Thanks to a tweet from Anitaborg.org, I found this report from Accenture called "Untapped Potential: Stretching Toward the Future." I'm in the middle of downloading a ginormous file, so I didn't download the report pdf; instead, I checked out the handy summary and key findings (the good parts).

One part that jumped out at me was this:

The research found that women are challenging themselves: more than eight in 10 (81 percent) who consider themselves “very successful” said they take on additional responsibilities and complexity to advance their careers, and 75 percent reported that they regularly stretch themselves beyond their comfort zone.

In my recent SCALE talk, I discussed the idea of getting out of your comfort zone to help you get ahead in business. I asked the question, "Are you the person holding yourself back?" Talking at SCALE 7x, after all, was a big step outside of my comfort zone, but also something I'm happy to move onto the "done" side of my "To Do" list.

Other key findings that women in open source (and other fields, no doubt) will find interesting is that respondents who described themselves as "very successful" are more likely to rely on technology, and they also acknowledge the value of mentors. (Check out the report graphs, including one that illustrates how mentors help.)

And here's another little tidbit that goes along with my talk about tooting your own horn:

Men overall were more likely than women to say they have asked for pay raises (56 percent vs. 48 percent) and promotions (42 percent vs. 37 percent).

I'd love to hear your stories about getting outside your comfort zone, finding a mentor, asserting yourself at work, or other career advice. Please leave a comment or email me at roseblog@linuxpromagazine.com.