Sotomayor had two kernels of advice for us: "You have to be courageous in all that you do. You have to know when there's a time to fight." In other words, pick your moments and do it well.

It's still a sad commentary that today, in 2012, women are faced (much more so than men) with the issue of organizing their work life in the context of their home life.

Several studies suggest that women walk a tightrope, or face a "double bind," in that they must be perceived as both strong and sensitive in order to get ahead.

Like many successful women I've met, Sandra Peterson, CEO of Bayer CropScience, describes herself as a leader who tries to "inspire an organization to achieve a higher purpose than just making sales and profitability targets."

Sandra Peterson, 52 and a New York City native, has an impressive resume showcasing her wealth of experience running product lines, businesses and entire divisions for the likes of Whirlpool, Nabisco, Merck-Medco and, finally, Bayer.

"Getting laid off was one of the best things that happened. I was on this train that I just never would have gotten off myself, and I was headed toward health issues of my own. I just never would have stopped."

Companies won't change unless someone forces them to do so. Women on boards bring higher profits, higher quality earnings, better share price growth, better decisions and higher innovation.

The World Economic Forum kicked off this week. And this year, the press is enamored with the new quota system.