I’m unclear. Not because I lack authority. But because I’m a woman. And sometimes, it’s not even the men who ignore me—it’s other women, too.
The frustration isn’t just personal—it’s inefficient. In business, in sales, in leadership—this kind of bias slows growth. It kills innovation. It wastes time. How many brilliant ideas get shelved because no one listens until a man repeats them?
If you're serious about hiring top talent, growing your business, or creating a high-performance team, but you're ignoring or undervaluing half the population? That’s a leadership flaw. Period.
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Let’s talk about sales, for example.
31% of salespeople hit their quota last year. Which means 69% didn’t. Want to boost that number? Hire more women.
Read Lori Richardson’s She Sells and you’ll find this: women in sales have higher win rates, are better at making quota, and bring a different kind of value to buyers. They ask better questions. They listen more empathetically. They’re strategic hunters. They're trusted advisors.
And yet? They’re still getting paid 77% of what men earn. Make it make sense.
Back in 2008, our data analysis of over 2.5 million sellers asked, “Are men really better at sales than women?” The results were definitive: women scored three times higher in key Sales DNA attributes—what I like to call sales mindset.
So let me ask you:
As you look ahead to what’s next in your business and career, do you have the best people on your team?
If the answer isn’t a resounding “yes,” maybe it’s time to check your biases. Because the truth is—you might be holding back your own growth.
Let’s stop celebrating women once a year and start listening to them every day. Let’s stop offering seats and start handing over the gavel. Because when women lead, we all win.
