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A Voyage in Self-Discovery Linda Moraski Gains Confidence and Insight from CEO Forum
Linda Moraski used to discuss her business challenges with friends in a running club. Her jogging partners would listen to Moraski’s struggles and say, “You’ll get through it. You always do.” They meant well. But reassurance wasn’t what Moraski sought. “They took the employee’s perspective, not the employer’s perspective,” says Moraski, president and CEO of PeopleSERVE Inc., a technology staffing firm in Chestnut Hill, Mass. “I was looking for input from other business owners.” In 2003, Moraski joined the Commonwealth Institute in order to participate in its CEO Forum. She treats each monthly meeting as a chance to reconnect with peers who grapple with the ups and downs that come with entrepreneurial success. Her Forum holds her accountable for setting and achieving goals. For example, she recently told the group that she intends to add as many as three employees over the next few months. One of the Forum members asked, “What’s your challenge?” “I’ve never managed that many people on my own,” Moraski replied. “Well, what are you going to do about it?” Moraski realized that she needed to develop a more consistent plan for staffing growth. She’s now in the process in setting clearer ground rules and expectations to enable her new hires to hit the ground running. “Through that dialogue, I identified my weakness—being too easy on my employees—and set about to work on it,” says Moraski, who founded her firm in 1999. Moraski’s Forum involvement has proven an eye-opening exercise in self-discovery. In early 2006, she confessed to the group that, “Sometimes I’m afraid to put too much of myself into this because if I work really hard and fail, it would be devastating to me.” By voicing her fear of failure, she finally felt free of it. Moreover, one of the other members said, “I have that same fear, too.” It was a defining moment for Moraski. Until that time, she viewed her Forum as filled with confident, fearless women. She assumed that she was “the only one who had such insecurities,” she says. But now she knows she isn’t alone and that every member faces challenges, makes mistakes and needs support. She also gains strength and sustenance from the Forum. More than a year ago, Moraski told the group that she might lose a big contract that would endanger her business. But her Forum wouldn’t allow her to wallow in anxiety. Instead, they peppered her with questions such as, “What will you do if you ultimately get the contract?”, “What if you don’t get it?” and “What do you want for the future of your business?” Their analytical approach kept Moraski focused on tactical strategizing. Outside the meeting, her peers flooded her with calls and cards wishing her well. They all reached out to show support. Moraski wound up retaining the contract. And with her Forum behind her, she’s ready for the next challenge. |
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