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For the first time that I can remember, this year I was completely enthralled by the Winter Olympics. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever watched the Winter Games before, but it really caught my attention this go-round. One event that really stood out for me was the skeleton.
For the uninitiated (like I was just a month ago), the skeleton is a slide-based sport where athletes lie face down, headfirst, on a small slide going 80 mph down an icy, declining slope. On the surface, it doesn’t look like it requires much from the athlete but to lie down and hang on for dear life until crossing the finish line.
But upon further inspection, the sport is far more intricate, requiring the athlete to make subtle adjustments with their shoulders, knees, and even their toes to control and steer the sled. The slightest weight shifts can make the difference between first place and last. As if the Olympics weren’t competitive enough, the margin of error in this event is miniscule.
I was fascinated, particularly about the idea of finding balance. There’s so much talk about work-life balance, work-self balance, and just about any other “something-something” balance where the two somethings seem to be at odds with each other. To find balance, we make subtle adjustments throughout our days and weeks—blocking off time, making time, taking time—in hopes of steering our lives and maintaining control of ourselves. However, according to Misan Harriman, balance is less of an “act” and more of a series of choices that informs action; it’s not what we decide to do but who we choose to be.
Raw and honest moments of humanity
Harriman is a photographer, activist, and Oscar-nominated filmmaker whose work has been prominently featured in publications like Vogue, celebrated on awards stages, and widely shared throughout the zeitgeist. His work captures the raw and honest moments of humanity—in resistance, grief, joy, and all the many manifestations of our true existence.
Our conversation with Harriman on the From the Culture podcast explored the balancing act of profitability and principle, where he argues that “profit at all costs” carries a heavy price tag that can cost us our authenticity. We make decisions at work that call into question the integrity of who we perceive ourselves to be outside of the office.
Tech CEOs sell products to schools that they hardly ever let their own children use. Managers treat their subordinates in ways that would anger them if it were something their spouse had to endure. Whether it’s the way we communicate with peers or manage our presentation of self at work, far too often there is an imbalance between ourselves—who we say we are and how we are. Our inconsistent performances of self not only cause harm in our work but can also cause a crisis of authenticity.
Fittingly, sociologist Erving Goffman likens the theatrical stage to the dynamics of social living, borrowing from William Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, where he writes, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Our presentation of self, as Goffman posits, is a choice we make. We decide which character we choose to play in social life. This choice subsequently demands a series of decisions that coincides with said character. The costumery. The script. The mannerisms. The exits and entrances. They are all by-products of the character we choose to play. That is to say, who we choose to be informs how we choose to be.
A choice of character
Through this lens, the balancing act of work-life or work-self is a choice of character and commitment to it. And although we attempt to balance the existence of two characters with adjustments here and there, like the athletes in the skeleton event, these seemingly subtle shifts of self can have tremendous impact. The idea then is to remain true to self, one character that is consistent despite the context. This is, after all, the definition of authenticity.
As Goffman warns, we should pay mind to the mask we choose to wear because if we aren’t careful, our mask could soon become our face. This means we have agency in the matter. We can decide who we want to be and, therefore, how we’re going to behave. We have a choice; but when we don’t choose, the context will certainly choose for us.
Check out our full conversation with Misan Harriman on the latest episode of From the Culture here on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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The ancient world understood that leaders who act without self-knowledge create chaos. Consider that at the entrance to the Oracle of Delphi was the following inscription: “Know thyself.” Socrates further imbued meaning into this tenet by declaring that his wisdom came from knowing that he knew nothing. Later, Stoics like Marcus Aurelius argued that self-knowledge meant acknowledging what was actually within your control. The throughline across millennia is clear: cultivating inner clarity helps us navigate external uncertainty.
But here’s what the ancients also understood: self-knowledge isn’t a solitary pursuit. We come to know ourselves through relationships, and we can only meet others as deeply as we’ve met ourselves. The leader who hasn’t examined their own fears, assumptions, and blind spots will inevitably project those shadows onto their teams. Inner work enables outer connection.
This ancient wisdom has never been more urgent. Here’s an irony worth sitting with: the more AI dominates our workplaces, the more desperately we crave authentic human connection. As leaders scramble to implement the latest automation tools, the real competitive advantage is hiding in plain sight—and it has nothing to do with technology.
I call it “Inside Out” leadership, and it’s becoming the secret weapon for organizations serious about attracting and keeping top talent.
