Today I want to talk about something that has me really riled up
As you watch/listen, you may get riled up too so stay until the end because I’m going to share an exercise that I think will make a difference in how to move forward from here
I’ve been following the news on WeWork lately, and it hasn’t been pretty.
(If you’re not familiar with WeWork, they’re a real estate company that provide workspaces for startups and other companies.)
Adam Neumann, CEO of WeWork stepped down several days ago.
After planning to file an IPO, things started to unravel for them as investors began scrutinizing the WeWork business model.
The CEO has also been in the media a lot recently for his questionable behavior.
He stepped down and still made hundreds of millions of dollars while many employees are experiencing layoffs and the stress that comes with the changes.
Why is this happening?
Yes, I think this is partly a result of gender bias in the workplace, but I’m going to talk about another issue here that’s gender-agnostic.
And as I get into it, I want to share – this isn’t specific to WeWork.
This is a larger issue that we are dealing with as individuals, as leaders, as a society.
I think too often we see companies like Uber and WeWork rise to the top to then come crashing down.
But these are symptoms of larger, unresolved issues and cracks in our foundation.
After you’re done watching or listening, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
- What’s really important to you in life and work?
- What’s the change you want to see in the world today?
Take a minute to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Hi Belma, thank you so much for this. Man, do I hear you! I would love to work with managers who operate from a place of impact . I love that! I realize that I operate that way — I’m the one who will speak up when others are nodding silently. Originally, I had no fear of doing this; then I started seeing how managers started distancing themselves from me in passive-aggressive ways (“forgetting” to copy me on emails, chit-chatting with everyone on the team but me, not responding to my emails, etc.). I wanted to make sure that it was really happening (vs. something I was imagining/projecting), but now after observing for the past 6 months, I’m certain my suspicions are correct & I’m in the middle of a political storm (with a giant red target on my back). The whole experience has left me shell-shocked and longing for leadership who don’t feel threatened by new ideas/questioning the “Old Guard”. I make sure to be gentle and upbeat when presenting ideas, but sometimes I wish that I could just be myself and not have to walk on eggshells constantly. Definitely feeling major disconnection, too — I have three managers & my performance review last year was done by someone who isn’t my manager or supervisor. (I signed off on it because I was afraid of making waves & wanting to look like a good, obedient team player….I cringe to write that, but that’s what fear does.) Thank you again for the thought provoking posts!
Thanks again for sharing this Melissa! It sounds like you hit the nail on the head – you’re working with leaders who are coming from a place of fear and hence the passive aggressive behavior. Hang in there and trust your intuition. You can’t go wrong with that. Rooting for you 🙂