Sheryl Sandberg sat down for a 60 Minutes interview aired last night. She faced a female reporter who, as I recall in 2008, was beguiled by the manner in which Candidate Obama had "Gamed the System" of the Democratic Primary as though it were an accomplishment instead of the crime for which she should have been outraged as a Citizen.
FaceBook was an Idea that took off - fueled by technology and permitting far-flung families to stay in constant touch. But in the world of techies, they typically cloister "expertise," and to the despair of Baby Boomers, are devoid of people skills. Customer Service and insight into what makes the Economy work, about what makes Families Function and what makes America Great has been eclipsed by the Cocaine Dealers' approach to 'bidness.'
But Sandberg would have succeeded wherever she tried. She made good choices and honed her relationships, her networks and her ability to apply her gains to her opportunities. Few PEOPLE master this, much less Women, but rest assured, plenty of people in lower profile positions are incredibly successful and know of what Sandberg speaks but share her "recessive" gene of remaining in the background, avoiding leadership for even themselves much less others.
In studying the principles of success, I learned how sharing ones' dreams with more than one other person works against one. A Partnership Trustee is needed. A network of support is not. "Just Do It" means "Don't TALK about it." My Keys keep tempting me to go Canadian with the A Boot thing when I'm trying to be ABout.
At the 75 mile mark on my first Athens to Atlanta skate, the observers had come to accept that my finishing well ahead of most of my competition was a given. But NOBODY considered that to even be a POSSIBILITY before I reached that moment. I was putting a right skate in front of the left as "This is Major Tom to Ground Control" played on my Walkman and the longest, last real hill of the route was the final obstacle before me.
It mattered not what anybody else said, thought or did. It mattered that I worked my plan with dogged determination and believed that what I envisioned was do-able. I reached a point where I could not go another step and then I kept going; the essence of endurance work. Being a success is just that: Endurance Work that carries you through doubt, past fear onward beyond your expectations.
Observers HAVE NO CLUE what is happening. They are - by your very endurance - being set up to learn a very valuable lesson. Never say "Never." and Never, when they say your success is "Inevitable," expect them to actually sit back and "Let the Inevitable happen." Sandberg let us in on the true secret of her success: she never attracted attention to herself from the jealous, cranky, malicious who would put more energy into trashing her and spoiling her advance than into their own duties. They would never understand the potential for buying IN with her and would reactively find resources they never called on prior to noticing her, to thwart and deny her. Save a little for the last obstacle, for the loser team at the bottom who has no hope for a championship but would salve bruised ego and the pangs of conscience for their laziness by taking down the Champ. (read Barak Obama.)
The only thing Women need to "learn" is that. Expect cheaters to come out of the woodwork and steal your earnings, promotions and customers. Pre-Empt that inevitability with whatever you can hold onto and process it along with everything else that has kept you on track. It needen't shock or disappointment you that many, many women will join the effort to cheat you. It's what people do.
Oh, and since Benè said to, I'm posting this today: Donald Wuerl is it.
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