12 years in tech. What have I learned?
Last week, I celebrated 12 years in tech! I’m grateful to have spent these years learning, growing and taking risks. Here are 12 of the lessons I’ve learned so far :
1. No is a full sentence. Saying “no” gives way to the opportunity of a more authentic “yes.” As a habitual people pleaser, I felt early on that saying “yes” was how I provided value. I realized that as my career progressed, saying “no” to things gave way to being able to say “yes” to things that would really push the work and my development forward. I also learned that people respect a thoughtful “no.” A wise woman once told me that you don’t have to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm. As an empath, this can be very hard for me, but my road to setting boundaries is a journey.
2. That being said, one of my mentors “lead with yes and doors will open” Karen Sumberg, thank you for being such an incredible mentor, sponsor and leader. Saying yes to things that gave me butterflies have always proven to be the right choice. Either by life lessons, new opportunities, meeting people that were put in my life for a reason, I’m grateful for the “YESes” that I’ve said.
3. Be authentic: so many people have guided me in leaning into the things that for so long I felt were weaknesses, namely being incredibly sensitive and introverted. Fergus Connolly and Suezette Robotham are two people that come to mind that demonstrate that authenticity is your strength and can be disarming. This is a muscle I continue to work to build, learning to embrace my superpowers of radical empathy and deep sensitivity product inclusion and equity work would not happen without these traits.
4. “ The true sign of success is that your team shines.” -Asim Husain , who as a manager, was nothing short of game changing and demonstrated this each and every day. As managers and leaders, legacy is about allowing others to see their brilliance and shine the light on them. Someone once told me we should think like “talent agents”- finding ways to help each member of our team shine and grow and lean into their strengths.
5. Take risks. Starting this journey around equity and design wasn’t something that had a clear pathway, but I felt in my gut that it was the right thing to do. I’m grateful to have so many in my corner who pushed me and supported me when the path felt rocky. I’m also grateful to have models of this in people like Chris Genteel who are never afraid of building something new and scaling it.
6. Send the elevator back down. This has been mirrored and modeled incredibly well by the ultimate cheer Mom, @ John Maeda. I’ve never met someone who is more generous with their time or connections. I’m so grateful that John replied to a complete cold call in a time where I felt very lost. Being able to witness how much he truly cares about everyone he mentors and supports, and how much he cheers them on has been one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the past 12 years something that I will always try to emulate.
7. Find your people. Having a community is so imperative. I’m grateful, especially to the Black women especially who have lifted me up, protected me, held me accountable, guided me, kept me honest, celebrated me, told me when to rest, and so much more Thank you for the joy and magic you bring. There are too many to name, but you know who you are.
8. Listen. Adapt. Empathize. Adam Grant and others have talked about “strong opinions weakly held” and I think it’s up to all of us to step outside of ourselves and understand or try to understand the journey of those most unlike us. Magic comes when we bring different perspectives together. We need to understand who has been historically and systemically left out of conversations and pivot to make sure that we are building, creating and designing for and with. It’s a strength to be able to say “I don’t know” or “I’m wrong” and change and grow.
9. Mentorship is not sponsorship. Both are important. Catalyst research shows that historically marginalized groups are less likely to have sponsors because people sponsor those who are most like them. Take a look at your network. Do you have people who are unlike you, especially if you are in the majority, what concrete actions are you taking to change that?
10. Have FUN! Joy is so integral. To life and to work. Play more. Laugh more. Take time to talk to colleagues about things that are important to them. Take time to have fun together (during the work day.) We spend so much time at work that it’s important that we enjoy what we do and who we do it with.
11. Self care is not negotiable. Your body will tell you when it needs a rest. For many historically marginalized groups, and children of immigrants, we feel that we will always need to work hard because we are so grateful for the sacrifices that our families have made and will spend forever making sure that their sacrifices were not in vain. I’ve learned over time that taking time for myself allows me to be so much better when I come back. Life is about balance. Someone once told me that work life balance isn’t possible, but life is like a kaleidoscope where you’re able to bring things in an and out of focus. It won’t always be perfect to come up, but we should be attentive to when time for ourselves is needed.
12. Trust your gut. Your intuition if you let it, will guide you. The work I am honored to do today would not have happened if I hadn’t trusted my gut. Even though a pathway may seem murky or people don’t get it at first, if you believe in it, you should do it. I’m rooting for you!
What have you learned from your industry over the past few years?
For more musings, visit www.anniejeanbaptiste.com or follow me at @its_me_ajb
#lessons #leadership #tech #design #dei