I am fortunate to be researching the careers of executive women and men who have been leaders in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector. I have heard many great stories from these leaders and I hope one day to share them so that others might learn and grow.
Many of the stories I am hearing describe how people have overcome setbacks in their careers. These stories often connect with sad chapters in their lives more broadly. Its encouraging that these stories feature more good experiences than bad ones. They are more about what moves people forward than about what holds them back. However, the stories of adversity somehow seem to lead to greater learning.
I am a big fan of Sheryl Sandberg and how she has become a spokesperson for gender equality. She is a great leader in the ICT sector. She is a role model for men and women, young and old. Her May 15, 2016 commencement address at UC Berkeley was very powerful and gets a big Facebook “Like” from me. I encourage you to take 20 minutes to listen to her. Commencement is continuous and thanks to technology it is ubiquitous too. Check out her speech. I’m betting you’ll find value in her message, and you’ll learn.
In Sandberg’s words, “A commencement address is meant to be a dance between youth and wisdom.” She does this dance beautifully, with a unique and personal twist. She describes the recent death of her husband and how her family has dealt with the loss. Some salient passages of her speech include, “When option A is not available just kick the shit out of option B.’ and as a conclusion, “How would you live today if you knew you had 11 days left?” Thank you Sheryl for continuing to explore what it means to Lean In to life.
Jules Fauteux 