For years, my husband and my co-workers encouraged me to write a book about leadership and parenting. As a high-tech executive and a working mom, I found that I was becoming a better leader because of the parenting skills I was learning, and a better parent because of the leadership training I was receiving. When I shared my perspective with my staff and others I mentored, my approach—talking about leadership in terms of parenting, and parenting advice through the lens of leadership lessons—really seemed to resonate.

By capturing my thoughts in writing, I hope to help others during that especially busy period of life when we’re raising children and our careers are growing in both responsibility and complexity. There’s so much to leverage between our growth as leaders and our growth as parents, and by pointing out some of these intersections, I want to help you be more effective both at home and at work.

I chose the title “Use Your Inside Voice”—often used by parents to calm an exuberant child—because it also applies to leaders who need to reach inside themselves to find the right words to inspire others and to speak calmly to their teams, especially in times of crisis. To me, “leadership” describes any role or situation where you provide direction, inspiration, and motivation to others. While much of my leadership focus is based on my corporate experience, I aim to be relevant and interesting to people in any kind of leadership position.

–Karen Catlin