|
 |
How Women are Finding the Soul
of Success.
Quick! Define what success means to you. A prestigious job title? An impressive salary? A
corner office with a view? Power and perks? Traditionally, these have been the yardsticks
used to measure success. But, as we stand on the threshold of the 21st century, the nature
and meaning of work are undergoing a profound revolution - particularly for women. An
increasing number of women appear to be finding themselves at an emotional, and even
spiritual, crossroads.
Caroline a 45-year-old executive at a Fortune 100 company, is one such woman. She appears
to have it all - an elegant home, a successful husband, a fancy car, a fat bank account.
Yet despite all the outward trappings of success, Caroline feels hollow inside and
dangerously out of balance.
"My entire life is work," she admits. "In my quest for success, I’ve
neglected family and friends. And when I look at who I’ve become, I don’t
particularly like what I see. All my hard work and tangible rewards haven’t given me
the joy and peace of mind I thought they would. Sure, on the outside, I appear
successful. But I keep wondering, "Is this all there is?"
Caroline, we have discovered in our research, is far from alone. Despite their stunning
achievements, scores of successful women like her report feeling empty, disillusioned, and
unfulfilled.
The following headlines tell an important story: PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING NEW YORK TIMES
COLUMNIST GIVES UP NEWSPAPER CAREER… MICROSOFT’S HIGHEST RANKING WOMAN
RESIGNS…FIRST FEMALE TO HEAD UP FDIC STEPS DOWN…PEPSI PRESIDENT CALLS IT QUITS.
What gives? At a time when many women have attained career success beyond their wildest
dreams, surprising numbers are discovering that they want much more than the bottom line
provides. They resent being married to their jobs. Instead of doing more and more and
enjoying it less and less, they seek lives that are more multidimensional. They long for
sufficient time to devote to family, friends, community, and other outside interests. They
want time for solitude and self-reflection to balance how much of themselves they
typically give away. They yearn to feel that who they are and what they do matters. They
want the workplace to be more than a place to earn their daily bread. In essence, money
is not enough.
Clearly, this is a time of reckoning for working women. For years, many women -
grateful and even flattered by opportunities to climb the corporate ladder - have taken
whatever job was offered to them without pausing to consider their own needs. So busy
trying to prove themselves, many have lost sight of their own values, as well as control
of their own lives. And in the process of constantly trying to meet others’
expectations, these women have let others define their own destinies. But no longer.
MORE » |
