Love this post. I suspect many women leaders in tech recognize ourselves in this post. At Twitter, two women directors did the same - volunteer for every previously all-male promo committee - until there were enough of us to seat around a dinner table. Eventually, we'd hired enough women PMs to host a WIP gathering. That's when our leader (by then the sole woman VP at the company) told us she saw how much *extra* work we were doing beyond our day jobs. Her wish for us was that we wouldn't have to expend so much energy being changemakers, and be able to reserve it towards unapologetically advancing our own careers.
I ponder what to tell women leaders coming up behind me. I don't want us all to have to be activators - I want some of us to be able to enjoy cruise control someday! I wonder when we'll be able to afford the inertia of just keeping things running. The workplace is better for men in leadership; I want women to have that ease too. But we're not there yet.
There are many quiet warriors who are making things possible for the next generation like the women leaders of Twitter. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but it is the women who blazed a trail that made it possible for us. I hope that someday this extra investment of effort is unnecessary.
Love this post. I suspect many women leaders in tech recognize ourselves in this post. At Twitter, two women directors did the same - volunteer for every previously all-male promo committee - until there were enough of us to seat around a dinner table. Eventually, we'd hired enough women PMs to host a WIP gathering. That's when our leader (by then the sole woman VP at the company) told us she saw how much *extra* work we were doing beyond our day jobs. Her wish for us was that we wouldn't have to expend so much energy being changemakers, and be able to reserve it towards unapologetically advancing our own careers.
I ponder what to tell women leaders coming up behind me. I don't want us all to have to be activators - I want some of us to be able to enjoy cruise control someday! I wonder when we'll be able to afford the inertia of just keeping things running. The workplace is better for men in leadership; I want women to have that ease too. But we're not there yet.
I love this story.
There are many quiet warriors who are making things possible for the next generation like the women leaders of Twitter. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but it is the women who blazed a trail that made it possible for us. I hope that someday this extra investment of effort is unnecessary.
Deb, as always, informative and inspiring. Thank you.