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Our Turn
In her inspiring, deeply intelligent and intensely practical Our Turn, Kirstine Stewart draws on her own extensive leadership experience to take the conversation about women and work to a whole new level. Simply put: the time is now for new styles of leadership, and women are best-suited to set the pace.
Kirstine Stewart got her first job when she applied for a position as a "girl Friday" at a film distribution house. Having worked her way up from the bottom--under women and men, leaders good and bad--she believes it's time we leaped past the question of how women might create change in the working world and exploit the fact that profound change is already under way. The digital revolution, and the wave of millennials who are entering the work force with very different expectations than the generations who preceded them, have created a new reality that demands a new style of leader with attributes and perspectives that make women the natural front-runners. The opportunity is there. The question Stewart tackles in Our Turn is how do we seize it.
Stewart's own track in the world has been exceptional, and littered with firsts, including being the first woman and the youngest person ever to head the CBC. Not only does she illuminate the broad strokes of the way forward for women, and her own principles of leadership, she digs down into the nitty-gritty of how she has managed to excel and to lead while staying true to who she is as a person. Whether you're the CEO or the administrative assistant, there is something for you in Our Turn.
Kirstine Stewart got her first job when she applied for a position as a "girl Friday" at a film distribution house. Having worked her way up from the bottom--under women and men, leaders good and bad--she believes it's time we leaped past the question of how women might create change in the working world and exploit the fact that profound change is already under way. The digital revolution, and the wave of millennials who are entering the work force with very different expectations than the generations who preceded them, have created a new reality that demands a new style of leader with attributes and perspectives that make women the natural front-runners. The opportunity is there. The question Stewart tackles in Our Turn is how do we seize it.
Stewart's own track in the world has been exceptional, and littered with firsts, including being the first woman and the youngest person ever to head the CBC. Not only does she illuminate the broad strokes of the way forward for women, and her own principles of leadership, she digs down into the nitty-gritty of how she has managed to excel and to lead while staying true to who she is as a person. Whether you're the CEO or the administrative assistant, there is something for you in Our Turn.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2015
13 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 17, 2016
I love, and am inspired by, the listening and learning mode of leadership that Stewart presents. As with Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, this appears to be the right book at the right time for me, and I would recommend it to women everywhere. Full review on my blog.
December 2, 2020
I absolutely loved this book. I was surprised at how much I clearly was the target audience for this; a 30-something working mother in the corporate environment.
𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Kirstine Stewart, VP Media for Twitter - named one of Canadian Business's Power 50 of 2016 for helping women discover their leadership potential - believes it's time we looked past the question of how women might create change in the working world and exploit the fact that profound change is already under way. The opportunity is there. The question Stewart poses and then tackles is how do we seize it?
I listened to the audiobook read by Laurel Lefkow which was fabulous. I’m not normally a fan of audiobooks not read by the author, but Lefkow did a great performance, making the text thoroughly engaging throughout.
This isn’t a book that will tell you what actions to take, what to do and how to do it. It’s not a self help book in that sense. It’s about a mind shift. About being an authentic version of you; understanding what that is and having the confidence to do it.
Stewart talks about other books that say what women are not doing, or not doing well, but this argues that this is based on a male model. Instead, she talks about what women do right, and what women bring to the table is crucial to organisations moving forward
What does ‘it’ mean to you? It is up to an individual to find. No one can answer but you, and that is what makes this book so wonderful. It’s a prompt for self reflection.
I’d highly recommend it to anyone, especially women, who want to start to get more from their work.
𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Kirstine Stewart, VP Media for Twitter - named one of Canadian Business's Power 50 of 2016 for helping women discover their leadership potential - believes it's time we looked past the question of how women might create change in the working world and exploit the fact that profound change is already under way. The opportunity is there. The question Stewart poses and then tackles is how do we seize it?
I listened to the audiobook read by Laurel Lefkow which was fabulous. I’m not normally a fan of audiobooks not read by the author, but Lefkow did a great performance, making the text thoroughly engaging throughout.
This isn’t a book that will tell you what actions to take, what to do and how to do it. It’s not a self help book in that sense. It’s about a mind shift. About being an authentic version of you; understanding what that is and having the confidence to do it.
Stewart talks about other books that say what women are not doing, or not doing well, but this argues that this is based on a male model. Instead, she talks about what women do right, and what women bring to the table is crucial to organisations moving forward
What does ‘it’ mean to you? It is up to an individual to find. No one can answer but you, and that is what makes this book so wonderful. It’s a prompt for self reflection.
I’d highly recommend it to anyone, especially women, who want to start to get more from their work.
