If I were to describe the 126 women in this issue in one word, I would choose the word courageous.
Why courageous, you ask? Because we live in challenging and worrisome times, and taking on a career, any career, is fraught with stresses at work, family obligations, and political and global issues. At least, that is my take after reading the essays that are contained in this historic issue.
We asked each 2018 Women Worth Watching nominee to write an essay sharing lessons learned, advice for women in the pipeline, or her views on various topics facing women in the world of work.
The essays form the foundation of this issue’s focus. To have 126 women executives sharing their best thinking all in one magazine is a testament to their belief in and practice of paying it forward.
The annual Women Worth Watching Leadership Awards is not just a yearly exercise in profiling successful women. It is the celebration of women who have proven their leadership potential and skills, providing the marketplace with a plethora of qualified leaders for business, nonprofit, military, and government positions.
That was our original intent in launching the Women Worth Watching Leadership Awards. To date, we have identified and profiled 2,000 women leaders. In one respect, our work is progressing as we can point to several women we have profiled who are now successful CEOs. Mary T. Barra comes to mind. A 2011 Women Worth Watching honoree, Ms. Barra has been leading General Motors as CEO for the past three years.
What successful women have to say is important, and publishing their essays in this issue will provide women in the pipeline with career strategy pointers, as well as intelligent perspectives on a number of topics worthy of review.
We believe that Women Worth Watching garners the best examples of women in leadership. The nomination process assures that the women selected for this prestigious honor have earned it based on their career success, as well as their sterling reputations. Companies nominate their best candidates and we give them significant weight.
As we look to 2019 and beyond, the task at hand is to further our work in showcasing successful women who meet the challenges of work and family life, while often finding themselves on the receiving end of gender bias. We will continue on this course until we see that significantly more women are leading companies and filling boardroom chairs. 
We’re excited to have the support of many companies that sponsor and endorse the Women Worth Watching Leadership Awards. It’s a win-win for the company and the nominee—and especially for the marketplace.
We offer our sincerest congratulations and our very best wishes to all the women who appear in this issue, and to all the Women Worth Watching nominees honored over the past 17 years!
