By Ellie S. (11th Grade)
In the high-pressure corridors of Silicon Valley, Kimberly is known for turning the “impossible” into the “merely difficult.” A physicist by training and decades of experience at high tech giants, Kimberly has authored the best-selling Scrappy Project Management and co-authored Scrappy Women in Business. Today, lets learn how she is applying her “scrappy” mindset to the ultimate project: saving our planet.
Could you share a pivotal moment or experience that ignited your passion for both leadership and sustainability?
Kimberly: After working many years in leadership roles of technical projects, including product development program management for a mass spectrometer at HP, a hard disk recorder at ReplayTV, and personalized search at Outride, I realized that leading a team of HUMAN BEINGS are a far greater challenge than technical aspects of a project.
After more than 2 decades of proven success in facilitating teams in the corporate world in achieving what they initially though were “impossible” projects, my climate-savvy friend said to me “If you really can help do the impossible, why don’t you help save the planet?” I had been doing some some projects in sustainability over the years, but his question convinced me to pivot to focus on this as my passion and purpose.
And for the past 15 years I have been facilitating 1 class in a course at Stanford University in a course called “Engineering Climate Management”, which focuses on engineering SOLUTIONS to the sustainability challenges we face on Planet Earth.
What gives you hope for the future of our planet and the role of leadership in achieving a sustainable world?
Kimberly: As a physicist I realize that many things seem impossible until someone does them. And smart people have frequently said things were impossible because they could not imagine themselves HOW to do them. For example, Lord Kelvin said in 1895 “Heavier than air flying machines are impossible.” And that’s when there were BIRDS, which are heavier than air! As a physicist by education, having earned a master in physics and a BS double major in physic and chemistry, I have firsthand experience understanding that challenges we sometimes call impossible we eventually solve through physics. Smart people sometimes rush to solution, but I realize that things can take time to develop, and going through the process of thinking about the purpose, vision, goals and measures of success BEFORE thinking about HOW to do something dramatically increases the chances it will be achievable.
And now that I have studied the MANY solutions available for engineering climate management, I know a sustainable world in no longer a problem to be solved, but many projects awaiting budget approval.
If you could implement one major policy or initiative or research to advance sustainability globally, what would it be and why?
Kimberly: One change would be to focus on making the SUSTAINABLE option in the top areas of sustainability issues better, faster, cheaper, more efficient, more effective, and more fun! For example, if the sustainable option for heating/cooling our homes was more affordable than gas or oil-based options, who would NOT want to switch? If the cheaper ways to generate electricity were solar, wind and waves (which they now ARE!!!) , then why would anyone mine for coal, oil or gas??!!
Make the sustainable options the PREFERRED option, EVEN for people who do NOT care about sustainability!!
People don’t drive through the forest when they can drive on highways for free. Design Our World so the sustainable option is the preferred option even for those who are not concerned about sutainability.
About Kimberly
Kimberly has worked all over the US, Europe and Asia, traveling to Japan over 100 times, to work with culturally diverse employees of globalizing Japanese companies. Her superpower is bringing people with diverse backgrounds, cultures & styles together, across borders and boundaries of every kind, to achieve what none could do alone.
Kimberly’s first book, Scrappy Project Management, was also published in Japanese by the #1 business publisher in Japan, Nikkei Business Press. She has edited and co-authored an additional 6 books in the “Scrappy Guides” series, and dozens of blogs. Besides continue writing new books “Inspired Organizational Cultures, she also holds leadership positions in organizations including Silicon Valley Alliances and 4WARD.
