Inclusion is a journey, not a destination. It's our responsibility to empower others to reach their potential at every opportunity—because the MVP only emerges as the game unfolds.

It’s no exaggeration to say that women dominated the past year.

From Issa Rae to Beyoncé, and Coco Gauff to Taylor Swift, powerful women lit up our screens and stages, dazzled fans on the court, and dominated our group chats. As a fan, and as a leader who has championed women throughout my career, I’ve been so excited to see these remarkable women command the spotlight. It feels good to see women win, and win big.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, which is aptly themed “Inspire Inclusion,” I’ve been thinking about how this momentum translates into the business place and to the next generation of leaders. 

As Chair of Deloitte US, this is personal to me. The decisions made at dinner tables and in corporate boardrooms have far-reaching impacts on our society and on the livelihoods of millions of people. We need women’s voices and perspectives in the room, at the top of organizations, and at the head of the table.

Yet, despite steady gains over the last decade, women are still far outnumbered in corporate leadership. Across the Fortune 500, women make up just 30% of board seats while women from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups make up less than 8%. The representation of women in board leadership positions, such as Chair, is less than 10% , and is similarly low in C-suite roles.

To truly make an impact, leaders in organizations and communities should do more than simply address obstacles like unconscious bias and structural inequities—but also focus on the actions we can take to help propel women forward. Fortunately, there are a multitude of ways to expand the pipeline of women leaders—starting as early as elementary school.

The so-called “people skills”—things like communication, decision-making, and collaboration—are critical to success for leaders. While raising my two children, I noticed many of these skills are developed outside of the classroom —development most often occurred on the playground, at lunch, and through interacting with one another.

My own journey to leadership began when I was a young girl, playing softball. I learned the importance of understanding how teammates possess different skillsets, strengths, and communication styles on the playing field—not in textbooks. I took those learnings on how to get the best out of others, how to communicate effectively, and how to be resilient when things weren’t going my way with me into the corporate world. To this day, those learnings became lifelong lessons I’ve carried with me throughout my career.

And I’m in good company. Over the years, I’ve discovered many of the high-performing women leaders I interact with are also current or former athletes. Last August, my colleagues at Deloitte decided to investigate this trend in a survey exploring how playing competitive sports impacted women’s career success.

Because I’m a trained accountant, I’m going to give you the stats:

• 85% of surveyed women who played sports say it’s important to their career success
• 61% of respondents, regardless of their personal experience playing sports, agree that girls who play sports are likely to have successful careers
• Respondents consistently ranked the top skills gained from competitive sports as teamwork and leadership, managing stress and pressure, problem solving, and communication

The takeaway: There’s an incredible opportunity to help girls who play sports become women who lead.

So, how do we build upon what we know to cultivate the next generation of leaders? Getting involved in sports is just one of many routes girls can take to develop their confidence and interpersonal skills. But no matter which activity they choose, we can all help pave the way for more women to lead. Here are a few ideas we can all consider as women and allies:

Connect through play

Active involvement can make all the difference. Volunteering as a coach, attending a game, or simply using your voice to challenge stereotypes are all ways to make an impact. And if sports aren’t your passion, there are plenty of other ways to get involved—from theater programs to debate clubs, access to team-based extra-curriculars can change the course of a girl’s life.

Growing up, my town didn’t have a softball league, so my mom took matters into her own hands. I ended up playing center field on the boys’ baseball team. I’m thankful for my experience; it gave me the confidence to know I could play with—and rival—the boys. But the truth is, if we want more girls to play, we have to create more spaces that encourage and empower them.

It’s never too early to start teaching girls the skills they need to be future leaders. We can do that by supporting programs in our communities that build girls’ confidence and give them opportunities to practice being part of a team.  

Champion women—on and off the field 

The longevity of any organization hinges on fostering a workplace culture which empowers its people to be their authentic selves, recognizes their unique strengths, and creates opportunities for them to develop as leaders. It’s important we continue to nurture this positive feedback loop—because thriving people lead to thriving organizations.

This means amplifying women’s voices and accomplishments. It also means putting our values proudly on display through the investments we make—of both time and resources.

One example particularly close to my heart is the sponsorship of women’s sports. As the growth of women’s elite sports continues to accelerate, I’m proud of Deloitte’s dedication to multiply the impact through our sponsorship of the National Women’s Soccer League and the Women’s National Basketball Association, among others. Commitments like this are about more than just supporting games; it’s about inspiring the next generation of leaders to champion a more inclusive future for all. Whether through sponsorship or other means, we can all find ways to help strengthen the leadership pipeline for women and girls.

Create a culture of trust

Finally, let’s be the mentors girls and women can look to for advice and support—no matter what they’re dealing with.

In my own experience and based on stories from countless women, mentors make a meaningful difference in creating a culture of trust and support. We should help give women and others shoulders to stand on by embedding mentorship as a foundational component within our organizations and communities.

And you don’t have to be a top executive to be a mentor…mentors come in a variety of different forms. It’s just as important for men and allies to support the next generation of women. In fact, many of my most influential mentors were supportive allies who provided a different perspective. No matter your role in your organization or your community, there are women who can benefit from your insights, connections, and lessons learned. Get to know them and celebrate their goals and achievements, and, most importantly, remind them that you are and will always be in their corner.

Whether you’re an aspiring leader or simply an advocate for equal representation, this is an exciting moment. Across every industry, women are raising the bar and elevating the power of womanhood. Today, girls—and all young people—have role models I could have only dreamed of when I was growing up. Now, it’s up to all of us to make sure the next generation can follow in their footsteps and cultivate their own superpowers, with ample access to opportunities to build their confidence and career success.

Change is a team sport—inspiring inclusion will require each of us to get in the game. So let’s all step up to the plate and go to bat for a more equitable and inclusive society. Together, we can knock it out of the park.