Modeling the better version of yourself – the work / life tightrope of a woman in tech leadership

As a leader, you not only need to figure out your own work/life balance but also ensure that you’re modeling the right behavior to those you manage and lead. Or at least do your best not to accidentally model a harmful one. This can be tricky under normal circumstances for a typical person… but how do you go from fully multi-office-bound to involuntarily fully remote for years with the unexpected curveball of a proposed remote-forward but hybrid solution just when you’re getting used to the former?!

A woman in tech leadership, an immigrant from a somewhat different cultural background than most of my team to begin with and now with a bonus of many other cultures mixed in, likely in a different place in life than most of the people I lead: how did I learn to better understand and empathize with people who rely on me for leadership but live a different kind of life.
I made mistakes and so will you, but hopefully my list will help you avoid some big ones in the future.