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          This event is part of the Chamber’s new series, The Racial Wealth Gap.

          07/13/2022

          2:00pm - 3:00pm

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          07/19/2022

          8:00am - 9:00am

          Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

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          Networking
          MITX: Networking Event

          Join us for the fist in-person MITX event of the year! Come and network with people in the tech and innovation industry.

          07/26/2022

          5:00pm - 8:00pm

          Sam Adams Taproom

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          We are now recruiting for our 2022 fall DEI cohort! We hope you’ll join us in our mission to increase DEI fluency and change in the Boston business community – starting with you.

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          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

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          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

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          For more than 25 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

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          MITX

          Through MITX (the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange), we’re building valuable connections between the people and ideas behind technology and its impact on the future of customer experiences, all to create a community that’s finding tomorrow’s solutions together.

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          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
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Bostonchamber
Bostonchamber
  • Events
        • Events

          • Overview
          • Events Calendar
          • Chamber Awards
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          The Racial Wealth Gap Series: Investing in the Workforce: Building Work, Building Wealth

          This event is part of the Chamber’s new series, The Racial Wealth Gap.

          07/13/2022

          2:00pm - 3:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Networking
          Chamber Networking Group

          This free, members-only event is designed specifically for our small to medium-size member companies who want to expand their network of contacts, generate new business leads, and learn the most effective strategies for networking.

          07/19/2022

          8:00am - 9:00am

          Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Networking
          MITX: Networking Event

          Join us for the fist in-person MITX event of the year! Come and network with people in the tech and innovation industry.

          07/26/2022

          5:00pm - 8:00pm

          Sam Adams Taproom

          arrow-go
          Read More
  • Learning & Development
        • Learning & Development

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Resources
        • Boston’s Future Leaders

          Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.

          Read More
          Transformational DEI Certificate

          We are now recruiting for our 2022 fall DEI cohort! We hope you’ll join us in our mission to increase DEI fluency and change in the Boston business community – starting with you.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Economic Inclusion Committee
          • Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          Economic Inclusion

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Pacesetters
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • Sorry. No post found with this slug!
  • Policy & Impact
        • Policy & Impact

          • Overview
          • Leadership Councils
          • Amicus Advisory Board
        • GET INVOLVED IN OUR POLICY FOCUS AREAS

          Business Climate
          Read More
          Climate & Energy
          Read More
          Health Care
          Read More
          Housing & Development
          Read More
          Talent
          Read More
          Transportation
          Read More
  • Our Networks
        • GBCC’s Networks

          • Overview
        • OUR NETWORKS

          City Awake

          City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.

          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For more than 25 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          MITX

          Through MITX (the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange), we’re building valuable connections between the people and ideas behind technology and its impact on the future of customer experiences, all to create a community that’s finding tomorrow’s solutions together.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          Read More
          Small Business

          We support small business through public policy initiatives, events designed to connect small businesses in Greater Boston to their peers and established business leaders, professional development offerings, and free small business advising.

          Read More
  • Membership
        • Membership

          • Overview
          • Membership Benefits
          • Membership Levels
          • Member Stories
          • Request a Meeting
          • Join Today
        • Our Impact
        • About Us
          Our Impact

          Explore our mission and values to better understand how we are leading the business community forward.

        • Membership Directory
        • Membership Directory
          Not sure if you’re a member?

          Our member directory is your resource to discover, connect, and engage with Boston’s businesses from every industry and sector.

        • For our members

          • Member Resources
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Do You Want What Youre Striving For?

November 1, 2021

Consider the successful mid-career leader who calls it his “nightmare” to wake up in five years and be the SVP of his division – and knows that’s right where he is headed. Or the lawyer in a high-profile public-sector role supporting COVID response. She tells me, “This job looks great on paper. And it’s important work. But I’m not sure it’s the work I want to do.”

It’s not unusual for leaders to find themselves toiling away at jobs that aren’t tied to purpose. And yet, research has shown that leaders are more effective and more resilient when they are connected to purpose. I have seen time and again how leaders come alive when they stop talking about tasks and start talking about purpose. As Steve Jobs put it, “We try to use [our] talents … to express our deep feelings, to show our appreciation of all the contributions that came before us, and to add something to that flow. That’s what has driven me.”

It’s not unusual for leaders to find themselves toiling away at jobs that aren’t tied to purpose. And yet, research has shown that leaders are more effective and more resilient when they are connected to purpose.

Are your talent, time, and effort aligned with your own purpose? Do you like what you’re adding to “the flow”? Here are some ways to check.

· Be deliberate. Make time and space. Block your calendar, find a place without distractions. You may have email to read, meetings to prepare for, performance reviews to write – but isn’t that always true? There is always something else to do. For one moment, choose to do this.

· Create structure. Ironic as it seems, structure can open the mind to creativity. Schedule a phone call with a trusted friend or colleague, create a pro-con list or do some other writing for yourself, take a run or bike ride to let your mind play with the question, or engage a leadership coach.

· Check your metrics. It can be tempting to measure success by what others have achieved. Look for your internal compass, not an external comparison. How do you want to spend your time and energy? As one leader phrases it, “what am I on this earth to do?” Let that be your guide.

· Notice your reactions. Our bodies can be great barometers. When you think about your work, does your mouth start to smile or do your shoulders start to clench? Do you feel a surge of energy or the start of a headache? One leader noticed she had dragged her feet before signing onto a project which turned out to be a very negative experience for her. Looking back, she now believes that her slow response was her intuition telling her to beware, and she has resolved to tune into those signals in the future.

“Who do you choose to be at this time? – Margaret Wheatley

We choose every day how to use our time and talent. While it may seem risky to ask these questions, it’s a bigger risk not to. If you don’t want what you’re striving for, wouldn’t you rather know that as soon as possible?

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