Embracing wild courage allows individuals to overcome fears like judgment and failure, facilitating the pursuit of their goals.
The ‘Own Your Career’ program highlights the importance of clarity in career progression, empowering over 56,000 people globally with actionable guidance.
Deep dives
Embracing Wild Courage
Wild courage is essential for overcoming fears that often hold people back in pursuit of their goals. The speaker shares a personal story about a pivotal moment on the New York City subway that sparked this realization, leading them to take a risk and ask a stranger for their number, which eventually transformed into a successful marriage. This experience underlines that fears such as the fear of judgment, failure, or uncertainty are common barriers people face. By embracing wild courage and taking action despite these fears, individuals can close the gap between what they desire and what they achieve.
Transforming Career Aspirations
The speaker discusses the impactful career program, Own Your Career, which originated from a simple goal-setting exercise that unexpectedly attracted thousands. Initially aimed at helping a few colleagues, it exploded into a global initiative, supporting over 56,000 people in nearly 100 countries. This vast outreach emphasizes the desire for clarity in career progression and the importance of sharing knowledge. It demonstrates that empowering others through guidance and actionable advice can create significant waves of influence in professional settings.
Reframing Leadership Traits
Leadership traits often perceived negatively, such as being bossy or manipulative, can be redefined positively when utilized effectively. The speaker introduces nine specific traits that, when embraced wisely, can foster success and influence in leadership roles. Among these, 'bossy' can signify the capacity to lead through listening and collaboration, while 'brutal' can mean protecting one's boundaries effectively. By reclaiming these terms, leaders can cultivate their authentic styles without succumbing to societal judgments, thereby enhancing their leadership effectiveness.
Practical Strategies for Success
The speaker shares actionable strategies like the 'Monday Minifesto,' which encourages individuals to summarize their achievements weekly in a concise format. This tool is designed to elevate one's visibility to colleagues and superiors, showcasing their contributions to the team. Additionally, techniques such as 'pull it and bullet' for clearer communication and 'tame the octopus' for effective verbal explanations are discussed. These strategies collectively foster a culture of accountability and achievement while allowing individuals to articulate their value clearly and succinctly.
In her 18 years at Google, Jenny Wood grew from entry-level to executive and ran a large operations team that helped drive billions of revenue per year. She is the founder of Own Your Career, one of the largest career programs in Google’s history with over 50,000 people benefitting in nearly 100 countries. Jenny's work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, CNBC, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Forbes.
Now, Jenny’s back at Google to discuss her book, “Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It.” "Wild Courage" coaches you to smash through your fear of discomfort, failure, and the judgement of others, and to embrace your boldest self. The book is an empowering and energizing guide to embracing your ambition and chasing after what you want.
