We asked our Chief People Officer and woman in tech Jess Johannson to tell us about her most inspirational woman, Maya Angelou.
She is graceful.
She is strong.
She is love.
She is inspiration.
She is who I want to be.
Her ability to speak in poetry. She painted an amazing picture every time she spoke. She spoke from her soul and heart, and there is something so genuine, authentic and real about her.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Wouldn’t the world be a different and, hopefully, much better place if everyone took this on board?
Hard to narrow down to one … She was fearless in everything she did. Another famous quote from Maya is “If you don’t like something, change it”. So appropriate in tech where change is constant and you are continually trying new things. I hear it as “Don’t rest on your laurels; there are ways to improve anything.” The tech industry always challenges you to be ahead of the curve and forward thinking … and so did Maya Angelou.
“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”
Resilience in times of stress and courage in times of fear.
The same book that is my favorite—“I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.” It provides the frame of her life—where it all began and how it shaped the woman she became.
Do you think Maya Angelou would be proud of you given she was the inspiration for your life?