The Career Puppeteer

Welcome to Mostly, the newsletter for women who love leadership. Because yes, there are fewer of us than there should be, but that doesn't mean that those leading aren't loving it - most of the time.

The fun stuff follows, but something has been on my mind;

I'm often met with rolled eyes when I bring up the topic of office politics.

Not the BIG politics that influence national or global stability, but the small stuff – the politics which determines our personal stability.

We've all been there – those under-the-table dynamics that influence decisions more than the official agenda. Every whispered corridor conversation, each unexplained decision, and every single time your hard work was bypassed for some obscure reason.

Last week's masterclass attendees described politics as pointless, exhausting, manipulative, dishonest... the list went on.

The consensus was that politics is for pricks.

But...

While it's a choice to participate actively, it's NOT a choice to be affected by it.

Like a bystander caught up in the currents, even if you aren't swimming, you're still moving and not knowing can leave you swimming against the tide.

Some of the most successful leaders I've observed aren't just good at their jobs.

They're good at understanding the undercurrents, the unofficial channels of communication and harnessing them to secure resources, prioritise projects, and earn respect.

They are, for want of a better word, politically savvy.

But why do we need a better word? Why, as women, do we shy away from calling it politics?

Credibility? Influence? Trust?

There's something about the word politics that gives us the ick.

I wonder how much of that ick has been taught to us by those who would prefer we stay out of the decision-making process.

Would having a better understanding of politics help you love your leadership role more of the time?

Or will you not be satisfied until office politics is stamped out?

I'd love to read what you think.

Okay, on to the fun stuff!

The Boardroom is the first private members club helping women to become board members. They open the door to their first UK clubhouse in London tomorrow evening. Will I see you there?

For November, I am offering my values assessment free of charge to anyone who might benefit. The technical term for the process is "manual AF", so here's hoping it doesn't go viral.

Think weirder! Dresses made out of band-aids, heels made with forks and corsets made out of?kale – nothing is quite as it seems in the world of?Gab Bois. Recent collaborations include a pair of lettuce shorts for Marc Jacobs.

B Corps: the certification. Expensive and time-consuming? Or the ultimate business flex for businesses who can prove they are a 'force for good'? Courier takes a deep-dive to determine?whether it is worth it for small businesses.

The FT calls Casa Maria Luigia the world's best B&B, thanks to Massimo Bottura's genius. Name Drop: I am lucky enough to have eaten at his restaurant Osteria Francescana.

But...

In my mind, the real star of the family is Lara Gilmore, who founded The Tortellante Project. This independently profitable business teaches young people with autism to work with fresh pasta alongside Rezdore (the term means “she who holds up the house"), often women at risk of isolation in their later years.

To mark World Food Day, the humanitarian and nutritionist Elizabeth Nyamayaro asks us to take a fresh look at our relationship with food.

For wannabe dancers, there are more and more fitness classes and studios pulling from the dance world. East London-based Disco Barre is the hardcore ballet barre workout to underground house and disco.

Lori, a 50-year-old global talent director, has twin 16-year-old daughters, is the main earner for her household, and, until recently, worked full time - the “midlife collision” is something else.

I still dream of one day finding lost treasure. I don't know if that makes me more of an Indiana or a Lovejoy, but here we are. This short profile in The New Yorker absolutely delighted me.