Making Waves: A Woman’s Rise to the Top Using Smarts, Heart, and Courage
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo
Matt Holt Books/An Imprint of BenBella Books (February 2024)

“The past is written, but we are left to write the future.” Jean-Luc Picard

Long ago, Peter Drucker suggested that the best way to manage the future is to create it. I was again reminded of that observation as I began to work my way through her personal account of her career journey (voyage?) thus far, written with Sarah McArthur. Briefly, Lutoff-Perlo is vice chairman of external affairs at Royal Caribbean Group. She previously served as president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises from 2014 to 2023. She began her career at Celebrity in 1985 as district sales manager.

Because she is a woman, her “rise to the top” encountered barriers and biases that were — and continue to be — gender-specific in terms of access, evaluation, compensation, and recognition.  The success of her almost forty-year career is thus even more impressive.

How did  Lutoff-Perlo achieve her success? After reading and then re-reading Making Waves, I decided to let her provide the answer within the narrative.  These are among the lessons that she learned.

o One lesson during all her years of leadership is this: “There is no balance [between career and personal life]. Our lives are constantly out of balance. We are reprioritizing constantly. And my belief is that as long as it all levels out at the end of the day, that’s the best we can hope for.”

o “You might not know what you want or where you want to be, but you need to recognize what you don’t want and where you don’t want ton be and make changes as needed.”

o “When you take your circumstances and make the best of them, when you prove to people that you can pivot and learn and succeed despite the role you are in, this is what will serve you best.”

o “Not all paths are linear, and a winding path allows you to gain experiences as a leader and professional that you never would have if you’d stayed on a linear road.”

o “I want people to learn from what I have been able to accomplish without a plan and not be so hard on  themselves to think that they should have it all figured out. Number one, it puts a lot of pressure on you, and number two, it could ultimately be what holds you back. I’ve learned that when you are agile, flexible, open, and willing to learn, it will lead you to your ultimate success.”

o “Always focus on the attributes, skills, and talents that appear most helpful in a given situation, which might call for emotional intelligence, or courage, or optimism, or innovation, oer boldness, or helping others do their jobs.”

o “Trust, guide, support, inspire, and motivate others to do their jobs to the best of their ability so that we can all be successful.”

o “You don’t have to be obnoxious or ‘in your face’ to rise up the ranks — though you absolutely must do some level of self-promotion or people will have idea what you’ve done [or can do].”

o “We don’t always have everything we want when we want it. In those situations, the best you can do is internalize your feelings, respond from a positive poiunty of view, and change what may be holding you back — because those results are within your control.”

Ancient wisdom suggests that people cannot control everything that happens to them but they CAN control how they respond to whatever happens to them. If you are unwilling or unable to create your future, someone else will. That’s your choice.

I presume to add this lesson from Voltaire: “Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it.” And another from Theodore Roosevelt: “People won ‘t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” And one more from Maya Angelou: “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.”

Who will derive the greatest benefit from reading Making Waves? First, those now preparing for a career in business or have only recently embarked on one. Also, those whose career is  — at least thus far — sinking  or adrift. Finally, I recommend this book to executives who have direct reports entrusted to their care.

Those who share my high regard for Making Waves, are urged to check out The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.