May 8, 2016
I really valued reading this book. I found that it gave me an opportunity to see a successful woman become who she is in a powerful way. Kirstine's book talks a lot about being a women and having a career and she discusses a lot of points regarding work life balance, feminism, sexism, work opportunities and changing perspectives. I found it enlightening and well written. I did not know who she was before reading this and now I find her to be a woman who we can all look up to.
April 20, 2017
I thought this book was a wonderful description of both Kirstine Stewart's leadership journey and the lessons she's learnt from the organizations she's been a part of - from Paragon Entertainment, to Hallmark, CBC, to Twitter and more. I thought this was a very useful book, and I now want to get my own copy! My full review of the book can be found here on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2qo7...
October 23, 2015
Funny, insightful and uplifting, Kirstine Stewart puts a new and optimistic perspective on leadership. Yes there are anecdotes and hard data about women in leadership roles but the book is not just for women. I think everyone in the C suites can learn from reading this. I'm already recommending it to me friends.
May 2, 2020
Kirstine is another example of a strong, smart person whom is female.
Her story comprises of how determination, dedication and great EI can enable one to achieve extraordinary career heights.
This book , like many, gives rise to feminist movement and equal opportunities but it's only a small percentage of.
I appreciated that Kirstine raises some excellent points about balance, attitudes, IQ and politics.
These lessons resonate when navigating a career path in the a world of commercial consumerism.
Her story comprises of how determination, dedication and great EI can enable one to achieve extraordinary career heights.
This book , like many, gives rise to feminist movement and equal opportunities but it's only a small percentage of.
I appreciated that Kirstine raises some excellent points about balance, attitudes, IQ and politics.
These lessons resonate when navigating a career path in the a world of commercial consumerism.
January 2, 2016
Once again I am compelled to read this type of book..thinking I am the target audience and will benefit from the information shared among its pages. I was hoping I would start the new year with some inspired gusts of wind in my sails. Instead I was left drifting.
Kirstine's book talks more about her opportunities and less about where she struggled.
I never really got to a point where I felt there were some pearls of wisdom being imparted. In the world of media and technology, Skyping and telecommuting is a possibility. In many other industries this is still not the status quo and it will be a very long time before it is.
Women are the minority in leadership roles. I would have been more interested in learning what development programs Kirstine implemented at each of her organizations/departments that support more women to have access to opportunities. Who supported her ideas, who didn't? How did she overcome them? It's not that I was looking for her to name names, but to call out antiquated HR policies or satisfying shareholder value meant not opening up vacation time or balancing the pay equity.
Here's another book that missed the mark when it came to being authentically honest about many of the barriers in place that will continue to hold women back in the workplace.
Kirstine's book talks more about her opportunities and less about where she struggled.
I never really got to a point where I felt there were some pearls of wisdom being imparted. In the world of media and technology, Skyping and telecommuting is a possibility. In many other industries this is still not the status quo and it will be a very long time before it is.
Women are the minority in leadership roles. I would have been more interested in learning what development programs Kirstine implemented at each of her organizations/departments that support more women to have access to opportunities. Who supported her ideas, who didn't? How did she overcome them? It's not that I was looking for her to name names, but to call out antiquated HR policies or satisfying shareholder value meant not opening up vacation time or balancing the pay equity.
Here's another book that missed the mark when it came to being authentically honest about many of the barriers in place that will continue to hold women back in the workplace.
May 17, 2016
I switched from buying Kindle books on Amazon.com to Amazon.ca just to be able to read this book. I wish I hadn't. I've heard Kirstine Stewart speak and was hoping this book would be just as great as her talk I saw was. It wasn't. It really gave no real advice that women can take with them into their jobs. Instead, it was a career history of Stewart with little advice for the rest of us.
March 13, 2016
It was fine. Good thoughts about being a leader and a woman but, by the end, I just found it all a bit repetitive. It's got good data in it though from a number of studies and it refers to some key business articles that would be worthwhile following up on.
November 17, 2015
Great book for anyone thinking about their career.
I will pass this book on as my career now is just
being a Nanny.
I received this book through GOODREADS First Reads Giveaway
I will pass this book on as my career now is just
being a Nanny.
I received this book through GOODREADS First Reads Giveaway
May 27, 2024
Empowering and inspiring!
November 23, 2016
Ok , didn't move me like I thought it should. I wanted to hear more of her struggles and how she overcame them,
October 22, 2019
It's always amazing to follow a Female Leader's story, so I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint was that it was too short.
