Page 28 - Shaw Wall of Honor

about the gap in my resume for several years after I went back to work, as I feared it would put me at a disadvantage. It didn’t, I am happy to say, but that fear was real. This taught me to be confident in my life choices and own them. When I trusted others and shared my journey, they didn’t care at all—in fact, most celebrated my values and priorities.
My second job was a completely different environment. The first leader in many cases was very seasoned and led based on relationships and trust and sometimes by fear. With him, relationships were the key again, and I quickly found success under his leadership. He was my biggest fan and advocate. Once he retired
and the organization transitioned to a new leader, the environment shifted. The
new leader was
smart, driven, and I was excited about the future of the organization. While he had incredible vision and a level of drive that I admired, he lacked the ability to build and maintain relationships which created an environment that felt like quicksand to me because it was far less predictable without that key foundation of trust. This dynamic was difficult to navigate and ultimately was not the place for me, as building relationships was key for me to feel safe and valued in my role. I struggled to achieve the same level of satisfaction and success in this new environment despite the fact that I brought the same high level of work ethic and commitment. That dynamic had nothing to do with my being female, and everything to do with a lack of trust and chemistry. This experience taught me another valuable lesson, which is my ability to build relationships and empathize with others,
the key to my success as a leader. It is not a weakness
Equal Isn't the Answer
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