January 2021

Jackie Ross
Jan 25, 2021
2 min read

Hi Gang,

We made it!!! Happy New Year, at last! It was an emotional day for me… probably for many of you, too. I first visited Washington, DC, on an 8th grade field trip, too immature to appreciate the magnitude of the monuments and what they represent. I would later intern there, sweating through poorly fitted suits on my daily commute to work. A college student at the time, I loved ‘adulting’ in the big city and overhearing what I imagined to be hush-hush conversations about foreign affairs in dive bars on the Hill. I landed a real job in DC few years later and spent my 20s pretending to be sophisticated, drinking French 75s at the Mayflower, watching the Presidential motorcade whiz by, seeing history unfold before my eyes. Ronald Reagan’s funeral. George W. Bush’s inauguration. Our first Black President. So much meaning. So much mattered.

Today, we witnessed the peaceful transition of power at a time when we are so ready for peace. So tired of unrest. Our nerves frayed. Our spirits exhausted. Today, we saw the first woman elected to the office of Vice President – a Black woman. A South Asian woman. The ceremony unfolded without incident and without precedent. So much meaning. So much mattered.

I think it was Lady Gaga who said, today, “Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” And it was 22-year-old poet laureate Amanda Gorman who said:

When day comes, we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid.

The new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it,

if only we’re brave enough to be it.

You know all about this, of course, because you find this light every day. You channel hope and courage to eradicate pain and suffering. We have an important year ahead on that front – let us hold on to today’s optimism and unity as we forge forward.

In this new year, Vital Signs will continue on a monthly basis, and our little crack team here at RRA will aim to professionalize the operation with improvements to the Vital Signs blog, including an organized library with resources for your team and news from our community. Please keep the ideas, articles and feedback coming!

Welcome to 2021!

News & Resources

Business, Leadership & Self

HBR: Why Rookie CEOs Outperform – seasoned CEOs tend to fall back on old playbooks, become overly concerned with cost-cutting, and are less adaptable than rookies
HBR: 3 Tenets of a Strong Remote Culture – helpful as we continue seek cohesion in this work-from-home environment
HBR: How Should CEOs Respond to the Attack on the Capitol? – while this specific event is behind us, we will be faced with others; how and when should leaders respond?

News of Interest