CLIMB: Leading Women In Technology Share Their Journeys To Success
About
With great warmth and wisdom, Climb delivers compelling stories of women at different career stages succeeding in the technology business community. Powerful, personal and poignant essays depict the varied roads traveled and challenges met by these insightful leaders from an industry where few women venture. Learn why they are passionate about technology careers. Share in their rich experiences. Garner valuable advice to incorporate in your own leadership efforts. From young girls building robots, to a software engineer, to a high-tech lawyer, to a CEO, these stories of women in the South will appeal to readers at various points in their professional lives. They convey the heart and soul of leadership for the next generation. Over 60 executive women contributed essays on their leadership journey and provide great insights into career and life defining moments. A rich testament for development.
Excerpt
My "Climb to the top" occurred via a series of happy accidents. That is the best way I can explain it. While the harder I worked the luckier I got, as the expression goes, I certainly didn't have a roadmap that led to my position here at TAG despite the fact that everything I've done prior seems to have perfectly converged into this role for an organization that I truly love. In college, I was pre-med at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and quickly realized I didn't really want to become a doctor. However, I had made it through all the hard science classes intended to weed people out so I decided to stick with the major. Unfortunately, an undergrad degree in Molecular Biology isn't all that valuable in the real world. I didn't want to go to grad school at the time, so I decided to be a pharmaceutical sales rep. I went to work for Minolta Business selling copiers downtown Chicago to get a year of sales experience, or so I thought. It was great training, but the most irritating people I sold to were doctors - they were very protective of their time and didn't follow any of the business rules. Plus, once you get a customer to "sign on the dotted line" and get a big commission check, it is hard to envision yourself delivering focaccia bread sandwiches and branded notepads and calling it "sales," which is basically what pharmaceutical sales reps did back then. I was a closer.
Review
Impactful and inspiring! Extraordinary women share essential strategies and game plans with purpose. Filled with wisdom gleaned from experience, Climb is a tapestry of vibrant profiles, inspiring women aspiring to success. -- Connie Glaser, Syndicated Columnist and Women s Leadership Expert