Everything Kirstine said in this book echoed what other female leaders said in their books. Aside from choosing the obvious popular messages for commercial purposes, it was also due to the fact that most of them had similar experiences and encountered similar challenges throughout their career lives. While Kirstine was preaching to the choir (I totally agreed with everything she said), unfortunately the message still rang true because diversity, women supporting women, and society expectations were still not at the level where they should've been.
It shouldn't have been a surprise to me, but it still hit me when Kirstine said women often had to choose 2 out of 3 in their lives: love, kids, and career. I sadly could also say that I rarely saw a woman who managed to have all 3 while staying sane and happy. Even sadder was Kirstine's personal journey of going through a divorce with a partner who on the paper looked like an ideal supportive husband (of course I realised this view was oversimplified), supporting her own point above that she had to 'choose' 2 out of 3.
All in all, it was an enjoyable book. And hopefully this would inspire more women to share their stories out there and open more minds, especially their own.
Everything Kirstine said in this book echoed what other female leaders said in their books. Aside from choosing the obvious popular messages for commercial purposes, it was also due to the fact that most of them had similar experiences and encountered similar challenges throughout their career lives. While Kirstine was preaching to the choir (I totally agreed with everything she said), unfortunately the message still rang true because diversity, women supporting women, and society expectations were still not at the level where they should've been.
It shouldn't have been a surprise to me, but it still hit me when Kirstine said women often had to choose 2 out of 3 in their lives: love, kids, and career. I sadly could also say that I rarely saw a woman who managed to have all 3 while staying sane and happy. Even sadder was Kirstine's personal journey of going through a divorce with a partner who on the paper looked like an ideal supportive husband (of course I realised this view was oversimplified), supporting her own point above that she had to 'choose' 2 out of 3.
All in all, it was an enjoyable book. And hopefully this would inspire more women to share their stories out there and open more minds, especially their own.
April 18, 2023
I had the great honor of meeting and hearing Kirstine Stewart speak on multiple occasions recently. Kirstine’s magnetism and sophistication is truly infectious and is definitely the reason I picked up this book. In her live talks I collected fragments of historical context (her time at the CBC, making a bold technological pivot into Twitter etc.,) but it was a true gift to get to learn in greater depth her twists and turns along the way through “Our Turn”.
The distillation of “women often having to choose 2 out of 3 in their lives: love, kids and career” rocked me (why oh why is this still a thing???) but Kirstine’s embodiment of managing all 3 with poise and grace left me feeling inspired. Kirstine is a true role model.
Admittedly, I’m likely the target audience for this book but there are limitless takeaways that make it a powerful read for all.
If you’re a woman in film - read this book.
If you’re a woman in tech - read this book.
If you have a pulse - read this book.
The distillation of “women often having to choose 2 out of 3 in their lives: love, kids and career” rocked me (why oh why is this still a thing???) but Kirstine’s embodiment of managing all 3 with poise and grace left me feeling inspired. Kirstine is a true role model.
Admittedly, I’m likely the target audience for this book but there are limitless takeaways that make it a powerful read for all.
If you’re a woman in film - read this book.
If you’re a woman in tech - read this book.
If you have a pulse - read this book.
September 6, 2017
Although I have my own business I don't read business memoirs or self help books. So this is a first for me. I'm not Canadian either so I'd never heard of Kirstine Stewart, so I'm not sure why I picked up this book, perhaps the upbeat title.
It is upbeat and has interesting anecdotes so I found it an easy read, but I'm not sure I will remember anything from this book.
A ghost writer, Carolyn Abraham, is mentioned in the acknowledgements at the end, but not on the cover.
It is upbeat and has interesting anecdotes so I found it an easy read, but I'm not sure I will remember anything from this book.
A ghost writer, Carolyn Abraham, is mentioned in the acknowledgements at the end, but not on the cover.
February 10, 2019
Well clearly a competitor, in her own mind at least, of Sheryl Sandberg. A couple of barbed comments sprinkled throughout. Lean in was much better as a leadership for women book imo, but perhaps it’s more related to the experiences I have in my career/ work. The experiences here were so far removed from my own ‘at work’ interactions that I do t have a lot of takeaways from this book.
September 4, 2017
Really interesting book that highlights how women are best poised to lead in this new technological world where the old style of leadership is losing its place. Great insights on successful leadership styles.
October 15, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this! Amidst the Lean Ins, Becomings, etc., it was very important for me to read about her successes (and struggles) as a Canadian woman. I felt like I could relate to it more than some of her American counterparts.
May 15, 2017
Fabulous book on women in leadership, gender gap, and leading in the modern world. It's not about finding the perfect work-life balance but managing the flow - says Kirstine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2023
Inspiring!
