Growing up, dining table discussions in our house were not just about what we learned at school that day. My mother, Jill, was a CEO all my life and led a non -profit that had meaningful community impact, while at the same time raising a family. Our dinner conversations include summaries of board meetings, talking about juggling of multiple personal and professional roles and advice for her child (me!) About how to do well by others.
The daily examples of my mother of leadership showed me that career success and personal fulfillment do not compete with each other – they are complementary. While I help the efforts of Guild, collaborate with companies to invest in employee career development and talent pipelines, those early lessons continue to guide me.
It is possible to find balance
My mother taught me important lessons about balance that I use today. First of all, she taught me that having a meaningful career and making a positive impact do not exclude each other. People talk about “doing well by doing well” as an abstract concept, but I saw it firsthand every day. There was never doubt in my mind that I would pursue the same thing.
I was also lucky to have a role model that showed that it was possible to have both a flourishing professional and a personal life. As a woman, mother, a (literal) boss and a member of the community involved, there were identities that she had lived together. It was not always easy, but seeing her showed me that these identities were equally important for fulfillment.
Often people – especially women – get binary choices presented: career or children? Dedicated partner or independent social life? Many struggle with these decisions, but that doesn’t have to do that. It is no shame to give priority to the other one in one day and to change the next day. My mother taught me not to feel guilty about this balance.
This wrinkle effect of positive modeling extends beyond the family. I have seen it through stories from Guild students, such as Sherry from Oklahoma, who works at Tyson Foods. Sherry ended the high school, was promoted to plant manager and became a advocate for our program among her colleagues. She is an example of how leaders are important to them, can be effective in balance: career, family, community reach and learning.
It’s never too late (or early!) To start a second act
My mother grew up in the 1950s and 60s with three brothers and limited resources. She was a natural athlete, but did not have the privilege of formal training in her previous years.
For decades in adulthood, when her career entered the last chapters and she had more free time, she embraced the transition to her next chapter in life. At the age of 50 she started playing senior women’s basketball. 25 years quickly, and she is now a multi-title Senior Olympian at 75. Some of her best friends came through basketball and she serves as a board member and advocate for senior women’s sports.
My mother taught me that building skills later in life is more than fulfilling – it keeps you young! It Increases the cognitive functionImproves memory and improves emotional well -being. There is urgency here on a global scale, because the half -life of professional skills is less than 5 years (less than 2.5 years on technology fields). The staff needs people who are willing to be agile and to adapt to the skills that their field requires, just as our personal lives benefit from constant learning. We can take lessons from people who are also the best in their field. Vera Wang designed her first dress at 40 and Toni Morrison wrote her first novel after a long career in publishing.
I am inspired by people who run, learn and succeed, and my admiration for people with this skill is absolutely in the workplace. I would like to bet in potential and give people opportunities that go beyond their experience, with belief that lifelong students can sort things out with the right mindset and support. I believe that most career paths are not linear, and I have benefited from this, as in an earlier role. A fellow founder was the first person to really give me a chance. He really let me run by giving me a role that was not congruent with my experience on paper, but used my skills in a meaningful way.
You are a role model – whether you know it or not
Another lesson that I learned from my mother is something that I have observed from her actions, not something that she intended to share. She was and is a role model for me and many others without asking the title. She modeled behavior, such as taking initiative on difficult problems, defending innovation or methodically pursuing of ambitious goals, that the people around her are obvious.
I am again reminded of Sherry van Tyson, who not only completed her own education and rose through the ranks, but then supported her husband as he continued his education. Her son now also works at Tyson and follows his diploma at the same time. Her urge to better himself was contagious and had a positive influence on the process of her family.
Other highlights also come to mind as natural role models. Take four -time Paralympian Matt Stutzman, who participated in the recent Paralympics for Archery. He uses the same drive that brought him to Paris to pursue a career transition that will support him and his family after the games. The examples are endless.
It requires courage to take on new challenges or champion change, especially when combating established standards. Whether it is a new approach to customer research or volunteering to test a new platform, lifelong students blow paths for others to follow, and we have the power to be those leaders for others.
Your continuous growth will have a wrinkle effect on others
The most powerful lesson from my mother’s journey – from CEO to Senior Olympian – is that our growth journeys create ripples that go much further than our own life. When we are committed to continuous learning and development, we become living examples of what is possible.
For managers, this means investing in growth and at the same time creating cultures where the development of employees is given priority. For professionals in every career stage, this means that embracing opportunities that extend you beyond your comfort zone. For parents this means that you concentrate your energy where it is most needed – to the boardroom or dining table.
The result? More resilient organizations are populated by customizable people who find a deeper fulfillment in both personal and professional rich. What is even more important, you will inspire others along the way – perhaps even your own children, who can one day write about the lessons of the dining table that have formed their leadership trip.
Rebecca Bilestman is Chief Marketing Officer Van Guild.
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