#LinkageWIL Inspiration Series: Molly Fletcher, Trailblazing Sports Agent on Resilience

This year feels different than any other time in our lives—partly because it is, and partly because we are only now beginning to fully comprehend how an unprecedented health crisis has so drastically changed the way we live.

For women in the workplace, COVID-19 has been incredibly disruptive. With organizations only recently making strides toward gender parity, the risk of losing all that progress is very real. Lean In surveyed women leaders and found they are experiencing stress related to COVID-19 at higher rates than men. We only have to look around and check in with our neighbors, coworkers, friends and family to know this is true.

Women leaders are dealing with more than ever before—but they’re also achieving, and we have much to learn from the women who are rising above the challenges to lead with vision and purpose.

Molly Fletcher is one of these women leaders. Molly, who will appear at Linkage’s Virtual Women in Leadership Institute this November 9–12, is a trailblazer in every sense of the word—a rare talent of business wisdom, relationship brilliance and unwavering optimism. She shares her unconventional and unique techniques that made her one of the first female sports agents in the high-stakes, big-ego world of professional sports and now a successful entrepreneur.

She shares her wit, humor and insights on her podcast Game Changers, and I find myself reflecting on her keen insights during this unsettled time.

In this second installment of the #LinkageWIL Inspiration series, we are diving into a piece of advice from Molly Fletcher on resiliency:

“What I learn from peak performers, from great athletes, is that they lean into tough moments. They lean into change. The difference from the best and the rest is that the best recover from adversity faster. As business leaders, as women, we need to be intentional about our ability to recover fast.” — Molly Fletcher

Why this is so important in 2020: This year, we all have been dealt a bad hand. A global pandemic has served up dilemmas that seem to have no answer. Women are being especially hard hit, as they take on more than ever before. Caring for others is a full-time job on a normal day, but 2020 has brought new and increased responsibilities. Work has become more challenging too—with higher expectations and larger stakes.

For many of us, this may be the most demanding professional year of our lives, but Molly points out that we all have the ability to persevere. The power of resiliency—the ability to intentionally and purposefully recover—comes from many places within us. We need to seek out our own unique ways to harness this power.

Here are 3 quick ways to increase your resiliency:

1. Check in with yourself: How are you feeling right now? As we deal with impromptu meetings, health scares, changing schedules, overwhelmed kids and the myriad issues that pop up on a moment’s notice, we are being worn down. By regularly checking in with ourselves we can understand how we are feeling, and if we are feeling burned out, double down on the self-care techniques that work best for us.
2. Gain perspective: Many of us are moving faster than we ever have. We are making decisions on the fly, and the implications of these decisions can have a big impact on our teams and organizations. Small issues or mistakes can feel huge in the moment. When you encounter an issue, take a moment to return to your Compassionate Center. Are you giving yourself enough credit? Are you giving your teams the gift of understanding? Try to frame each issue, each day, each week, in a new perspective to help you identify the true crisis from the negligible issues.
3. Let it go: Linkage’s work with hundreds of women leaders finds that women often overcommit their schedules, taking on more and more to validate their role and their place in the organization. We call this “over-rowing the boat,” and it leads to burnout. As we strive to live and lead during COVID-19, it becomes so important for us to let go of the work or the tasks that simply aren’t serving us anymore. We owe it to ourselves.

Looking for more from Molly Fletcher? Join Linkage at the Virtual Women in Leadership Institute on November 9–12, 2020. Choose the virtual learning experience that best fits your leadership goals: With an All-Access Pass, you will experience four days of immersive learning, and with a Virtual Keynotes and Virtual Keynotes PLUS Pass, you get a convenient, abbreviated conference experience.