Just a Few of 2021’s Bright Spots
What a ride 2021 has been. I feel like I exited the world of Covid at times, but it keeps reasserting itself. Feelings of languishing, confusion and insecurity linger for so many of us. At the same time, I am grateful for so much, including my 2021 Picks.
Chief
This women’s networking company was founded by Lindsay Kaplan and Carolyn Childers in 2019. Its mission is to drive more women to the top and keep them there, and it is core to my values and life purpose. I have the enormous privilege to coach groups of amazing, talented, passionate, purpose-driven women at Chief who are helping change the trajectory of leadership in this country to one that is more compassionate, more equitable and more successful across the board. Chief is a rocket ship that is just taking off and I am deeply grateful to be on board for the ride.
Unsung heroes
For years Hidden Brain podcast host Shankar Vedantam would highlight an “unsung hero” who helped get the podcast made. Because of the overwhelming response from listeners, this year they launched a new podcast, My Unsung Hero, featuring short stories about moments when one person helped another in a time of need. We all come across people in our lives whose individual contributions help solve a problem, move a project forward, create community or even brighten a day through their interaction. Why don’t we all reach out and thank the unsung heroes in our lives today?
Radical Candor
I know that I am late to this party. The book was first published in 2017, and an excellent revised edition came out in 2019. The premise of this book is so simple: when we have respectful and caring relationships at work, we can deliver clear feedback. When you care and deliver clear feedback, the person is being set up for future success. And that is good for the team’s performance and the company overall. And I know how challenging it is to strike the right balance. I work at it every day. This combination of compassion and candor is what will help us move forward faster and more successfully, and more humanly. In fact, I would suggest Compassionate Candor would be a more apt title for the book :)
I hope the holidays provide us with some time to reflect, express gratitude, and energize ourselves for the possibilities in 2022 and beyond.