The plight of the girlboss
'I Attended A Self-Help Retreat For Top Female Executives — And Ended Up In Tears'
They were burned out on being the boss. But what if the only cure to reaching the top was to aim even higher?
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The Lede
In the aftermath of the pandemic, the desire to reorient one's relationship to work is familiar to millions of Americans. But for few has its pursuit been more complicated than for the elite career women Kathleen Byars strives to help. They have demanding jobs, and equally demanding lives at home. Stepping away from their careers doesn't strike them as a desirable option. In this post-hustle culture, post-"Lean In" age, what does it mean to be a woman and a boss who still wants it all?
Key Details
- Byars founded The Goodlife Institute in 2017. The program's framework is founded on what she calls "our seven universal needs": autonomy, security, health, leisure, purpose, connection, and esteem.
- The issue with high-achieving women, Byars says, is they focus on meeting only two of those needs — security and esteem — while neglecting the rest.
- When the pandemic killed hustle culture, some commentators dubbed it "the age of anti-ambition." But in this elite crowd of women, it seems like the opposite.
