All Pride, No Ego: A Queer Executive’s Journey to Living and Leading Authentically
Jim Fielding
Wiley (2023)
“Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.” Oscar Wilde
The last time I checked, Amazon offers more than 60,000 volumes in which their authors focus on the general subject of leadership. Why did Jim Fielding write this book? As he explains in a remarkably informative Preface, “I think my leadership style and philosophy are unique and represent an important perspective and voice that are lacking in this genre. There are not a lot of stories or books about Queer Leadership and I believer underrepresented and historically marginalized communities need to be heard. Fundamental human rights are under attack daily.” I agree.
These are among the passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope of Fielding’s coverage:
o Preface (Pages xi-xxiv)
o Andy Mooney/Global Disney Stores (13-14, 43-44, and 154-155)
o Millard (Mickey) Drexler (26-28 and 77-75)
o Mental struggles (36-38)
o Importance of relationships (41-42, 71-72, and 88-90)
o Robert Iger (53-55 and 154-155)
o Insecurities (58-59 and 185-186)
o Family crises (60-62)
o Closeness in families (71-75)
o Valuable business lessons (78-80)
o “Old Fox and “New Fox” (82-85)
o The family ledger (97-99)
o Charitable vision (112-117)
o Double-life experiences (131-134)
In Chapter 8 — “Building High-PerformingTeams and Cultures of Excellence” — Fielding shares six of the secrets and insights that he wishes he had learned earlier in his career. Here they are:
1. “Find a company and role you are truly passionate about, something that gets you up in the morning with eagerness and keeps you awake at night thinking of the possibilities.”
2. “Examine the marketplace and the competition for your idea, product, or service. Survey the environment for what is and is not working, and then take a serious inventory of how you can compete and differentiate in the marketplace.”
3. Develop the ability to build teams and grow talent because “there is no better success than shared success.”
4. “Be sure to learn from your mistakes, failures, and miscues. No one is perfect. Just try not to repeat them!”
5. “Keep a balanced in your life between your personal needs and your professional aspirations.”
6. “Take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Please do not be afraid to ask for help or admit you do not know something.
“I think this is a formula that works for me and can work for many of you reading the book now.”
These “secrets and insights” are Fielding’s opinions of someone who, as he explains, had to overcome two sets of insecurities and self-perceptions. “The first was my socioeconomic background and family position. The second was my sexuality and sexual identity. I realize now that I was basically running to overcome both real and imagined deficiencies.” Many of those who read his book now struggle to overcome the same “real and imagined deficiencies.”
The information, insights, and counsel Jim Fielding provides will be of substantial value to members of the LBGTQ+ community, of course, but also to all others who are also determined to accelerate their personal growth and professional development.