Cause for Optimism

Photo by Christina Cerida on Unsplash

This month I have learned there is cause for optimism.

We are all hanging on with bated breath and more than a little trepidation about today’s U.S. election results. My anxiety level is high and the stakes for the future of the U.S. even higher. I do, however, have a sense that regardless of the outcome, we have reason to hope for a brighter future. That's because I have witnessed the power of collaborative female leadership and the potential it has to uncover solutions, heal divides, and chart a course for a better tomorrow.

What gives me hope was the way women came together, young and old, across political divides, representing a huge range of identities, nationalities, and geographies at our Rising Higher summit last week. For ten hours over two days, we talked about pressing issues facing women, shared our experiences, and benefitted from skill-building sessions led by 30 women offering a tremendous array of expertise.

When I reflect back on what we did together over those two days, I am truly humbled and astonished at the tremendous talent and wisdom we collected for the nearly 200 women who attended Rising Higher. For me, being able to offer so many women the opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together felt like a truly meaningful endeavor, and that warmed my heart during a time in which it can feel quite challenging to affect change.

But most importantly, we delved into deep, personal, and highly politically volatile areas in a way that was respectful of one another's differences and in keeping with our Tide Risers Leadership Principles of abundance, courage, ownership, and authenticity. This, my friends, is the power of female leadership: the ability to bring people together to learn and grow with the ultimate intention of making this world a better place for all of us.

I will carry the memory of this collective of women with me in the coming days to serve as a reminder of how I hope to model the change I wish to see in the world. I invite you to do the same. For more tips on managing the coming days and weeks, read this.