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The word “superhero” conjures up images of capes, masks, lots of Lycra, and extraordinary powers. And based on decades of pop culture imagery, it’s usually a male hero saving the day. However, thanks to the incredible success of the recent Wonder Woman movie, we are currently experiencing a much-needed burst of superhero equality! But I digress. There’s actually another kind of heroism I want to talk about today. And it’s just as powerful.

I recently gave a speech where I called for organizations to adopt a “zero tolerance policy” for practices and behaviors that marginalize women—all the inertia that pushes men forward into leadership while pushing women out of the way—and challenged men to step up and be counted as champions of gender equality.

Several years ago, when I was contemplating leaving my job in academia, I wouldn’t have believed you if you’d told me that someday soon I would land my dream job working with corporate America to help companies increase their Latinx representation. But it’s true, and that’s what I have been doing for the past five years.

I continue to wonder about this Queen Bee persona. Why are women oftentimes characterized as the villain? Is it because, given women’s lesser numbers, this Queen is easier to spot?

The gender pay gap is partly a result of systemic barriers and biases—not because of skills and qualifications.

Authentic leadership can be a powerful inner resource as a toolbox for all leaders. By leading “authentically” from within, leaders can promote their values, provide vision, and engender confidence from their superiors, peers, and direct reports. Accessing and expressing an inner roadmap to authenticity can be a complex landscape for leaders of color to navigate.

Seventeen years ago, as a young research assistant at Catalyst, I began to document and track the status of women and minorities on corporate boards. Over the years, I made it my life’s work to identify, familiarize myself with, and memorize the names of successful women and minority business leaders who serve as executives and on boards at America’s leading companies.

Kimberly Seals Allers is an award-winning journalist and founder of www.MochaManual.com, a pregnancy and parenting blog specifically geared toward Black parents. Her new book, The Big Letdown: How Medicine, Big Business, and Feminism Undermine Breastfeeding, is an in-depth analysis of the social, economic, and political influences of the American breastfeeding culture.

On Mother's Day I think about all the working mothers who juggle family and careers and the changes we need to see to make their lives easier and help them achieve the career success they want: parental leave; quality, affordable childcare; workplace flexibility; and partners who fully share the workload at home. I also think about the women who aren’t mothers, like me.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a similar complaint from clients who have been asked to speak without enough time to prepare. But being a great speaker isn’t about how much time you spend preparing — it’s about learning key skills that will help you speak spontaneously with ease.

Here are a few solutions, along with some helpful tips for closing the pay gap once and for all.

Early in my career I didn't thoroughly understand what mentorship was or how it worked. I was lucky that my mentor relationships formed organically, but as my career progressed I began to understand how much of an impact my mentors had on me, and that I too made an impact on them.

These are challenging times for women, but there’s also renewed momentum for change.

The Rockefeller Foundation has granted Catalyst $100,000 to expand our Catalyst Women On Board™ initiative throughout the United States. This generous support will help Catalyst shine a light on the lagging representation of women on boards and throughout executive ranks—which is widely recognized as a global economic imperative—as well as showcase a solution.