Last week I got to attend a small breakfast with one of my heroes, Carla Harris.
I first heard Carla speak in the middle of the financial crisis, and have been a super fan ever since.
I remember her saying that in times of crisis, it was human instinct to lay low and just “do the work.”
But actually, she said, crazy times are the perfect time to raise your hand and contribute using your strengths.
That message gave me courage to embrace my strengths, and stick with my brand new coaching business.
Last week, Carla talked about her most recent book, “Lead to Win,” which I encourage you to read.
The book talks about how hybrid work has completely changed the authority that senior leaders used to take for granted, and how to re-engage your team.
What I was focused on during the event were some of the lessons I’ve learned from Carla:
Know what you’re good at: Carla is great at seeing trends in people’s thinking in real time, and finding solutions. Carla got calls from senior leaders at the start of the lockdown, and realized they were afraid. All of the “non-verbal cues in the workplace that keep the hierarchy in place were not true on Zoom.” Seeing this trend, she started coaching these leaders in how to connect in new ways with Millennials and GenZ’ers.
Lead with grace: When vulnerable leaders shared their concerns, it could have been easy to say, “I told you so.” But Carla always chooses grace, benefit of the doubt, and respect when people share their fears.
Good people get ahead: Choosing grace in a topsy-turvy world is one thing. Winning when you do it is another.
Thank you Carla, and thank you to the people who challenge us to keep growing