I love images that paint a compelling picture. And so when a speaker on gender in the workplace talked about women and leadership, and explored the underlying reason for the disproportionate number of women in high leadership positions as a combination of both glass ceiling and a sticky floor, it resonated.
Well, I’ve done it. I always had dreams of writing a book – and today I’m thrilled to announce that it is available on Amazon. It’s taken longer than one would have ever dreamed, been through more edits than I could have imagined and more changes than Indiana weather in spring! But it is here.
So what is it?
A lot, apparently. These men were part of one of the longest and most comprehensive longitudinal studies, called The Grant Study, ever conducted. The study began in their sophomore year of Harvard Medical School – and continues to this day. The men were observed, studied, interviewed, examined and tracked over time.
And author George Vaillant, who chronicled the study, wrote, “The results were as clear-cut as they were startling.”
We seem, in our personal and professional lives, to want to speed things up, maximize value, and do it with fewer and fewer resources and less money. And I’m not immune to that thinking. I challenge students in my Entrepreneurship class to find new ways to solve problems people have, to imagine ways to create a business that can do something faster or better, although I warn against competing on price alone (the cheaper). My change management practice aims to help clients implement change faster and better – and with less drama and resistance. Yet I wonder if faster/better/cheaper should really be our north star for all things and for all situations.
As some level, I think every one of us knows that the old notions of stability are fiction. That the pace of change is breakneck, coming so fast and furious that we can’t assimilate and accommodate or make sense of it all. That the longevity of our position, our career, our company, our product, or our gadgets are measured at best in years, more likely in months and very seldom in decades. Love it or hate it – we need to reconcile that unrelenting change is the new normal.
If you are someone who:
You will want to read more.
I had a recent conversation with a leader in a large company who made the statement, “It would all be better if only people would just come to work and do their work, and leave their emotions at the door.”
It’s not the first time I’ve heard that sentiment – but this time it really caused me to pause and wonder. Would it really be a better place? Here’s what I think about emotions and work.
This week I was reminded of the power in asking for something you need or want. On Monday, Abby, a summer intern, started to work with me. And it’s a great example of taking a risk to ask.
To hear Abby’s story and to explore why we hesitate to ask bold questions, read on.
On April 19, 2011, our home was stuck by a tornado. It toppled six of the lovely and enormous 100 year oak trees that surrounded our house. It demolished our garage, blew the roof of our barn and totally destroyed the deep woods behind our house. In general, it was a gargantuan mess of debris and fallen trees and branches. Three years later, I am reminded of a hard, cold truth about transformation – that it takes time.
I think we can learn something about reaching our goals by throwing out the geometry lesson of shortest distances and using the metaphor of sailing.
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