January 5, 2025
interesting to read but not my vibe
just read it for school
just read it for school
January 13, 2021
Another good leadership story and philosophy......no nonsense, accessible, and with an emphasis on collaboration, teamwork and emotional intelligence.
January 31, 2016
I like reading books about "girl power" and I thought one written by a Canadian would be interesting.
The author started as a "girl Friday" with a television company and today is oversees Twitter's North American media partnerships. Along the way, she has been senior VP of programming for Alliance Atlantice, executive VP of CBC's English language services and managing director for Twitter Canada. Needless to say, she's come a long way from her beginnings of as a "girl Friday". In addition, she married twice (and divorced once) and had a couple children.
I found the book was written at a high level and not overly helpful to women who want to advance and achieve. There are many many surveys and studies quoted which are interpreted by the author. I found the writing style cold and the author doesn't seem like a warm fuzzy person.
She is obviously very career-driven who no doubt has worked very hard to get to where she is today. But most of us aren't lucky enough to have the opportunities the author had like an encouraging boss who took her under her wing when she was starting out. What do we do then if we don't? Most of us can't afford nannies or have a stay-at-home husband so we can work the crazy hours it takes to get ahead, once one has those opportunities. It seems like the author has forgotten her humble beginnings. It would have been nice to get more into nitty gritty details on what to do in various situations, including the author's experience when things didn't always work out.
We have access to cell phones, computers, etc. and the author advises that we take advantage of technology. But should you, as the author was, be sitting at your child's skating practice and be on a conference call and then get called out about it by your daughter during the practice?
What I got from this book is to speak up with your ideas and that women should work together to get ahead rather than watching out for our own backs ... this is not new advice.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2016/01...
The author started as a "girl Friday" with a television company and today is oversees Twitter's North American media partnerships. Along the way, she has been senior VP of programming for Alliance Atlantice, executive VP of CBC's English language services and managing director for Twitter Canada. Needless to say, she's come a long way from her beginnings of as a "girl Friday". In addition, she married twice (and divorced once) and had a couple children.
I found the book was written at a high level and not overly helpful to women who want to advance and achieve. There are many many surveys and studies quoted which are interpreted by the author. I found the writing style cold and the author doesn't seem like a warm fuzzy person.
She is obviously very career-driven who no doubt has worked very hard to get to where she is today. But most of us aren't lucky enough to have the opportunities the author had like an encouraging boss who took her under her wing when she was starting out. What do we do then if we don't? Most of us can't afford nannies or have a stay-at-home husband so we can work the crazy hours it takes to get ahead, once one has those opportunities. It seems like the author has forgotten her humble beginnings. It would have been nice to get more into nitty gritty details on what to do in various situations, including the author's experience when things didn't always work out.
We have access to cell phones, computers, etc. and the author advises that we take advantage of technology. But should you, as the author was, be sitting at your child's skating practice and be on a conference call and then get called out about it by your daughter during the practice?
What I got from this book is to speak up with your ideas and that women should work together to get ahead rather than watching out for our own backs ... this is not new advice.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2016/01...
November 26, 2015
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This was a good book. This book was about women's roles within the workplace in the 21st century. I talked a lot about how the work dynamics are changing and how men now aren't necessarily the "breadwinner" in the household. It also talked about how women and minority groups can succeed in environments where traditionally they have been at a disadvantage.
This book isn't just for women to read. It is a good read for men as well. They can learn about some of the issues that women face today. especially when it comes to the working world.
This was a good book. This book was about women's roles within the workplace in the 21st century. I talked a lot about how the work dynamics are changing and how men now aren't necessarily the "breadwinner" in the household. It also talked about how women and minority groups can succeed in environments where traditionally they have been at a disadvantage.
This book isn't just for women to read. It is a good read for men as well. They can learn about some of the issues that women face today. especially when it comes to the working world.
September 30, 2015
*Based on a reading of ARC
I think fans of Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and any woman who needs inspiration, motivation and alternate way of thinking about their career will enjoy reading this VERY accessible book.
Redefining the roles, breaking the stereotypes, and re-learning attitudes that have been install in us are some of the topics discussed in the book. I've marked and folded throughout the book because Ms. Stewart has written things I found relevant and hopeful for the future, especially for women.
I think fans of Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In and any woman who needs inspiration, motivation and alternate way of thinking about their career will enjoy reading this VERY accessible book.
Redefining the roles, breaking the stereotypes, and re-learning attitudes that have been install in us are some of the topics discussed in the book. I've marked and folded throughout the book because Ms. Stewart has written things I found relevant and hopeful for the future, especially for women.
January 26, 2016
Not the best book. She just quote research papers? no real insight or original ideas.
February 6, 2016
Every woman starting her career should read this book.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews