Wall Street Veteran Carla Harris to Co-Chair Linkage’s Women in Leadership Institute

We are thrilled to announce that Carla Harris will be joining us as co-chair of this year’s Women in Leadership Institute^™. Carla is a 29-year Wall Street veteran, author, and singer who is currently Vice Chairman, Wealth Management, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She took the stage for the first time at our event last year to share her “Pearls of Wisdom” with the 700+ leaders in the room. Her undeniable energy brought enthusiasm and excitement to all who joined. Carla inspired each of us to pursue own our path to greatness, to be authentic, and to take risks. She even encouraged us to fail—so that we can ultimately be better.

Reflecting back, there are three pearls she shared that have stuck with me:

1. The definition of success is always changing. Make sure you and your team know what success looks like, and that you are clear on your unique value in achieving that success.
2. Nobody can be you the way that you can be you. Your authentic self is your distinct competitive advantage.
3. Failure always brings you a gift. That gift is experience—now you know how to do it better; more successfully.

Since we are almost at the halfway point in the year, now is the perfect time to reflect on and think about your commitments to yourself—and how you’ve grown personally and professionally. If you’re not sure where to start, watch this short video of a few of the commitments that last year’s attendees made while on-site at the Institute. (This one still gives me goosebumps every time I watch it!) As part of this process, I also invite you to watch this brief clip that Carla recently published, where she gives leadership advice to her 25-year-old self.

For me, both of these videos serve as reminders that it is important to honor the journey that has helped us learn and grow into who we are today—and, in doing so, we each have the opportunity to step in and lead the life that we want to lead.

Reflecting back on your leadership journey, what advice would you give your younger self? Share your thoughts and insights with me by leaving a comment below, emailing me at rmarangu@linkageinc.com, or via Twitter using #LinkageWIL.