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Carolyn Buck Luce

Managing Partner Imaginal Labs LLC. Global Pharmaceutical Sector Leader at Ernst & Young, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Woman of the Year 2012, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Board Member at the Center for Work-Life Policy and New York Women’s Foundation. Views expressed here are my own.

The Third Metric - Getting to the Center not the Top

I had the privilege of participating in a panel at Arianna Huffington’s apartment last week for a gathering to explore ”The Third Metric: Redefining Success Beyond Money & Power.” Arianna asked all of the speakers to post a blog on the HuffPostWomen’s site. Here is an excerpt from that blog:

"…I have been thinking about this topic for a while as I reflect on the imperative to get more women into impactful roles of meaning and purpose so that we can make the institutions of today - - healthcare, education, politics, religion, capitalism - - better meet the needs of society. We all know that these institutions are broken and require transformational change. This type of change calls for courage. Courage, comes from the word “heart” and means to move forward with your heart in your mouth during times of fear, uncertainty and doubt

And change requires courageous leaders taking the Hero’s journey, leaning into possibilities - - to do all that they can and become all that they are meant to be.

I celebrated the beginning of the new Era, December 22, 2012, with two auspicious events. I “matriculated” from 40 years in the male-dominated corporate world when I retired as the partner leading the global Life Sciences business at Ernst & Young due to our mandatory partner retirement age of 60. And I got married. In order to “clear my head” and get ready for the next chapter in my journey, my newly minted husband, Rob and I, spent our honeymoon climbing Mt Kilimanjaro.

Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa and at 19,300 feet one of the highest in the world. A strange choice for a honeymoon given that entailed sleeping in separate mummy bags in little tents in freezing weather clinging to the side of an old volcano. Why did we do it? Not because we wanted to “conquer” the mountain. In fact our local guides, and we had a crew of 25 to help us, told us “You are the conquerors” “You will conquer the mountain”. However early on in the climb we shared a different reason. We were not there to conquer the mountain - - rather we were there to borrow a little strength and wisdom from the mountain that had been there for over 200mm years and had wept for many. We climbed Kilimanjaro because we wanted to share the gift of an intense physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experience together - - to really know and feel and remember the spirit of partnership that would take us to and through our dying days.

In fact, we were not there to get to the top - - but rather find the center. The essence of strength and human limits, of love and partnership.

I have thought a lot about the courageous leadership the world needs now and here is the question I keep asking myself. Why is it that courageous women - - women have to be courageous as we are the birthers, the fixers, the caregivers, the mourners - - Why is it that courageous women find it challenging to be all that they want to be at work. Surely it is not because we don’t Lean In enough. It’s that Leaning in is not enough.

What I have learned is that women need to be clear about “Why” they are working and “Who” they are committed to be as leaders - - taking the Hero’s journey to be all they can be for a better world. Getting to the center, not the top. Authentic bold strong committed leaders who get to the essence of the matter - - your value proposition, your team, your project, your community - - rise to the top that matters, the pinnacle of their souls.

By understanding these metrics and designing performance measurements and rewards that celebrate getting to the center, not the top, we will create the institutions that actually meet the needs of society and create the legacy that the next generations will thank us for.”