Overcoming Changes

In Leading Change, James O'Toole argues that outdated Machiavellian dictates of situational leadership are ultimately ineffective - and demonstrates instead that successful leadership is rooted in high moral purpose and consistent respect for followers.

When Özlem Cekic became the first Muslim MP in the Danish Parliament, her email inbox was inundated with hate mail and threats, and her gut reaction was to delete and ignore each abusive message. But eventually, she decided to take a risk. She started replying to each message and inviting the senders to meet and engage in dialogue over coffee. And with time, understanding, and patience, she began to make a difference, both in the lives of those who hated her before even meeting her, and in her own life.

Less than 10 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and the pace of growth is shockingly slow, made worse by COVID-19 and its aftermath. What does it take for women to ascend permanently into leadership roles? In Her Own Voice sheds some light on this timely topic. Based on twenty-five years of research, Jennifer McCollum offers sage advice for the unique hurdles facing women in business, from contending with our own inner critic to having to navigate the often-intimidating world of negotiating for ourselves.

As an experienced psychotherapist, who’s had years of therapy, I realised that ploughing endless energy into trying to control the uncontrollable is keeping us all tired, wired, and worried. Ignoring fears doesn’t make them less true, it makes them more powerful. I decided to try a different tact and it changed my world. Instead of doing everything I could to ease and avoid life’s uncomfortable truths, I sought a deeper acceptance of them. Through using this approach, my clients and I discovered that fear began to loosen its grip. We were living more intentionally and peacefully.