“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver
By empowering youth with an arsenal of resources, a heightened sense of agency, and concrete leadership achievements, our organization will help prepare young women for leadership roles while addressing two pressing social issues: inequitable gender power relations and the need for innovation.
For over a decade, I have been teaching youth across Canada. No matter the context, the conversations have been virtually the same.
Young people are scared. They’re bombarded by reports about an economy in flux. They hear that lasting and secure employment is a thing of the past, that automation is changing traditional job markets beyond recognition, or that there are “no jobs” in the field they are passionate about.
Consequently, I have witnessed young people with little passion for teaching somehow talk themselves into applying to Teacher’s College. I’ve seen people furiously try learning how to code; again, despite having no interest. And then there are the hundreds of undergraduates every year who write the LSAT/GMAT/MCAT because these appear to be “safer” career paths, not because their eyes light up when they talk about the law, business or medicine. I’m reluctant to admit that I’ve aided and abetted many of these students’ fear-based career choices by writing reference letters in support.
I empathize as I have been in this position multiple times. In 2003, for example, I wrote the LSAT because it seemed like what one is “supposed to do” when entering the final year of an undergraduate degree in Political Science. I failed miserably, of course. What I yearned to do was continue reading and writing about gender and politics. So, I did. For ten years. And it was awesome.
A Master’s degree and PhD later, I pursued the academic job market with vigour, yet couldn’t secure a full-time position as a tenure-track Professor in the highly competitive landscape. I kept teaching on contract, moving myself and young daughter back and forth across the country. This made little sense from a financial or career-advancement perspective. I did it because I loved it and, to be honest, I was great at it.
Eventually, I was offered a full-time job in a corporate setting. The people in my life were so excited for me because it was – finally! – a “secure” job with an impressive salary and benefits. My brain said, “This job makes sense. You’re a single mother, make some money for goodness sakes!” One problem: while financial security matters, I’m not motivated by money; never have been. Other than research and teaching, my favourite jobs were being a nanny – and, for the last six years, a mother (which is actually a net loss of about a million dollars). So, guess what? Another big fail. Within six months, I was a disengaged employee, feeling my light further dim with every long week spent in that grey cubicle. (It was both literally and figuratively grey). I was so mis-aligned with my life purpose that I was forced to make another course-correction.
I share my story because I know how it feels to fail. How it feels to be scared to follow your passion, yet you know you have to because you simply cannot dedicate 40-60 hours every week doing work that has no relevance to how you want to spend your “one wild and precious life”.
I also share this story because I know how it feels to succeed (see PhD graduation day photos below). How uplifting it feels to love what you do. How beneficial it is for yourself, and for society, when you’re contributing to the lives of others in a way that feels meaningful to you. I know how it feels to take that leap and create the job you not only want, but in fact, need, to live an authentic life with a real sense of purpose.
Every day, people are making life-defining career choices out of fear. Young women are particularly vulnerable to this trap due to a combination of factors: a lack of confidence, sparse networks of well-connected professionals who advocate for their advancement, higher risk aversion than males, and family responsibilities that require significant time commitments (just to list the most frequently cited in research).
This is not only terrible for individuals, it’s bad for society. A dearth of female leaders perpetuates gender inequality in terms of social, political and economic power. Fear also blocks innovation – scared people don’t take the risks necessary to creatively address the complex social and economic problems of our time.
The way I see it, we have an individual-level problem that’s intertwined with some of our most perplexing – and pressing – social issues.
This is why I’m launching the Leadershift program for female youth. This program works to address fear-based decision-making and set young women on a path that brings a fulfilling life marked by feelings of security and joy. Not only does this benefit program participants, I believe that it’s also key to Canada’s success in the 21st Century.
Our mission is to foster a more equitable and innovative society by empowering the next-generation of female leaders to wield authentic power, demonstrate unbridled curiosity, and have the courage to action their creative and bold ideas. If this mission reflects your own values, I encourage you to join us in any way you can: donate to our leadership project, spread the word about our new organization to your friends, and for those who are 18-28 years of age, apply for our Leadershift program and/or participate in our first research study by answering a short survey.
To live, learn and lead 