I have a mentee. She is 25 years old and reminds me of myself when I was her age — except that she’s far brighter, mature and more focused than I ever was.
Like myself, she has drive; that fire burning inside when you know you are destined for greatness. At 25, you’re invincible. You crush every obstacle and overachieve at every challenge that comes your way. Your eyes are wide open for opportunities and you have such a bright future you can’t possibly choose which wonderful direction to take.
There is another commonality between my mentee and myself: the burden that every woman faces when looking down the path of executive life. It is how to have it all. How is one supposed to manage a high-powered career while having babies and raising children?
It’s quite simple, really. Just like managing a team or a project or a crisis, you need to set expectations with your partner early, and then delegate. Share the load and compromise. Once you have it down pat at home, this will be the least of your worries.
Exec life is alluring and impressive and aspiring. But it’s not always as glamorous as it seems. Here are seven things young women need to know about exec life:
1. There is no such thing as a 40-hour week
If you want the exec life, you will only master your craft, exceed expectations and achieve amazing results faster by putting in extra hours. Don’t get me wrong, it is possible to reach executive status at a 40-hour per week pace, but it’s likely you’ll be there earlier in your career by investing the time in your performance.
And once you arrive, work can strike at any time and sometimes at the times that are super inconvenient. My weekends are often filled with running around from gym sessions and food shopping, a stop off at the park with the kids and a TV interview in between. This is when your superior juggling skills and sharp focus will be crucial to getting the job done.