A “crucible” moment is a point in one’s life that is intense, often traumatic, always unplanned and usually results in some kind of fundamental transformation.  Generally, an experience such as this tests the values and beliefs we hold dear and causes us to have a self-reflection that acts to either confirm those values and beliefs or shift them. 

Therefore, a “crucible leadership” moment is an unplanned, intense event, which tests the leaders’ values and beliefs.  Does this event change their view of leadership and/or their view of themselves as a leader?  Or does it reaffirm their views? 

This podcast is an interview based format, which will focus on asking guests to describe their "crucible leadership" experience and insights gained from that experience.  We will focus specifically on women exercising leadership.  As Ibarra, Ely and Kolb point out in their article Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers, “Integrating leadership into one’s core identity is particularly challenging for women, who must establish credibility in a culture that is deeply conflicted about whether, when, and how they should exercise authority.  Practices that equate leadership with behaviors considered more common in men suggest that women are simply not cut out to be leaders”.[1]

It is therefore crucial that we provide a platform for female leaders to be heard and share their leadership stories.  It is our belief that women are “cut out to be leaders” and the more we hear their stories, the more we can understand and appreciate what it means to be a woman exercising leadership. 

[1] Ibarra H., Ely R.J. and Kolb D.M., (September 2013) Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers, Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/09/women-rising-the-unseen-barriers