Jenny Wood on Wild Courage: Pursuing Goals with Boldness and Resilience

Navigating Workplace Changes

• 💡 Google is reportedly shifting language away from DEI terms like "product equity" and "inclusion" towards "build for all" and "universal design."
• 🏢 This reflects a broader trend of companies adapting to a changing political and work environment, prompting HR departments to re-evaluate their strategies.

The Core of Wild Courage

• 🚀 Wild Courage is presented as a framework to reclaim agency and take action despite fear, uncertainty, or judgment.
• 🎯 The book focuses on helping individuals pursue goals such as promotions, raises, or relationships by overcoming common fears.
• 🧠 It emphasizes that while external circumstances may be uncontrollable, individuals can always change themselves and push past their fears.

Reclaiming "Difficult" Traits

• ⚠️ The book reclaims nine traits often viewed negatively: weird, selfish, shameless, nosy, obsessed, brutal, manipulative, reckless, and bossy.
• 🤝 "Manipulative" is reframed as the courage to influence and build lasting relationships through mutual benefit, essential for selling oneself or a product.
• 🎯 "Selfish" is redefined as the courage to stand up for what you want, and "shameless" as the courage to stand behind one's efforts and abilities.

Personal Application and Gender Dynamics

• 🚇 The author shares a personal story of overcoming fear to approach her future husband on the subway, illustrating the book's principles.
• ⚖️ While the underlying principles of wild courage are universal, certain traits like "bossy" or "manipulative" can be perceived differently and more negatively when applied to women due to societal expectations and the "double bind."
• 🗣️ The discussion highlights how traits like "bossy" are often labeled for women, while men might be described as "direct" or "determined."

Visibility and Taking Action

• 🌟 The concept of "power grows through proximity" suggests getting adjacent to the elite and being visible to be recognized.
• 🗣️ The challenge lies in balancing visibility with annoyance; the author suggests most people need to dial up their confidence and ask for what they want, rather than being a constant "squeaky wheel."
• 🚫 Even when facing rejection or a direct "no" after asking for something, the experience is framed as spine-straightening and part of being reckless and taking risks, ultimately making one better over time.