TAKING A MOMENT TO PAUSE AND SMELL THE ROSES…

As every other blog review post I start with my favorite. Seth Godin’s blog. This week I emailed my professor with one of his posts titled The thing about maps and proclaimed how coincidental and intriguing it is that Seth’s blog posts overlap and complement the lessons we are working on in class! I was delighted! Of course, the reality is I’m more in-tune with my surroundings, with my own quest so it’s easy to recognize “signs” along the way. The post just reiterates the importance of having a map, a goal to work towards. Because without maps and compasses we get lost and wonder aimlessly.  Just two days before, Seth wrote about being a good driver. He made an analogy that a good driver just as a god employee is someone who is predictable, follows rules and is safe. While a driver who may take unexpected turns on the road can be considered reckless or cause a crash. In the workplace that’s considered leaping and changing things. I do love to drive fast (but safe) on the road, and I am getting excited about pressing the gas pedal at work too.

Harvard Business Review this week had several moving articles. One article focused on importance of having business strategy in place that aligns to organizational purpose. The most successful companies know it and are able to deliver on both. Those who struggle to tie one with the other fizzle with time. The part that resonated with me the most is following paragraph:

“Actively lead operationalization. Personal leadership is indispensable to operationalizing your purpose. You must consistently and authentically voice an inspiring external ambition, be the principal architect of a master plan to engage and align your organization, and provide your people all the means necessary to fulfill your shared purpose. Much is required of you and your company to make your purpose real. And nothing is more fundamental to your success.”

Mesnard, Laurent ChevreuxJose LopezXavier. “The Best Companies Know How to Balance Strategy and Purpose.” Harvard Business Review, 2 Nov. 2017, hbr.org/2017/11/the-best-companies-know-how-to-balance-strategy-and-purpose.

The second article on was a poignant reminder that men and women are not equal in the workplace or in power. Research finds that men are recognized for their ideas, while women who contribute ideas or point out red flags don’t get any credit at all! The article goes on to say that while the research shows that men get more credit because of their presentation and delivery. Women even when they do the same may not get the same attention or time, are frequently interrupted and their ideas are automatically seen as less valued. As a women who is living through it every day I am more encouraged that I have to do my part to lead this change in my workplace, on the street, at home, in community. Call out and give other women a platform and opportunity to contribute, acknowledge their efforts and credit their results. And lastly, when mansplained or interrupted myself, I have to regain my composure and take the fight standing up. As Emiliano Zapata said I’d rather die on my feet, than live on my knees!

Two articles caught my eye on Entrepreneur.com. First one was about Elon Musk, the guy I admire, love, am intrigued and obsessed with but at the same time I kind of dislike him (all based on media presentation, which can be bias, and not on personal familiarity). The article is neither positive nor negative, or maybe both. It talks about Musk reporting to sleeping at the Tesla factory to get it back on track. The author also refers to Musk’s leadership style as “on-the-go”. It seems like Mr Musk is a selfless leader and he gets things done, he is quoted as saying that one should lead from the front lines. In many ways I agree with that statement. However, some of Musk’s eccentricities can be seen as intimidation and super high, hard to achieve expectations that a normal human being can’t possibly achieve. Unless they emulate their leader’s behavior (have no life work balance and sleep at the factory). The article closes with a statement that after recent performance review 700 people were fired. Musk claimed that reporting lacked nuance and integrity. But… one could also conclude that if 700 people failed to to their job, competency may not have plaid a role but productivity and bottom line. Which is really sad. I guess to be successful you can’t expect to have your cake and eat it too. At least not in corporate America.

The second article was a feature peace on 10 most powerful women in the world! Small but mighty list! Inspiring! While reading the article and reading more about the women featured in it I came across a quote that said: “teach your daughters to worry less about fitting into a glass slipper and more about shattering glass ceilings.” Hmmm…..If we teach them that there are limits and ceilings that need to be shattered maybe some of them will feel intimidated and discouraged at their first or second failure, that it’s not meant for them.  How about we teach all of our kids, especially the girls that there is not glass ceiling! How about we teach them that sky is limit. Or how about we teach them there is no limit!?