“The Art of Leadership Presence: A Function of Authenticity” (Uh, oh!)
I had a b-school lecturer weigh in on this working mom's attempt to live an authentic life. His lecture: The Art of Leadership Presence.
Believe it or not, I make choices that are inconsistent with how I feel. I want to be respected for the choices that I make, but I’m not willing to pretend that I feel any way other than how I do. How I feel is only a small part of who I am and what I do.
People who don’t know me well sometimes wonder why I don't just do what I want ("follow my heart"), especially when they catch an inconsistency, like it’s a big secret.
Living an authentic life? I think so.
I do not wander about, landing where the wind blows me. If you do, and you neglect your responsibilities, I am challenged to respect that.
For example, it makes me sad to be away from my children while I work as much as I do. I think they need me, and I know time is slipping by.
Last week I posted about working with too many men. I felt isolated and felt like the communication and friendships were limited in that environment. Later, I responded to the post, "Making Peace with Work" with words of disagreement. I felt trapped, unhappy working, but committed - with no plans to lie about how I felt or make any quick changes. Many writers suggest that there are 3 camps, moms who work because they want to, moms who stay home because they want to, and those who work because they have to. I think it's more complicated.
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