Jacob and Joe sit down with Shannon Huffman Polson, author of Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most-Male Dominated Organization in the World. In this episode Shannon shares her experiences being one of the first female Apache pilots in the U.S. Army and offers advice to leaders on how men and women can work together to create strong cultures in their organizations. They also talk about the importance of knowing your story to develop grit when navigating uncertainty.
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About Shannon @ABorderLife
Shannon is a woman of many firsts. Among those high points: She is one of the first women to fly Apache combat helicopters in the U.S. Armed Forces, where she served on three continents and led two flight platoons and a line company.
After nearly a decade as an Army officer and attack aviation leader, and later as a leader and manager in the corporate sector at Guidant and Microsoft, Shannon turned her attention to storytelling, in part through her Grit Project blog and in her newest book. In The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the most Male Dominated Industry in the World (2020), Shannon shares her own critical leadership lessons along with candid stories of remarkable female leaders and trailblazers.
Books mentioned in this episode:
The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the most Male Dominated Industry in the World by Shannon Huffman Polson
Isabella: The Warrior Queen by Kirstin Downey
A Higher Standard:Leadership Strategies from America’s First Female Four-Star General by Ann Dunwoody
24/7: The First Person You Must Lead is You by Rebecca “Becky” Halstead
It’s My Country Too: Women’s Military Stories from the American Revolution to Afghanistan by Jerri Bell and Tracy Crow
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott
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