What does this look like in practice? A few years ago, a CIO at a global law firm hired me to help his executive leadership team normalize curiosity. I was impressed. It’s not every day that a high-powered law firm wants to invest in helping its team pause, in order to make questions feel more like the catalyst for innovation, instead of cause for getting your wrist slapped. This CIO was exhibiting Inside Out leadership: he had done his own inner work first, which gave him the clarity and courage to create conditions for his team to do the same.
The two dimensions of inside out work
Inside Out leadership operates on two critical dimensions. First, it’s about how leaders show up—embracing vulnerability, practicing continuous self-inquiry, and reflecting that openness outward to their teams. Second, it’s about creating environments where employees feel not just permitted but encouraged to bring their whole selves to work.
This isn’t soft, feel-good leadership fluff. It’s strategic infrastructure for the AI era—and the numbers bear this out. Gallup research reveals that disengaged employees cost organizations 18% of their annual salary in lost productivity. Meanwhile, McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for employee experience report 25% higher profitability than their peers. The connection between inner work and bottom-line results isn’t philosophical; it’s mathematical.
As routine tasks get automated, the uniquely human abilities to connect, empathize, and collaborate become your organization’s most valuable—and irreplaceable—assets. Leaders who ignore this reality aren’t just missing an opportunity; they’re hemorrhaging resources. Workplace wellness studies show that burnout alone costs U.S. employers approximately $300 billion annually. Inside Out leadership isn’t a wellness perk to offer when budgets allow—it’s economic infrastructure that organizations can’t afford to neglect.
Three pillars that make it work
People: Authenticity as strategy. Start team meetings with a “Life Update” round where people share one personal highlight from their week. Create “Story Circles” where team members share pivotal moments from their journeys. These aren’t time-wasters; they’re trust-builders that compound over time.
Process: The power of play. One of the most counterintuitive aspects of Inside Out work is its emphasis on play. Transform brainstorming sessions into “Solution Safaris” where teams physically move around the office collecting and building on ideas. Use improvisation exercises to kick off strategy meetings. Play naturally encourages negotiation, collaboration, and curiosity—skills that are increasingly valuable as AI handles the routine.
Place: The premium of presence. In our increasingly virtual world, face-to-face interaction has become a luxury good. Smart organizations leverage this scarcity by making in-person events premium experiences. Design “No-Tech Tuesdays” where certain meetings go device-free. Institute “Walking One-on-Ones” that take conversations outside traditional office settings. These aren’t perks—they’re competitive differentiators.
The path forward
Start small. Pick one team as your pilot group. Document both quantitative metrics (engagement scores, retention rates) and qualitative feedback. Identify “Inside Out Champions” who can help spread these practices throughout your organization.
The organizations that will thrive in the AI era won’t be those with the most advanced technology. They’ll be those that best combine technological capabilities with deeply human connections. Inside Out leadership isn’t just a philosophy—it’s a blueprint for building organizations that can attract, retain, and inspire the best talent in an increasingly automated world.
The future belongs to leaders brave enough to work from the inside out.
For years, companies have been told to prepare for the future by chasing youth, digital fluency, and technical skills. They have been urged to bet on “high potentials” and to focus on the next generation. At the same time, they have spent years overlooking one of the most strategic talent pools already available to them: women over 50.
This blind spot now looks increasingly dangerous. The future of work is arriving amid inflation, oil crises, wars, and all sorts of geopolitical tensions, economic anxiety, demographic aging, climate disruption, and the destabilizing effects of AI. In such a world, organizations need people who can handle ambiguity, navigate transitions, sustain relationships, and make sound judgments under pressure.
That is one of the reasons women over 50 matter so much. They are among the most underused sources of resilience, intelligence, and practical capability in the labor market. If companies are serious about surviving—and growing—in an age of volatility, here are nine reasons why they need to stop overlooking them.
1. Demography is on their side
The first reason is demographic reality. In aging societies, women over 50 are an expanding part of the population and, increasingly, of the available workforce. Women live longer than men, often work longer than previous generations, and represent a growing share of experienced talent. Yet they remain underrepresented in hiring pipelines, in leadership tracks, and in strategic workforce planning. Companies speak often about talent shortages while ignoring one of the biggest reservoirs of talent in plain sight.
2. They are veterans of career transitions
Women over 50 are often veterans of career transition. Long before everyone started talking about the end of linear careers, a majority of women were already living that reality. Their working lives have frequently included interruptions, pivots, reinventions, periods of part-time work, freelance activity, caregiving, and reentry into employment. What traditional employers have too often interpreted as instability is, in fact, a deep familiarity with change. In a world where careers are less and less predictable, those who have already navigated multiple transitions have a head start.
