by Telle Whitney
President and CEO, Anita Borg Institute for Woman and Technology.
Transitions present some of life’s great moments; they offer the opportunity to learn and to excel at new challenges. It is when transitions present themselves, either by our choice, or through outside influence, some of the most remarkable lessons occur. Making a successful transition takes courage, strength and very often help from those around you.
Transitions present some of life’s great moments; they offer the opportunity to learn and to excel at new challenges. It is when transitions present themselves, either by our choice, or through outside influence, some of the most remarkable lessons occur. Making a successful transition takes courage, strength and very often help from those around you.Maria Klawe, a good friend and chair of the Anita Borg Institute Board of Trustees, just took the role of President at Harvey Mudd University moving from her position of Dean of Engineeringand Applied Science at Princeton University. I’m sure it was a tough decision for her but I also believe that she wouldn’t have taken the new role if it didn’t offer her many new opportunities.
Maria’s transition reminded me of some of the important transitions that have happened in my life. Probably the most significant in recent years was my decision to move from the corporate world of silicon chips to the world of non-profit leadership. My decision stemmed from my belief in the Anita Borg Institute and the impact we could have on the lives of women and on the technology world. But I had never been a CEO, and I had much to learn. At the time, four years ago, we had some serious issues as a young nonprofit during an economic downturn.
But there was good news too. My transition was helped immensely because I wasn’t alone. I had an amazing Board of Trustees and Advisors who were available, each with a different perspective, to help me and the Institute succeed. Maria of course was there for me always, we had a special bond as partners and friends of Anita, but there were many others. One board member, our new vice chair Bill Unger, had a lot of experience on non-profit and for profit boards and he was always willing to share his experiences and observations.
Other experienced CEO’s were ready to provide guidance on what it meant to be a CEO. Carol Muller from Mentornet and make an effort to get together regularly with a group of local non-profit CEOs to exchange stories and advice. It has been an amazing transition because of their support.
I’ve had other transitions where the support wasn.t so readily available. At Actel in the mid nineties, I was promoted to Director of Software because I was flourishing as a program manager. After a few months in this new role I realized I didn’t have a clue how to be successful. What was worse, there was no one around me who had what I wanted or needed. Fortunately I was able to enroll in a year long mentoring program with a great mentor, Carol Realini, who is still a mentor today. Shortly thereafter the company hired a new VP, who was also great mentor, and I started to thrive.
Transitions are exciting, tough, scary and most times rewarding. Often the biggest challenge is to reach out, and ask for help. There have always been people available, who want me to succeed, and who are happy to make the time if asked and who benefit from our time together. For me, the most challenging transition periods are also the most rewarding. If you are in a transition of your own today…. don’t go it alone. Today is the day you can design the rest of your life, whatever that might be.