In 2015, I left my 20-year run in corporate. I had led all sorts of global recruiting teams, projects, strategies, and implementations and created more executive decks than I care to possibly count. I sat around mahogany boardroom tables at 8 a.m. and hid in the bathroom to take conference calls from home when it wasn’t truly OK to actually have kids and be in a leadership position (more on that to come!).
I don’t often talk about the departure from my corporate life, partly because I wasn’t sure of the place it held in my current business — until now.
In that first year out of corporate, anyone and everyone seemed to find a way to express to me how brave and cool it was to start a business serving global companies and leaders — oh, and hopefully I would make some money doing it. I remember feeling incredibly pissed off about this — a bit shrunken.
What they didn’t know was that my transition from corporate to owning my own business was seamless from a financial standpoint. I immediately made up my generous corporate salary that very first year.
Failure was never an option. Practically speaking, I pay the mortgage that puts a roof over my family’s head.
Going back to a corporate job never crossed my mind — not because I think corporate is bad, evil, horrible, or any other negative thing. Going back wasn’t an option because it forced me to play smaller than I was ever meant to play.
My brain is wired to think big and think smart.
My heart is driven to lead, guide, and help others emerge in ways they can’t possibly see for themselves — especially women who are in, or aspiring to be in, leadership roles.
There wasn’t enough space for me to marry these things together in my corporate life, so it suffocated me to the point where I couldn’t do either — think big and lean into my intellect while being brave enough to lead with heart.
A Graceful Tiger
If this is you, then no explanation is needed. And the world needs more of us.
I often write about how to build your recruiting function and take it to a place of excellence. I have spoken about the topic for years on stages, podcasts, webinars, etc. I am an expert in this space and can help almost any recruiting leader build and execute an amazing strategy.
I am confident that if you want the ABCs of building a strategy, you can find them. We even have some of these resources and insights available to you.
What you can’t learn from these resources is the stuff that truly makes you the kind of recruiting leader who doesn’t ever play small.
The kind of leader who has vision,
AND
The confidence to share it, live it, lead it,
AND
The ability to match it up to something (a.k.a. a strategy) that others can understand,
AND
The courage to have the unpopular opinion,
AND
The wherewithal to find a mentor who is rich in those areas where you are poor,
AND
The inner knowing to ask for what you want – without attachment to the outcome,
AND
The burning desire to play bigger and smarter — with heart.
If this is you, then let’s connect.
