Discussion guide for When We’re in Charge
First, thanks for reading and being interested in discussing this book! I’m always happy to Zoom in to a book club meeting - just email me at hello@amandalitman.com and if I can, I’ll make it work.
So much of the book probes you to ask yourself questions about who you are, how you show up, and what your team needs of you. I encourage you to pull from those chapters and discuss what you took away from them.
Below, a few more additional questions to consider as you chat through the book. Email me if you hit on any other Qs to add to this list! I welcome it.
How do you feel you best embody your generation? What about you rejects the traditional stereotypes?
How has generational tension shown up for you at work?
How would you describe the boomer bosses in your life? How about the next-gen bosses?
Who were your first examples of leaders? What did you learn from them?
How do you think about authenticity? What kind of boundaries have you set for how you show up in your leadership role?
What part of leadership has surprised you most? What do you feel the most and least prepared for?
What mistakes have you made as a leader and what did you learn from them?
Was there ever a moment where you brought too much of yourself to work with you?
What does “professionalism” mean to you now?
How do you think about your social media presence?
What are you looking for out of work? Big question, lots of possible answers!
Do you think work-life balance (or rather, work-life integration) is even possible? What would that look like for you?
The book gets into a ton of specific policies -- a four day work-week, vacation policies, family leave, communication norms, and more. Were there any you think you could implement where you lead? What would you need to do to make that possible?
Have you ever experienced the tension that comes with too much transparency? Which of the challenges in the book resonated with you?
How do you practice self-care? Real self-care -- not just bath bombs and pedicures, but the kind of self-care that makes work sustainable for the long-haul?
What tools have you used to build community?
How has your relationship to ambition changed over time? What caused those changes? Would you make the same decisions again?
The goal of the book was for the reader to come away with a framework for their own leadership style -- how would you describe yours?
What parts of the book surprised you most? What hit the closest to home or resonated most deeply?
After finishing the book, what will you change about how you show up as a leader or as part of your team?