This month, Questrom School of Business welcomed CNBC’s Senior Media & Tech Correspondent Julia Boorstin to the stage at the Rafik B. Hariri Building to discuss the recent publication of her book, When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn from Them. Boorstin was interviewed by Kabrina Chang, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Clinical Professor, Markets, Public Policy, and Law, discussing the launch of her career, the inspiration behind her focus on leadership and women, and the future of women in business.
In the years prior to her joining CNBC, Boorstin began her career as a business journalist at Fortune. The role gave her a tremendous opportunity to focus on leadership and women in the business world. Her work for Fortune emphasized the importance for women of not being defined by their gender and changing the perception of what leadership can be. Later, she utilized an in-depth study of thousands of CEOs to write a new book about a small group of women who succeeded in business despite a range of challenges. As she described the obstacles female entrepreneurs faced entering a male-dominated field and the lessons they learned from their successes, she also addressed key commonalities that enabled them to grow their businesses. Boorstin cited the brands Clear and Beauty Counter as examples of the importance of adaptability and failure, as well as the inevitable reality that mistakes happen – but must be learned from.
Sharing stories from the many successful female leaders she interviewed can provide insight and hope for what the future holds for women navigating the future of work. Using storytelling to illuminate data, Boorstin has helped countless young entrepreneurs understand the hardships of being a leader and has offered a new perspective on individuals who have overcome obstacles to succeed both personally and professionally.