We’re All Just Folk Now

Back in 2014, I read The End of Men; having just been hired by a startup run by a woman, it felt like a good time to explore ideas about why men have traditionally dominated positions of power, and how and when that might change. I don’t remember many details about the book itself (and apparently it’s somewhat controversial in conservative and progressive circles alike), but I do remember coming away challenged to do my part in centering women as I moved forward in my career.

Fast-forward to this past week, during which I happened to have many interactions with female colleagues:

• Two women presented a dashboard on team performance metrics to our team
• I got career advice from the female founder of a major cloud consulting company
• Three times I met with various female peers to discuss leadership transition opportunities
• I provided coaching to a woman just beginning her career in technology
• I partnered with a woman to conduct four back-to-back interview sessions

While there’s still more work to do to undo historic inertia, realizing that I’m surrounded by so many capable women from whom I can learn is an opportunity I hope only gets less rare.