Portrait of a Woman

Erin asked me to take on a very high level interim leadership position of a large operational department at a challenging time. While I was honored, I was also afraid because I thought the position was too big for me and I would fail. She needed an answer quickly. After a sleepless night, I was up early to find the an email from Erin with an attached story written by a former female employee sharing how Erin supported her in her difficult job. This was the line in that woman’s story that helped convince me to take the role, “I always say that Erin gave me my wings – big purple, sparkly ones – but the truth is that I already had them when we met, I just hadn’t worn them in a while.” Erin wooed me to the position by letting me know taking on the role would not be easy, but that I could do it. She emphasized she would partner with me. You don’t have to worry about letting me down because we will be on the journey together. It was a difficult role, but she checked on me frequently and made herself available to problem solve with when challenges were big. She supported and mentored me for nearly a year until the position was filled. At a thank you reception when my role was complete, I wore purple, sparkly wings and shared the story of how Erin helped me find them.