Mrs. Brzezinski and Per Adolfsson, VP for Microsoft Sweden  How
do we as professional women gain the confidence necessary to
speak up for ourselves in the workplace? What is the best way to
break down staid gender attitudes and assert oneself as a
business leader?  How do we balance being the “perfect” woman
who does it all with being happy and effective?  These are just
a few of the questions I discussed with a group of talented
women when I spoke to Microsoft’s women’s network on Friday.
When I first entered the modern, spacious offices— which are now
under construction to create a more decentralized, open
workspace where all levels and departments sit together with no
fixed desks and no “corner office”— I was greeted with a mother
on maternity leave and her baby excitedly waiting for my speech.
I knew then, it was going to be a great afternoon.  The group
ranged from women in their 20s to their 60s, which lent to a
rich breadth of personal stories describing the challenges for
women 30 years ago compared t