Leading & Reading

Hosted by Abby: October's session is all about career exploration and charting new territory. Maybe you're getting bored in your job and daydreaming about doing something completely different. Or maybe you are rocking it but want to make sure you continue to grow and challenge yourself.  We will brainstorm and compile strategies for refreshing your career.

Reading (12-20 min total)

Refresh on Values List and pick 5-8 that are of top priorities to you (3 min)

Or do Deloitte's Career Values Exercise (10-15 min - good if you are having trouble identifying what are the most important values to you)

Hosted by Ellen & Noa: Our topic will be about using technology to Simplify Our Lives.

In the Note to Self podcast series "Taking the Lead" that Kate sent around via WhatsApp, an entrepreneur duo works to launch an app for working moms called Need/Done. Please try to listen to the first episode, or more if you can!

http://www.npr.org/podcasts/452538677/note-to-self

Here's an article about the ways we love and love to hate notifications: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/01/what-comes-after-email/422625/

Hosted by Lauren: This month I thought it would be good to think about building culture, and how company cultures influence productivity and inclusivity.

Since we've built and sustained such a good culture in this group over the past two years, I figure we'll probably have some good insights whether or not we do the reading, but I've included some articles that have inspired me at the bottom. Feel free to reply-all if you have any other favorites!

Some questions to think about:

How has culture impacted your productivity?

What are the downsides of having a strong culture?

Articles / videos for inspiration:

The One Thing Every Great Company Has in Common (TechCrunch)

The Big Lie: Tech Companies and Diversity Hiring (Medium / 42Hire)

My White Boss Talked About Race in America and This is What Happened (Medium)

[Shorter video] How Airbnb designs for trust (TED)

Hosted by Caroline: This week we will be reading the attached excerpts from two of my favorite books of the last year. 

Big Magic: In her book about creativity where Elizabeth Gilbert instructs all to take care of their creative baby, whether it's their main profession or an affair that you sneak in on the side. In this chapter she tells a magical story about resilience

Daring Greatly: From the woman who would likely be creeped out by how much we love her, Brene Brown, Daring Great is largely about how we need to love ourselves before doing big, great things. In this excerpt of a chapter (start at the first full paragraph and skip the 'What is Shame' section, most of which I didn't include) Dr. Brown gives us a tips on how to be resilient to one evil: shame;  I like this section because it teaches us that we can learn resilience.

2016 Women in Tech Panel, a Women in Leadership & Haas Technology Club collaboration hosted by Dean of Admissions, Morgan Bernstein

For our March L&R, we attended the WOMEN: New Portraits Annie Leibovitz exhibit in the Presidio, featuring portraits of business powerhouses Sheryl Sandberg, Gloria Steinem, and of course, the Queen.

Our theme this month is: Growing up!

THEME

“Grown up” makes it sound like we’re all  done, but the most important part is the “growing”. Let’s always be growing up, sound good?  We’ll reflect on what was meaningful for us during childhood, what we value now, and our vision for how we want to cultivate our lives into the future. And we'll get crafty and make some snazzy vision boards while we're at it - so dig out your old magazines and inspirational mementos. We'll have the paper and glue sticks (and wine).

READING

Wisdom of the ages from HBR’s Class of 1963 – fun to browse all the Chapters, including this one on Life’s Lessons

http://hbs1963.com/wisdom/lifes-lessons/

The Reason Vision Boards Work and How to Make One

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-rider/the-scientific-reason-why_b_6392274.html

Pooh and Piglet walked home thoughtfully together in the golden evening, and for a long time they were silent. "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said. -Winnie the Pooh

AHEAD OF TIME

1.      Collect things during this week to use on your board – bring old magazines to share, meaningful mementos, notes from friends, things to collage with.

This month's topic is your personal brand.  Inspired by Liza's regaling of IDEO brand stars and my experience writing brand positioning, we're going to workshop how to achieve a designed, intentional personal brand.

Some definitions: Personal branding is essentially the ongoing process of establishing a prescribed image or impression in the mind of others about an individual, group or organization.

Why is it relevant? With business being ever more competitive, your best way of staying ahead of the pack is to stand out and have a unique brand amongst peers. In the end, it’s all about what you are known for. Others should be able to say what your unique promise of value is once they see you or your name.

Most of our meeting will be workshop exercises. Here are two exercises we'd like you to think about in advance:

1. Given 2 scenarios (your coworker describing you to a senior executive and a ten-minute coffee chat with someone you're dying to work for) write down the most important things that should be conveyed about you. (for example, my work-all-night work ethic, obsession with gin and optimism HA)

2. Think of someone, a celebrity or someone close to you, whose personal brand is exactly what you'd like to model yours after.  (If it's helpful, imagine you're starting your dream company and money is no object but your name and face have to be on the product.)