When my son had his first-ever swim lesson, something unusual happened. The instructor worked with him for 20 minutes, then told him to swim to the wall — straight across the deep end of the full-length pool.
He was only 3 or 4, and I was not pleased with what felt like a preschool lesson-turned-boot camp challenge. But I was also hesitant to intervene. So, I watched intently and saw his little body emanate a determination I could sense from 25 yards away. He slapped and slapped and slapped at the water until he reached the wall.
When he hoisted himself out of the water, he was mad. The instructor had asked too much of him. But he’d risen to the challenge and prevailed. Now an extreme athlete and wildland firefighter, he embodies those words: When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Lately, I’ve wondered what these words mean for us as women in today’s fast-changing landscape. In many ways, we have reason not to be happy. Too much has been asked of us. We are still far from achieving gender equity. And, in some ways, we are required to start further from the wall.
Yet we have toughness in us. We have the leadership capacity the world and those closest to us need. And perhaps most importantly, we have the light. In the unforgettable words of the poet Amanda Gorman:
“For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
In this spirit, we offer insights this month from 3 of our favorite Conference for Women speakers. May they water the seeds of your determination, leadership, and lightness this summer.
Warmly,
Lisa B.
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 3 Surprising Ways to Step Up as a Leader
“As leaders who want to have a greater impact in a constantly changing environment, we need to continue to learn and even disrupt ourselves. This means recognizing that our strengths can get us into a lot more trouble than our weaknesses—because the world changes, and we overplay our strengths. We keep using them, not realizing they aren't as relevant as they used to be.”
— Herminia Ibarra, Professor of Organizational Behavior at the London Business School
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 3 Traits that Fuel Career Success — and a Happier Life
“Positive psychology and neuroscience studies show us that when we cultivate a more positive and optimistic mindset, when we train our brain to see the world through that lens, it benefits us in terms of health, educational and business outcomes.”
—Michelle Gielan, psychologist and best-selling author of Broadcasting Happiness
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How to Be More Open-Min ded and Make Better Decisions
“The problem with decisiveness is that it prevents people from learning. If you're expected to act quickly and always know the right answer, then when you uncover new information, it's too late, and you can't reverse your decisions. You can't look back and say, ‘Well, you know what? Maybe I should undo that.’ I think what that means is too many of us end up doing our rethinking in hindsight, as opposed to with foresight.”
—Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and best-selling author of Think Again
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Save the Date!
We'll be back next spring with online AND in-person Conference events!
- March 1, 2023: Conference In-Person @ Santa Clara Convention Center
- March 2, 2023: Conference Anywhere — a new & improved virtual event
Mark your calendar now — registration opens in September.
And stay tuned for exciting speaker announcements starting in August!
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