How Remarkable Women Lead

Even in the early stages of my marriage and my career I am already constantly aware of the pull between the two and of the delicate balancing act that must take place a majority of the time. I picked up How Remarkable Women Lead by Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston because something on the back cover led me to believe it would address how some of the most successful women around the world have achieved this same balancing act, and hopefully I could take away some tips.

In reality, the book wasn’t about “achieving a work life balance” at all. The only real mention of the subject came in the introduction where the author stated, “Our women saw “work-life balance” for what it is – an unattainable goal. Instead, they have adapted to a life of managed disequilibrium – a fluid and dynamic approach. They love their children and they love their work. There was no either/or. Accepting “and” filled them with energy.” It is a book filled with remarkable stories of remarkable women, all of whom have accomplished the impossible on one level or another.

It is written around the concept that the author calls centered leadership. Centered leadership consists of five elements – meaning, framing, connecting, engaging, and energizing – and those five elements create the framework around which each case study is explored. There were keys I identified as strengths of my own, and most definitely keys I was able to quickly identify as weaknesses.

There is far too much good stuff in these 350 pages for me to even attempt to summarize or pull out key points, but for any woman that dreams of running her own company one day, winning a Pulitzer, leading a country, or simply accomplishing more than anyone ever believed possible, How Remarkable Women Lead is most definitely a worthwhile read. May you be as inspired as I was… ☺