2022 was quite a year, wasn’t it? We emerged from a global pandemic and yet continued to search (flail, perhaps?) for our new normal. Part of my search happened here – writing in this space over the past year led me to think about my past and present and helped me start framing the possibility of a different future. When I began this writing process over 2 years ago, I had a few ideas swirling in my head about my personal brand, my strengths and challenges, and the things that could be holding me back. I made a commitment to explore these sticky and thought-provoking topics on a reasonably regular basis and I’m pleased that I managed to do that, even as the world kept shifting under us.

I wanted to bring my writing closer to the “edge” – to the edge of my own comfort zone and certainly edging into some controversial spaces. I started 2022 with a reflection on my formative process – going all the way back to my childhood, education and early career – and found that I had settled into an easy, safe operating model by following Three Key Rules :

1. Don’t brag
2. Don’t rock the boat 
3. Don’t make a mistake

One by one, I dug into these “rules,” and like a difficult business challenge, I kept peeling back the layers as I sought to understand each one. I asked myself questions like “where did this rule come from?”, “why did I think I needed to follow it?” and MOST importantly, “does this rule serve me well today?” Wow, I certainly had a series of revelations this year!  And upon writing and publishing these articles, I discovered that I’m not the only one who has self-imposed rules that aren’t serving them well. I had a sneaking suspicion I wasn’t alone in this situation – and that was quickly validated. The comments and feedback I received from across my network confirmed that many people felt, and still feel, the same way. While this validation has been helpful and important, it’s left me with the urge to do more, and take myself even closer to the edge – and beyond.

What does this mean for 2023? At this point, my plan is to dive deeper into my personal experiences as a female leader in male dominated industries, explore how women and men address work situations differently and examine how regularly breaking the rules will help us all achieve better personal and professional outcomes. Let’s see if I can “walk my talk” and test out ways to create a new reality.  Let me know if you have topics you’d like to explore along with me or if there is anything you’d like me to expand from this year’s themes. I’ve felt a strong connection happening in my comments and would love to see that grow even stronger. Enjoy the holidays and we’ll chat again in 2023.