Advice to my younger self
Some things worth saying while it’s still 2018
I was in a mad rush during my last weeks at Uber, transitioning at warp speed and then gearing up for a new start at Rival. There just wasn’t much time in between anything (self-inflicted challenge, I assure you).
But there’s one thing I knew I wasn’t going to skimp on.
Building the internal Women of Uber community has been such an awesome part of my experience and will always have a big place in my heart, so I wanted to share some #AlumniAdvice on the way out (new tradition), especially to all the new members building their careers at Uber today. As people on the inside know, this network (women and men) is one of the most empowering and generous employee groups out there, and they lead and uplift many others around them.
So for them and because of them, I shared the Top 10 list below. And just in case it inspires a few more folks out there, decided to publish it here.
The thing is, company culture isn’t created in the boardroom or in the media. It is created in the everyday experiences of employees, which means everyone and anyone can lead the way. And it’s important that you do because companies, like the humans that build them, are a constant work in progress.
(P.S. I offer this with the fullness of being someone who has advocated for systemic change and holding leaders accountable, who admires bold, authentic people, who hasn’t always gotten it right and who appreciates what it’s like to do the parent career-life juggle. Context matters.)
Here’s what I shared. #Longreads #MakeYourOwnRules
#1: Own it. ALL of it.
#2: Power is taken not given.
#3: Manage the people who manage you.
#4: Be the leader you wish you had.
#5. Help the good ones win.
#6. Grit wins.
#7. Sweat the big stuff not the small stuff.
#8. You’re not an impostor, you’re an advocate.
#9. Don’t quit. Unless quitting is the right strategy.
#10. Wherever you are in life, pay it forward.
(Special thank you to Blaire Mattson, Bernard Coleman, Nicole Cuellar and Bo Young Lee for all that you do! https://www.uber.com/about/diversity/)
