{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Build Your Own Boat","title":"How Do You Turn Perfectionism Into a Leadership Superpower After a Midlife Layoff? Kristen Harris on Building Her Own Boat","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2691,"description":"Episode SummaryAfter more than two decades leading global technology teams at Oracle and serving as VP of Services at an AI-driven consulting firm, Kristen Harris was laid off at 55 — a moment that felt devastating even though she already knew the role wasn't right for her. In this episode, Harris explains why perfectionism isn't a flaw to \"recover from\" but a trait that high achievers can sharpen into a strategic advantage, and how surviving breast cancer while working full-time reshaped her relationship to risk, corporate health benefits, and what she was willing to sacrifice for stability. She shares the exact framework she now teaches leaders — from millennial managers to midlife career-changers — for identifying their \"unfair advantage,\" building an informal personal board of directors, and taking the leap into entrepreneurship without having to build the perfect business before selling it.\nKey TakeawaysPerfectionism is not a pathology to fix — it's a leadership trait to refine. Research cited in the episode shows that roughly 85% of high achievers identify with some form of perfectionism, and Harris argues that trying to \"recover\" from it ignores a trait that, when understood, becomes a competitive edge.A layoff can feel devastating even when you already wanted to leave, because the loss of control — not the job itself — is often what's hardest to process.Health insurance fear keeps many capable women in jobs they've outgrown. Harris encourages women to research their real options (health exchanges, brokers, expert conversations) before assuming corporate benefits are their only path to coverage.Solopreneurs need a personal \"board of directors.\" Instead of one formal mentor, Harris recommends building a network of trusted advisors — family, former colleagues, coaches, and even strangers met through networking — to replace the built-in support of a corporate team.You don't have to build the perfect product before selling it. Harris applies an agile,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/bQsbNia0IsmMmK-_EAZWTPLH0_5ooXLhZABkhXi9Cis/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zMjY3/NTllZmQ4ZTljNzVj/NTZmNzZiZTMzMmIy/ODBlNC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}