I finished this book in July 2022. I recommend this book 6/10.
A quick read. I finished it in one sitting. Written by a famous soccer star and now a motivational speaker. This book could be a very inspirational read for younger women, along with very important points about the equality gap between men and women.
Get your copy here.
My notes and thoughts:
Recently on a call with a company hiring me to teach about leadership, a man said, "Excuse me, Abby, I just need to ensure that what you present is applicable to men, too." I said, "Good question! But only if you've asked every male speaker you've hired if his message is applicable to women, too."
You'll feel benched sometimes. You'll find yourself taken off the project, passed over for the promotion, falling sick, losing the election, sidelined by the kid who doesn't seem to need you anymore. You might find yourself holding a baby instead of a briefcase and fearing that your colleagues are "getting ahead" and leaving you behind. Here's what's important: You are allowed to be disappointed when it feels like life's benched you. What you aren't allowed to do is miss your opportunity to lead from the bench. If you're not a leader on the bench, don't call yourself a leader on the field. You're either a leader everywhere or nowhere.
When a woman scores, there are only two options for the Wolfpack: We're either rushing, or we're pointing. Here's what rushing and pointing look like off the field:
We amplify each other's voices. We demand seats for women, people of color, and all marginalized people at every table where decisions are made. We celebrate each other successes. We express gratitude and give credit to those who contributed to our own successes. And when one of us falls, we support her rise.
Revolutions are won with collective action. We will take action on behalf of all of us. We will help each other. We will rush toward each other. We will point to each other. We will claim infinite joy, success, and power—together. We will celebrate the success of one woman as a collective success for all women.
And then she did it again. And again. Until she'd taken her team to victory. What I saw in Michelle that day changed how I saw myself forever. Before that game, I had always tried to turn down my talent and dim my light to avoid outshining others. I thought it was the humble thing to do. I was afraid that my talent would be an affront to others and might drive a wedge between my teammates and me. So on the field, I operated at 75 percent. But watching Michelle, I was the power of a woman's competitive fire. I saw a woman who not only wanted to win but owned that desire and believed that she could be the one to make it happen.
In the end, owning and unleashing all your power isn't just about you. It's also about the domino effect. When you stand up and demand the ball, you give others permission to do the same. The Wolfpack's collective power begins by unleashing the power of each individual Wolf. As it says in The Jungle Book:
The strength of the Pack of the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the pack.
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