Be The Architect Of Your Life. And When It's Not Working, Renovate!
I moderated a panel at the British American Business Inc. (BABI) Women’s Forum this week. The subject related to the positive economic impact women make on world economies, and closing the gap. What gap you say? The income disparity gap (women still make 18 percent less than men), the leadership gap (only 15 percent of C-level jobs are held by women) and the responsibility gap (women still handle most domestic duties, working or not).
Among the many inspirational messages the panel gave to the audience of roughly 100 women was one from Ami Kaplan, senior partner at Deloitte. She said, "You must be the architect of your life and your career. You design it. And if you don't like it at any moment, renovate!" Her message of taking control, building a life of meaning and not losing a sense of self was a great reminder to us all – especially coming from a high powered female exec who is also raising four children! I should note that it was clear from the many powerful anecdotes that Ms. Kaplan shared that Deloitte has done a terrific job supporting women.
At the close of the session, I was inspired by the conversation and energized to continue to work toward shrinking the gaps. Hats off to BABI for ensuring that women continue to have meaningful dialogue about their lives, careers and owning the blue prints of their future. 