It isn't everyday that you get to send a shout-out to your colleague for being recognized as one of the most influential women in tech by Elle Magazine.

Congratulations to Padmasree Warrior! Congratulations also to Elle magazine, for showcasing the growing number of female leaders and influencers who are developing new technology and running technology companies-and are just all-around impressive women.

At Cisco, we believe that we need to be a company whose environment, culture and mix resemble the diversity of the world we live in and the communities where we do business.

The truth is that there is a tangible business value from inclusion and diversity. Even more so, there are proven links between inclusion, collaboration, and innovation that drive bottom line results.  According to a study by McKinsey, the management consultancy, companies with a higher proportion of women in senior management are on average 48 percent more profitable than rivals.

However, there is much more work to do!  I believe as leaders we not only have the responsibility to lead by example but also to understand the strategic advantage gained from a team made up of a diverse set of individuals.

But for today, I hope there are females of all ages reading Elle Magazine, who get inspired to chart their own path to leadership.

Follow me: @BlairChristie