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Boston Chamber
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          • New Chamber Event Series
        • ...
          Premier Event
          2025 Annual Meeting

          Join us for our highly anticipated Annual Meeting, Greater Boston's top business convening of the year.

          05/20/2025

          4:30pm - 8:00pm

          Omni Boston Hotel

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Pacesetters
          Doing Business with Columbia Construction

          This virtual event gives small business owners the chance to hear directly from procurement officers about opportunities to work with them.

          05/29/2025

          12:00pm - 1:00pm

          Virtual

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          City Awake
          Art of Connection: An Evening at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

          Join us for an exclusive networking event at the Museum of Fine Arts and enjoy self-guided tours of John Wilson and Van Gogh, showcasing the deep bond of family, friendship, and community.

          06/05/2025

          5:30pm - 8:30pm

          Museum of Fine Arts

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

          • Overview
          • Call for Nominations
          • Insights
        • Transformational DEI Certificate

          This program is in redevelopment. Click this page for DEI resources.

          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
          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
          Authentic Professionalism for Early Career Professionals

          Join us on June 12 for a highly interactive virtual workshop with Strategic Career & Leadership Coach Carole-Ann Penney.

          Read More
  • Economic Inclusion
        • Economic Inclusion

          • Overview
          • Pacesetters
          • Resources
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          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.

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Economic Inclusion
          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
        • ...
          Small Business
          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          arrow-go
          Read More
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          • Amicus Advisory Board
        • GET INVOLVED IN OUR POLICY FOCUS AREAS

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          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

          Small Business

          Small businesses are the backbone of the Boston economy. Learn more about the resources available through the Chamber.

          Read More
          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 over 30 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
          Massachusetts Apprentice Network

          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          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
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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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