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Black women have accomplished so much over the last year: Kamala Harris, as the first Black and South Asian woman to become Vice President of the United States; Viola Davis as the most-nominated Black actress in Oscars history; Stacey Abrams, as the voting rights activist who turned Georgia blue; and now Thashunda Brown Duckett and Rosalind Brewer, as Black women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The list goes on and on.

While victorious nevertheless, these successes emerge, despite systemic gender and racial inequities within our society. And the numbers remain scant with Black women only representing less than 1% of top seats in the Fortune 500. Studies indicate that Black women are not only qualified but highly effective as leaders in both the C-Suite and in business. Yet, the data from inside these companies does not reflect this reality.

As the U.S. continues to boil in its divisiveness and unrest, it’s important (now more than ever) that Black women take the charge of their leadership aspirations and secure their rightful place as rockstar leaders in corporate America.

I’ve learned quite a bit over my last 25 years as a leader in global agencies, a leader at a Fortune 10 company, a serial small business boss, and as a certified executive and personal coach to high-performing executive women who work at some of the world’s most respected companies. Despite chaotic times, I’ve learned how to empower and affirm myself, overcome biases, flip white privilege and excel as a global leader.

As the window of opportunity remains open for Black women, here are a few of my thoughts on how to assertively propel into the C-suite and beyond, in the midst of today’s “perfect storm.” Now is your opportunity to look deep down inside of yourself and to step into your power — despite what these companies may or may not be doing in your favor.

Build Your Business-Building Skills, Income and Network Outside the Organization

You will need to lean outside of your organization in order to lean in — which means you have to build up your skills, money and your tribe, but not simply from the company where you work. In doing this, you will need to discover or re-discover your value and find people who are going to pour that worth back into you, because as McKinsey and LeanIn.org’s “Women in the Workplace” research as far back as 2017 has shown, Black women are not centered in the workplace. This means we are typically undervalued, can become accustomed to that, and lose touch with our ability and aspirations to lead.

We also must diversify our money and make sure that we are making investments that will reap dividends outside of our current workplace. This could be as straightforward as real estate, stocks or even a small business that can generate more money for you. This allows you to walk confidently in your power at work and competently speak the things that need to be said at your company without being overly concerned about being called one of the many tropes Black women have become aware of: hard to work with, angry, too aggressive or ambitious.

Empower Yourself and Ask Directly for What You Want

So you know you’re a rockstar leader and you know you’re built for more. The question then becomes, what are you willing to do in the meantime to accelerate towards more? Do you create the opportunity, or do you wait? (Waiting is what we often do.) So many high-performing Black women choose the latter because it is more comfortable to sit still. Our cultural nuances that are steeped in the traditions of generations before us, racial trauma and even sometimes our faith may cause us to over-rotate with humility in a corporate environment that values merchandising one’s good work to get ahead. As a result, we may not realize we are in golden handcuffs: simply do what your position description describes for as long as they allow us to stay. Then, we are faced with retirement, having not pursued our leadership aspirations.

However, instead of settling, you can affirm and empower yourself to say, “While these companies hash out their diversity and inclusion strategies that have failed for the past 50-plus years, I will just include myself because I’m entitled to every good thing because I’m excellent.” This is done by, laying out your needs and knowing your value, which you can uncover by really getting to know yourself.

Learn and Flex Your Market Value

Learn about your market value and don’t be afraid to flex it — this means interviewing at other organizations consistently.

Think about the knowledge you get by simply interviewing and going through the process. You will find out your monetary worth and what others are willing to pay you. This practice allows you to have the confidence to run to the risk, and to manage through and instigate change as the transformational leaders companies are seeking. Being risk-averse can be the death of your senior leadership aspirations, and one way or another we have been conditioned to sit still and wait for someone to recognize us. Most times, that does not happen.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, there's an opportunity right now to raise your voice, to make the request and to make the demand. Just look around you — from Stacey Abrams to Keisha Lance Bottoms, and even in Texas, where there are now more Black women in judge's seats than ever. The power in this movement is amazing.

So here we are. Here you are. We're stepping into our power, knowing our value and taking the charge in leadership with an uncompromising dedication to excellence. Now is the time for Black women to go for it all, assert themselves and run to the risk. As I say in my latest book, No Thanks: 7 Ways to Say I’ll Just Include Myself, it’s time we saw the message in the mess, and the opportunity in the crisis. What are you going to do to move yourself and this conversation forward?

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L. Michelle Smith develops rockstar leaders and brands that thrive at the intersection of tech, culture and business in her role as the CEO of no silos communications, llc. She is a certified executive & business coach, author and speaker who advises Fortune 100 and international clientele, blending leadership development and strategic communications. Her work with executives at American Express, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, AT&T, Mary Kay, CNN, Warner Media, Zapier, and more, has proved pivotal with proven, impactful results. L. Michelle is a former corporate leader, a serial entrepreneur and an adjunct professor of strategic communications at Texas Christian University. Learn more at LMichelleSmith.com.