It’s all about the baby now — When you’re pregnant, you’re solely responsible for caring for the baby growing in your belly. It’s all about you — how you are and whether you’re feeling well. You are encouraged to eat healthy and take care of yourself. Even at work, people go out of their way to help…

But I finally own a nice car! — I started driving later in life, and was over 30 when I got my first car. It was a sensible Mazda 3 — reliable wheels to get me from Point A to Point B but nothing worth flashing on social media. When I became a Vice President at my company at 32, my husband encouraged me to consider buying a car that better reflected my status. To save cost, we looked at second hand cars…

We never ask men whether they plan to stay at home once they become fathers — I didn’t grow up wanting to be a mother. I never felt maternal and couldn’t envisioned taking care of a newborn. I was driven and ambitious at work and quickly climbing the corporate ladder. My days were long and full — once the office day ended, there was evening schmoozing. …

Parenting isn’t just sunshine and roses — Nearly four weeks ago, I became a mother. So far, the journey has been a joy-filled, nerve-wracking roller coaster. It’s diaper changes, cat naps, and feeding schedules. It’s singing made-up songs, white-knuckling through bathing, and running round the clock at the whim of a little person I created. Sometimes, as…

She’s raised her kids… she doesn’t need to raise mine — Nearly four weeks ago, I had a baby. I wasn’t prepared. They say no one is — but I was especially unprepared. Throughout my life, I didn’t want kids and never thought I would have any. …

But it still feels that way sometimes — In Pakistan, I grew up surrounded by women who wear headscarves. It was all my aunts. It was one out of every few women I saw walking down the street. It was even a few girls at school that were swaddled into it at an early age. The whole concept…

Transparency and humility go a long way — Why do people leave jobs? Is it always because of terrible management? Or is there something else? Amy, a friend of mine, is a senior executive at a global bank. Diligent, laser-focused, committed to the point of perfectionism, she has charged up the leadership ranks. Recently, she quit. What happened? …

It’s emotional labor — Under Canadian law, it takes a lot to be fired. Leaders at large companies like my own are encouraged to coach and support and open every door possible to turn things around before letting someone go. We are challenged to ask ourselves — if someone isn’t successful, could the reason…

Why detailed performance metrics can backfire — “What gets measured gets done” This is an old adage that we trumpet often in the corporate world. But is measuring everything the best way to evaluate someone’s performance? You can measure whether the task was done, but how do you measure quality? In my world of financial services sales, one of our key measurements is proactive, face-to-face client contact, i.e. …