roles are held by Asian, black, Latina, or other women of color. Black women face the longest odds. Promotion rates for them are 50 percent below those of white women, and only 23 percent of black women say managers help them navigate organizational politics, compared with 36 percent for white women. These challenges are a critical, too-often overlooked piece of the gender puzzle that demand their own attention, commitment, and solutions. In the first year of our research, we shared data suggesting that American corporations were 100 years from parity at the top. Two years later, even if the top-performing companies are still early in the journey, they’re providing the clues on how to break through. That’s encouraging: The data is getting clearer, and the answers are in front of us. If we stay committed, lead boldly, and execute relentlessly, we can build momentum and accelerate change. This article first appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Copyright © 2018 McKinsey & Company. All rights reserved. Read the full report, Women in the Workplace 2017, conducted by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey, on womenintheworkplace.com. 3