Find Your Way Discussion Guide by Carly Fiorina & Ashley Wiersma

Author:Carly Fiorina & Ashley Wiersma
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SELF-HELP / Personal Growth / Success, SELF-HELP / Motivational & Inspirational
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2019-04-02T16:00:00+00:00

THE ANECDOTE: A SURPRISING RESOLUTION TO THE STRIP CLUB STORY

You remember the story of my first client meeting, at the strip club in Washington, DC—the fear I had to overcome; the embarrassment I faced upon entering the club; my horror at watching my colleague, Carl, call women over to do table dances for our client; my utter relief when those women demurred. Well, hours after I returned to the office that day, Carl came sauntering in. No doubt emboldened by the drinks he’d enjoyed over lunch, he walked by my desk, slipped a black garter he’d obtained from one of the dancers onto my coffee mug, and walked on without saying a word.

Once Carl was out of earshot, the man who shared office space with me looked up from his work and said, “That guy’s got no class.”

I met my colleague’s eyes but said nothing. Carl’s gesture had said it all. But I did take note of the fact that Carl wasn’t as bulletproof as I’d believed. Here was one of his peers subtly distancing himself from Carl; did others in the office feel the same way?

Carl never once brought up the strip-club lunch, but as I mentioned, he started treating me with respect. I suppose that in the same way a fraternity pledge must survive hazing to get into the frat’s good graces, I had to live through The Board Room for Carl to know I was there to stay.

About nine months into my tenure in that role at AT&T, Carl approached me and said, “You know, Carly, this isn’t such a bad arrangement we’ve got going here . . .”

The “arrangement” he was referring to was the pattern he and I had established for working clients together. Carl would reel in the new business, and I made sure their telecom needs were fulfilled. Carl’s sweet spot was relationships. He had all the right connections and was really good at schmoozing decision makers. Where he lacked expertise was in following through on the clients’ actual needs. They had real problems needing to be solved, problems that couldn’t be addressed by good ol’ boy drinking sprees and table dances—problems that I became equipped and eager to help solve. . . .

Young women ask me all the time for the “one piece of advice” I’d give them as they enter the workforce. Without exception, I say, “Never hide your light under a bushel basket, and never get a chip on your shoulder.” In our context here, we might say it like this: Be proud of the power you wield in this world, and watch for ways to share it with others for the greater good—in your own time, in your own way, and on your own terms.

Find Your Way, PAGES 159–161

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