Sincere thanks to the many people who came out for my book launch party this week in Boston. The highlight of my evening was a fireside chat, hosted by Jean Serra, CEO and co-founder of V2, a global PR firm. She moderated a thoughtful examination of the book’s themes and a lively audience Q&A. She has been a longtime friend and a shining example of how compassionate leadership can drive business growth—a vision for our future.
I started writing this book to shed light on what I’ve seen as a systemic problem in tech workplaces. I thought sharing my experience might help others gain perspective, recognize context, and shed self-doubt. Through the process, I learned that others’ stories had a lot to teach me. I believe all businesspeople could learn from their stories, benefit from these strategies, and hopefully, grow their careers.
Looking around the launch party, I noticed about a third of the attendees were men, many of whom had read the book as part of my advance reader team. They asked thoughtful questions, some of which centered on concern for daughters just entering the workforce. “How can I be an effective ally?” was a question from both men and women that night, which I found gratifying for a few reasons. Evolving systems that are biased against so many will require more people’s participation.
Removing barriers benefits everyone.
I love the word allies in this context because it conveys mutual benefit. An alliance of interests and combined resources is what creates significant results. In many ways, I’ve looked to the launch party as the end of a journey that began 20 months ago. Being there—surrounded by supporters, fielding questions, signing books—helped me realize this is the beginning of something, not the end.