Welcome to my new blog, Courage to Be Seen.
I’m Sherrie Clark and am the CTO for the Embedded Solutions business unit of General Electric leading a global engineering team, and probably the best part of my job has been the experience I have gotten to help others through coaching and mentoring. Over the years I have had discussions with several women about their experiences of being in the minority of male dominated fields. One very common theme keeps appearing in several of the discussions. Women in trying to maximize their success many times unconsciously limit portions of themselves at work. This results in them not being authentic to themselves which limits their power and happiness, and many times spills over into other parts of their lives. This was true for myself, until one day when I came to the realization this was happening and made the decision I needed to make a change. It hasn’t been an easy journey however today I am so much happier and overall feel so much more alive.
Ever hear someone or yourself say, “I don’t want to be a female engineer, I just want to be an engineer.” ? This may seem noble, and is how I felt early in my career. I knew I could could be considered one of the best engineers male or female and I didn’t want any qualifier in front of my title. What I didn’t realize at the time was attempt to separate being female from being an engineer limited myself. Today I embrace being a female engineer and the power that comes with it.
Through this blog I am hoping to connect with other women with the intention by sharing my experiences it will assist others to also have the courage to be seen.
Sherrie
