“To excel is to reach your own highest dream.”

“Work harder than everybody. You’re not going to get it by whining, and you’re not going to get it by shouting, and you’re not going to get it by quitting. You’re going to get it by being there.” ~ Barbara Walters

How do Barbara Walter’s words speak to you?  Perhaps like me, you’ve had people who have tried to discourage you in your career. Or, you have had second thoughts about your career path. Despite that, if you are reading this, you persevered. The depth of coverage on the recent passing of monumental females left me feeling particularly curious about the timing behind a current Elle magazine article shaming women who dare to have ambition and dreams. The Elle article invited me to write a response; a piece that challenges this fashionable trend and celebrates ambition and dreams. My intention, to renew your sense of gratitude for those who came before you and renew your own faith in your career dreams. Allow these women to remind you of who you are as a leader and who you can be.

The first woman who came to mind was due to her very recent passing and the effect it had on many. Even though I never watched her interviews, the news about Barbara Walters left me feeling wistful. She, in fact, was the catalyst that encouraged me to examine other female groundbreakers. Have you ever wondered how were these women able to break through in their fields of journalism, music, art, law and spirits when their predecessors could not?  Then, taking this personally, how could you be a groundbreaker?

Groundbreaking female role models, are those females who broke away from traditional roles and lay the groundwork for the rest of us. They each had some combination of ingredients including personal history, luck, perseverance, and determination.  They surely were not “quiet quitters”, nor were they deflated nor discouraged by popular opinion and those who did not believe in their mission.

Barbara Walter’s success from what I’ve learned from interviews and tributes, was credited to good looks, perseverance, drive, curiosity and a comfort around famous people. This comfort she developed in her childhood around her father’s nightclubs, Latin Quarter. Latin Quarter featured everyone who was a popular entertainer at the time: comedians, actors, and singers. Her father was also an expert booking agent. It’s easy to see how the ease around celebrities could have been innate from her father’s genes or learned from watching him. She took those advantages and finely honed them adding her other gifts to become one of the best interviewers in the news business, and the role model for most, if not all, women in the on-air news business. She brought women’s intelligence in the open to discuss subjects long discussed or ignored by men.

Talking about the night club scene, did you realize there were early female jazz pioneers who were bandleaders, composers and masters of an instrument in the 1920’s who carved the way for others to follow? Lovie Austin was a pianist who composed music for Ma Rainey and Ethel Waters. Lil Hardin Armstrong was her husband’s, Louis Armstrong, first manager, pianist and co-composer. After they split up, she started her own big band. And Valaida Snow was a virtuoso of the trumpet, played a dozen other instruments, who also sang and danced.  These are a few mentioned in an article by Giovanni Russonello in the New York Times, “Listen to 8 Women Who Shaped Jazz”.

Continuing in the arts, a large exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015 honored this artist from the 1700’s giving her credit that was due. Painters, particularly women portraitists, faced huge obstacles in the 18^th century. Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun’s incredible natural talent may have been lost if not for the patronage of Marie Antoinette combined with her beauty, charm and understanding of business and how to use connections. Like with Barbara Walters, Elisabeth’s art appreciation started with her father who taught her to paint when she was young, sensing she had some skill.

Moving on to law, the first female Supreme Court judges, Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg, though inarguably intelligent certainly had many forces against them. Both had the highest academic achievements at the most competitive undergraduate and law schools. Despite that, neither one was able to find a law firm who would hire them. Instead, they made their reputation in government for O’Connor and in professorship and volunteering her services for the ACLU for Ginsberg, before being appointed as judges, eventually being asked to serve on the highest court.

And a recent example: a life changing accident caused Tiffany Capri Hainesworth to rethink life and follow a passion in the food and beverage world. Her big dream was to own a spirit brand, a tequila. She researched and found her ultimate distillery in Guadalajara and then worked alongside farmers to discover all there was to know about making, packaging and distributing tequila. She produced a small batch tequila and signed a contract. In 2019, she became the first black woman to solely own a tequila brand, TCapri Tequila.

Whether you want to be an entrepreneur, a creative innovator, or a corporate trailblazer and leader, anyone at any age can be a groundbreaker. And support can come from family, friends and colleagues. You can see from these examples, it’s not easy but it is rewarding if it is your heart’s desire. Tell those pop culture magazines, podcasts and memes who think we should return to the days when women were seen but not heard, to take a hike. I will celebrate you along with plenty of others. And you will be honoring a legacy of a trail of women who went before you.

 

Are you looking for a clearer path toward your upward movement as a leader and groundbreaker? We can clear the path together. Let’s talk: susan@susangoldbergleadership.com  I’ve had many clients who have been where you are now standing. And I’ve been there myself and have worked with different consultants to up my game as a leader too. It’s a strength to understand when you want to move ahead and can benefit from someone else’s experience and resources who have been in your position before and can relate to you. There are three levels of service options within Golden Monocle™. To learn more and discover which services suit your needs, contact me, Susan@SusanGoldbergLeadership.com .

My work as a leadership and communication expert has me go into organizations, as an outside unbiased view to look at the information gaps. Using proprietary and trademarked solutions including a team mapping tool, Collaboration Beyond Words™, I identify what an organization is missing that’s holding it back from thriving and continuing to stay relevant.  Have practices become entrenched or no longer fit your plans for today’s workplace and goals? Contact me: Susan@SusanGoldbergLeadership.com Let’s talk.