This Immersive Business School Exercise Unexpectedly Revealed My Insecurities—and Helped Me Become a Better Leader
Growing up I had a clear definition of what I thought a leader was: a person who is confident, decisive, unshakeable. The person who makes the tough calls, never gives up their position. And coming into my own as a woman leader, I felt I had to be even stronger than what my perception was growing up. I could never be seen as weak, never back down. Don’t let’em see you cry—kind of an old school mentality. But I’m not going to bury the lead here: I’ve obviously changed my view and position on leadership and particularly female leadership . It was a lesson I had to learn many times over, requiring a number of experiences to change my mindset and change my practice. It was a blind spot that for years kept me fighting instead of winning. The art of negotiation One of those impactful experiences happened several years ago during a multiweek executive development program at The Wharton School—a completely immersive experience. You’re away from your family for weeks, and you’re...