“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.” James Taylor
What’s that old expression, “there comes a time when all good things must come to an end?” Perhaps I should have titled this final entry “Procrastination” since, well, I’ve dawdled quite a bit around writing it. Sometimes passages come easy, I guess, and sometimes they don’t.
I was reminded of how much progress we’ve made in the workplace on a flight earlier this week. Having been upgraded, I noticed that the first class cabin had all but one seat taken by women traveling alone seemingly on business. I can think back, in contrast, to a time when I would more times than not be singled out by flight attendants simply because I was a woman international business traveler sitting in first class. The words of one attendant still ring in my ear: “Honey, I don’t know what you do, but you must be doing something right because you’re sitting up here not attached to a working spouse.”
And even on a flight yesterday, I couldn’t help but hear the two 40-something-year-old men sitting behind me get into a lengthy discussion on the topic of day care for their young children. Yep, these are little vignettes of what progress looks like.
I’m sometimes asked who I admire, often with an unspoken expectation that my response will be a great name like Gandhi, or Churchill, or Mother Teresa, or Oprah. Although they each made (and in the case of Oprah, continues to make) significant contributions to the world we live in, I admire most more common people like Mrs. Bitkowski.
Mrs. Bitkowski worked in a Detroit beauty parlor (no, not an upscale salon, an old-fashion beauty parlor) and had six children under the age of 7 when her husband died suddenly. She did what she needed to do to keep it all together as a single mom with a meager income and extraordinary burdens. She toiled through, one day at a time. How do I know? I met Mrs. Bitkowski at Harvard Business School. Her oldest daughter was my b-school roommate who herself is a brilliant, driven, well-rounded and well-grounded individual. Yep. I admire Mrs. Bitkowski — and all the Mrs. Bitkowskis out there. Everyday people who make the most of their circumstances, whatever those circumstances might be.
Another woman I admire is Barbara Adachi, and I also have the honor and privilege of naming Barbara our new Women’s Initiative Leader and my successor to this blog covering work, life and everything in between.
She, too, makes the most of her circumstances—every day. She takes the time to reach out, to give back, to counsel and to coach. To encourage and support and recognize the successes — small and large — of others. She is a mother of one, a role model for many, and an inspiration to all who know her. I’m in awe of all she does, from leading our regional human capital practice (until recently) to heading our Northern Pacific WIN efforts, to representing her colleagues on Deloitte Consulting’s board of directors, to directing a vast array of community efforts. I could go on, but I think you get the drift.
Barbara is the right leader at the right time to take WIN to the next level and this blog to a place that only she can. I’m looking forward to reading about her exploits and insights and am confident that you will as well.
And now, Barbara, it’s over to you…
Cathy
By blogger Cathy Benko, Deloitte LLP
