Nancy Clark: Among our audience are 25,000 professional women
each month. Their concern is frustration in not reaching the upper levels
of corporations. Looking at the statistics, it appears gender is making
a difference — 16% of upper management is female (46.5% of workforce
is female). What advice and insights do you have for women?
Madeleine Albright: I tell women to act in a more confident manner.
You need to learn to interrupt. Ask questions when they occur to you
and don’t wait to ask. Also, you don’t need to ask permission to ask
a question. Be a risk taker; business appreciates risk takers. This trait is desirable
in prospective leaders. I want to emphasize: Don’t be a woman with a chip on her shoulder.
I see many women with this attitude. They don’t accomplish as much
as they could. Others don't want to assist them with their concerns. Nancy Clark: Do you see business starting to appreciate the
talents women can add? Madeleine Albright: Yes, I see relational leadership skills beginning
to be highly valued by business. Sometimes being a woman is an
advantage in business. Women are excellent multi-taskers, and as
such, are well suited to new business demands. When my daughters
had children, they perfected this talent and could appreciate how I’ve
used it in my life. Multi-tasking is necessary for raising children and
now is very important in the way business needs to be conducted. Nancy Clark: My reason for taking action is the realization that
decades after the start of the women’s movement, recent MBA
female graduates are still saying, “If I just put my head down and
work through lunch, work even harder, then I’ll be recognized.”
Repeating these same actions and expecting new results is alarming
to me. Madeleine Albright: Yes, I read that same Catalyst survey and agree
that if women continue to keep their heads down working away, instead
of speaking up, they won’t get noticed. 
| Madeleine Albright
Former U.S. Secretary of State,
Author of Madam Secretary 
Madeleine Albright and Nancy Clark, CEO WomensMedia in a photo taken during this interview.
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| Madeleine Korbel Albright was nominated by President Clinton on December 5, 1996 as Secretary of State. After being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn in as the 64th Secretary of State on January 23, 1997. Secretary Albright was the first female secretary of state and was the highest ranking woman in the U.S. government. Secretary Albright has three daughters. 
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