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This book grows out of my conviction that confident self-expression is the foundation of success in business and life. I have seen the lives of thousands of women transformed when they learned to “take the stage.” Graduates of our firm's Taking the Stage® program have found – as readers of this book will discover – how to speak up, stand out, and succeed in ways that increase their visibility, earn them respect, and accelerate their advancement. Many inspiring stories of those who have achieved these goals fill the pages of this book. I'm pleased to share with readers the insights from our program, from my twenty-five years as head of a communications company, and from my own life.

How do you know if this book is for you? If you would like a stronger voice in discussions; if you wish to express yourself with more clarity and impact; if you want others not to interrupt you because they don't “hear” you; if you'd like to be assertive but not aggressive, promote yourself, be visible, speak with presence, and move your career forward by showing yourself as a confident, capable leader – if you say “yes” to any of these, then this book is for you. Taking the Stage is a metaphor for all the ways you can be your own best champion by finding compelling ways to express yourself. Whatever your rank, position, or industry, this book is for all women who want to claim their right to confident self-expression and respect from others in the boardroom – and beyond. The rewards are enormous. So, take the stage!

This is a book for women, but it is also for those who support women's success. It is for leaders of women who want to build stronger, more diverse teams, or who have wives, female partners, or daughters they would like to see succeed. Men have told me, “I want a copy of this book for my wife, who can project more confidence,” and “This would be useful for my daughter who is very smart but doesn't interview well.” More broadly, this work is for anyone who cares about women, the future of young women, and the value that women can add to every business, profession, community, and family – when they do speak up and stand out as strong, confident leaders.

The message of this book is that women must take the stage if they want to have a greater impact on their organizations and greater success in their careers and lives. That journey into the spotlight requires a “center-stage mindset” and the ability to communicate in an inspiring, effective way. Success for women also requires support from their bosses, mentors, and sponsors. Executives and senior managers who lead women will find at the end of each chapter “Advice for Leaders of Women” that will enable them to support and coach the women in their lives and reinforce the teachings in this work.

Taking the Stage provides readers with a proven, practical approach developed by The Humphrey Group in our work with women. My own experience coaching and training was the starting point in my thinking that women must be stronger communicators if they want to succeed – at work and in life. I encouraged each woman I coached to be bolder, stronger, and more confident in her communications – skills that this book teaches. Today our firm has thirty-five instructors and coaches who work with both men and women to make them more confident, inspiring communicators and leaders. Our business is global, and our results are impressive. The ideas, techniques, and successes described in this text reflect our work with clients.

The book also embodies the experience of the many women who have attended our Taking the Stage program – or facilitated it – in locations around the world. I have come to know some of these women personally. Many others have generously shared their growth and courage with me in phone interviews, conference calls, and emails. The women whose stories appear in this book come from all geographies, all industries, and all levels of their organizations. In most cases, I've changed their names and personal details to protect their privacy. But the words and experiences they contributed are accurately reflected in the quoted passages. I am grateful to these brave women – this book could never have been written without their inspiring stories. Taking the Stage is based on original research – our “lab” being The Humphrey Group's work with women and our feedback from firms where more than four hundred thousand women have graduated from our Taking the Stage program. This has given us a powerful source of insight that has shaped our assumptions about how women communicate in business and beyond.

Taking the Stage also complements an impressive recent body of literature that emphasizes the communications challenges women face and their need to speak up more boldly and successfully. These works include Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, Barbara Annis and John Gray's Work with Me, and Katty Kay and Claire Shipman's The Confidence Code. These works continue the debate about whether women's communication style is a reflection of “nature” or “nurture.” But even with this diversity of viewpoints there is consensus that women can take action to build their own confidence and strengthen their voices in ways that will have a positive and sustained impact on their lives. Taking the Stage focuses on the ACTIONS women can take to develop stronger, more powerful voices and achieve confident communications leadership in all situations – whether they are making a presentation, chatting at a networking event, or pitching an idea.

This book emerges from my own personal journey as well. Taking the Stage is a metaphor for my life. Growing up in a small town in Connecticut, I dreamed of the vast world “out there” and was determined to find a bigger “stage” on which to express myself. The courage that I developed allowed me to move from one field to another: from music, to university teaching, to the corporate world, and finally to my own company. Each stage was larger and filled with more opportunity – though it was never easy transitioning from one stage to the next. And now, looking back, I see that all the qualities I discuss in this book – such as assertiveness, confidence, and a willingness to speak up – were necessary and gradually became part of my self-definition. So this book reflects hard-earned passages in my own life.

Finally, this book deals with qualities and desires deep within all of us. It is our birthright to be heard. We were born with voices – loud, penetrating voices – and there is absolutely no reason why women should feel obliged to surrender those voices in the face of obstacles. This book is ultimately an affirmation of our life force.