018 Why Women Should Take Impossible Jobs
“Only she who attempts the absurd achieves the impossible.”
Episode Summary:
Gloria opens the podcast by discussing an article she recently read claiming that the next CEO of Wells Fargo would be a female human shield. The article argues that it would be a step backward for women because this role is ‘unprecedentedly terrible’ and the new CEO would have to navigate difficult situations such as prior scandals, plummeting assets, legal issues, and regulatory and political pressures. However, Gloria argues that women should seize the opportunity to take on impossible jobs just like this one because it’s precisely within the chaos that companies are open to new ideas and a leader can move effectively to implement her own changes.
In this episode, Gloria highlights the importance of shifting the current ideology of ‘power over’ to ‘power to.’ She argues that power is an infinite resource, especially when it comes to innovation, imagination, and ingenuity. Gloria speaks to her own experience taking on an impossible job and the exhilaration she felt when she accomplished her goals. Finally, Gloria provides three specific reasons why women should continue to push their own limits and take on roles that many have deemed impossible.
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Resources
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Wells Fargo Names Charles W. Scharf Chief Executive Officer and President
Sexism At Work: Women Are Less Ambitious Than Men, Employers Say
Books Mentioned
[Take The Lead participates in the Amazon Associates program and may receive compensation for qualifying purchases made through the following links.]
No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power, by Gloria Feldt
Social Links
Gloria’s Website & Social Media
Take The Lead’s Website and Social Media
Quotes / Tweetables
“Unless the organization is such a disaster that no one could or should resuscitate it, I advise women to snap up those opportunities. Because it’s precisely when companies are in crisis or chaos that they are open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. And, a leader can move effectively to implement needed changes in her own way.”
“I have personally taken impossible jobs before where I fixed a broken institution, retooled its vision, and set it back onto a growth trajectory.”
“Companies with more women in their upper leadership make more money.”
“Women were smart enough not to want the kind of power over culture that men thrived in. After all, women had borne the brunt of many negative aspects of that kind of power, like abuse, violence and objectification.”
“Power is actually an infinite resource, especially when it comes to the most important human attributes like innovation, imagination, and ingenuity.”
“The worst almost never happens and, even when it does, it usually opens the door to something else better in your future because you get credibility for taking on big challenges.”