In Her Own Voice: A Woman's Rise to CEO: Overcoming Hurdles to Change the Face of Leadership

Based on 25 years of research into the specific hurdles facing women in business, In Her Own Voice offers sage advice and empowerment for any woman striving to advance her career—and any organization ready to improve gender equity at every level.

The world has awakened to the urgent need to focus on women’s advancement—companies with gender-balanced leadership are far more likely to outperform their peers, and the evolving expectations of leadership align to women’s natural strengths. Yet just 10 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and less than 30 percent of senior leaders are women, and the pace of growth is shockingly slow, made worse by COVID-19 and its aftermath.

What does it take for women to ascend to the highest levels of leadership? In Her Own Voice from Jennifer McCollum, CEO of Linkage, a global leadership development firm, sheds light on this timely topic. Backed by in-depth and enlightening research, this book examines the specific challenges women still face in the workplace. Whether we’re contending with our own inner critic, being expected to prove our value time and again, or navigating the often-intimidating world of negotiating for ourselves, women today still have unique obstacles as we advance our careers—but they need not become roadblocks.

In Her Own Voice outlines how readers can overcome these obstacles, with key competencies and action steps such as quieting your inner critic, discarding biases, building confidence, gaining clarity about the future, and more. Supported by data and infused with compelling real-life stories, it’s a blueprint for helping readers identify, measure, and conquer what’s holding women back at any stage of their careers.

Jennifer McCollum is on a mission to create better leaders and workplaces, by advancing women and promoting inclusivity. She’s an accomplished CEO, speaker, consultant, and the author of In Her Own Voice: A Woman’s Rise to CEO. This book uses data and personal stories to shed light on the unique challenges women face on their journey to leadership, providing actionable insights for aspiring leaders and organizations. Jennifer has presented on hundreds of stages, podcasts, and webcasts across the globe and been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Forbes, and Psychology Today.

Jennifer is the president and CEO of Catalyst, an organization dedicated to accelerating progress for women in the workforce. Previously, she was the first female CEO at Linkage, a global leadership development firm dedicated to “changing the face of leadership.” Her expertise includes how to close the gap to gender equity, why the most effective leaders are inclusive leaders, and how to demystify inclusion for leaders and organizations. She is an avid tennis player and skier and the mother of three, and lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband.