Tapping into your network, both within and outside of your company, can provide great insights and support for your career growth.  But first you need to be clear on what you need, who can help and where the gaps exist in your network that you need to fill...

There is much talk today about women getting stuck in middle management and falling victim to the "leaky pipeline."  But using this term is a disservice to the severity of the problem.  It implies first that there is a single path to leadership, and second that some minor patchwork will fix the problem.  It also implies it's a woman's problem when the issue is much deeper and more systemic.