3. They know how to learn
This leads to a third advantage: They know how to learn. In the age of AI, the most valuable workers are not simply those who possess knowledge, but those who can update themselves continuously. Women over 50 who have had to change sectors or rebuild confidence after setbacks often develop a powerful capacity to learn, unlearn, and relearn. They are used to adapting. They are used to having to prove themselves again. They are often much more agile than employers assume, precisely because life has not allowed them the luxury of rigidity.
4. They bring judgment in an automated world
A fourth reason is judgment. AI is very good at generating text, summarizing information, and automating routine cognitive tasks. But organizations do not thrive on information alone. They thrive on discernment: the ability to read a situation, understand context, weigh trade-offs, and anticipate consequences. These are not purely technical skills. They are human ones, and they tend to deepen with experience. Women over 50 often bring a kind of seasoned judgment that becomes especially valuable when the environment is uncertain. They are more likely to have seen management fashions come and go, to recognize false urgency, and to distinguish between real innovation and empty hype.
5. They bring emotional intelligence to organizations
As work becomes more digital, more hybrid, and more fragmented, organizations depend even more on people who can create trust, resolve tension, and keep teams functioning. Women over 50 often bring strong interpersonal skills forged not only through formal work experience but through years of invisible labor: coordinating, listening, mediating, caring, anticipating needs, and managing relationships. These capacities are still routinely undervalued because they are associated with femininity and because they are difficult to quantify. Yet they are central to organizational performance. In chaotic times, the people who can keep human systems working are indispensable.
6. They strengthen intergenerational workplaces
Many companies now employ several generations at once, but few know how to turn age diversity into an advantage. Too often, the focus remains fixated on attracting younger workers, as though experience were a burden rather than an asset. Women over 50 can play a crucial role here. They can mentor younger colleagues without reproducing rigid hierarchies. They can transmit knowledge, stabilize teams, and provide historical perspective. They can also help bridge cultural and professional differences between generations. In organizations where everyone is encouraged to learn from one another, this is a strategic asset.
7. They are often deeply motivated to contribute
Contrary to cliché, many women over 50 are not winding down. Quite the opposite. Midlife often brings a sharper understanding of one’s strengths, limits, and aspirations. Many women at this stage are more interested in meaningful contribution than corporate theater. They know what they care about, what they are good at, and what nonsense they no longer wish to tolerate. This often makes them highly effective. They may be less ready to play status games, but they are frequently deeply motivated by usefulness, autonomy, and impact. In a period when so many organizations are struggling with disengagement, that matters.
8. They are agile in times of crisis
With an oil shock, economic turbulence, and geopolitical instability looming—or already unfolding depending on where you sit—companies need people who know how to operate when the script no longer works. Women over 50 have often spent years adapting to scarcity, uncertainty, and institutional dysfunction—whether at work, at home, or both. They know how to do more with less. They know how to reprioritize, improvise, and keep going when systems fail. They are often pragmatic rather than ideological, flexible rather than brittle. In an economy shaped by repeated shocks, that kind of agility could be a growth strategy. Companies looking for new sources of resilience and invention should start betting on those who have already learned how to survive upheaval.
9. They help companies understand the society they serve
Finally, women over 50 help organizations understand the world they actually operate in. Consumers are aging. The workforce is aging. Families are changing. Needs around health, finance, care, mobility, and everyday life are increasingly shaped by midlife and older adults, especially women. And yet these women remain strikingly absent from leadership teams, innovation departments, media representation, and product design. This makes companies less intelligent. It narrows their imagination and weakens their ability to serve real markets. Hiring women over 50 is therefore a way to become more lucid about society itself.
These are some of the reasons why they are (and should be) the future of work. The conditions of the coming economy favor the kinds of strengths they have too often been forced to develop in silence.
Sci-fi author Ursula K. Le Guin captured this idea beautifully in her essay The Space Crone. Asked to imagine whom humanity should send to represent itself to extraterrestrials, she proposed not a president or a great scientist, but an old woman—because she alone has lived through the full arc of the human condition. She has known youth, change, loss, reinvention, and resilience.
In many ways, the same logic applies to the workplace (albeit with older women rather than old women). In an economy defined by disruption and transformation, the people who have already navigated the most change may be the ones best equipped to face what comes next. Women over 50 are guides to our future.
