Is this a blow to aspiring women leaders?
As a woman in business, I hate anything that labels me or other women as victims. I recently read an article on the Wall Street Journal website, FINS.com, that raised a question as to whether the dismissal of a recent lawsuit against Bloomberg, LP, was a blow to women. (Read the Article)
In her ruling, the judge quoted former General Electric Chief Executive Jack Welch, who said, "there's no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences."
You may be surprised to know that I agree with Jack Welch. For me, it's not about balance but how we integrate our work and our lives. Because we are all individuals, how we choose to do this will be different for each of us. Sure, there are things that companies can do to make this integration easier for women, but at the end of the day, it's up to us to negotiate what works best in our particular situation.
I think Amy Siskind, a former department head of distressed debt trading at Morgan Stanley, got it right. She said she "built up her franchise" with team members and powerful colleagues and as a result, was able to run her department while pregnant, leaving at 5:30 pm each day.
I liken it to making deposits into a bank account. The more deposits you make (i.e. investing in your franchise) then the more assets you will have available for withdrawal when you need them.
My point in all of this is that I don't think the dismissal of one lawsuit is a blow to aspiring women leaders, particularly those who refuse to accept victim status and focus on building their franchise.
What do you think? Post your comments here.
In her ruling, the judge quoted former General Electric Chief Executive Jack Welch, who said, "there's no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences."
You may be surprised to know that I agree with Jack Welch. For me, it's not about balance but how we integrate our work and our lives. Because we are all individuals, how we choose to do this will be different for each of us. Sure, there are things that companies can do to make this integration easier for women, but at the end of the day, it's up to us to negotiate what works best in our particular situation.
I think Amy Siskind, a former department head of distressed debt trading at Morgan Stanley, got it right. She said she "built up her franchise" with team members and powerful colleagues and as a result, was able to run her department while pregnant, leaving at 5:30 pm each day.
I liken it to making deposits into a bank account. The more deposits you make (i.e. investing in your franchise) then the more assets you will have available for withdrawal when you need them.
My point in all of this is that I don't think the dismissal of one lawsuit is a blow to aspiring women leaders, particularly those who refuse to accept victim status and focus on building their franchise.
What do you think? Post your comments here.
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