People don’t always get what they deserve, especially women. 

We are chronically overworked and underpaid. We aren’t always considered for the pay raises or promotions we deserve. Regardless of our talent, potential, or greatness, women are consistently overlooked. 

Enough already! This has got to change. And we can be that change by helping each other out, and lifting each other up.

Lifting someone up is putting them in a position to be recognized and celebrated. It is mentioning someone’s name at the table of opportunity for no purpose other than that they deserve it.

When I was starting out in my 20s, I lifted people up because I liked to see them win. After all, the advancement of a deserving woman is a win for the world. Success reinforces their confidence and ignites their power, putting them in a position to lead for a greater good. Lifting someone up is not just the nice or right thing to do, it’s the clever thing to do.

Not everybody will perceive their power, so some of our future great leaders will need advocates and sponsors too. We need to ensure that talented people are seen and recognized. If not, we run the risk of continuing to have undeserving people in positions of power and influence.

We have an obligation to help each other achieve what we can and what we deserve. We gain nothing by climbing the ladder and then pulling it out from those beneath us. Ultimately, anyone you put up for an opportunity has a responsibility to follow through and deliver. They have to do the heavy-lifting. But you can be the person to steady the ladder allowing them to climb.

To create the necessary change and make our world a better place, we need great women leading the change. Good leadership begets better leadership and change begets change. 

So let’s continue the movement that I started years ago and remind ourselves that the phrase really needs to be: Behind every woman is another strong woman.