RÚNA MAGNÚS

View Original

What If... I Just Closed the Box on Gender Equality?

Breaking the Mold: My Farewell to Gender Equality Debates

Here I am, sitting with the first printed copy of my third book, "Beyond Gender: The New Rules of Leadership," in my hands. It's official, tangible, and... to my own amusement, a bit of a snooze-fest. 

That's right, folks, I've written what I lovingly refer to as my 'boring book'

And you know what? I couldn't be prouder.

I realise now that 2023 was a year of venting for me. I poured every ounce of frustration, annoyance, and a lifetime of observations into these pages.  

And now --- as I flip through them, I realise something profound – I'm done. 

Done with the gender equality field? Perhaps. At least done with boxing people into neat, socially constructed boxes!

As an entrepreneur, speaker, and provocateur in the personal leadership field, I've constantly challenged norms. This book was my battlefield. It was less about writing a bestseller than unloading years of pent-up thoughts. 

It's like I needed to get these words out to make space for something new. And in doing so, I realise I've inadvertently created a yawner. A necessary yawner, but a yawner nonetheless.

But here's the kicker – in writing what I hoped could be a revolutionary take on gender and leadership at the time, I realised that I was adding to a conversation that, quite frankly, I'm not sure needs more noise. It's like screaming into a void of echoes of the same old arguments -- There are so many arguments from people in this field. People who are not attending to each other --- more screaming out their frustration, not hearing or even wanting to learn something new.  

And while those arguments are valid and vital, I've come to a personal epiphany: I want to move beyond them.

In a way, this book is my swan song to the gender equality space. I've said my piece. I've shared my views, and now, as I sit here, holding the physical embodiment of my venting session, I find myself ready to turn the page. Literally.

If not gender equality, then what?

What if I just closed the box on gender equality and stepped into something new? Well, what if we all did? Imagine a world where we're no longer fixated on the boxes we put ourselves in but instead on the limitless sky above us.

There is a beginning and an end to everything. 

I started writing this book to shake up the world, but it ended up shaking me. Isn't it funny how life works that way? 

And as I embark on this next chapter, I invite you to come along if you are up for it. 

I'm ready to explore new territories, share my out-of-the-box ideas, challenge even bigger norms, and find some topics that won't bore you and me to tears.

Stay tuned, my friend. Is the best is yet to come? I have no idea what will come next, so I am staying open and ready to share. What I've promised myself is it's not going to be anything boring.  

Cheers to closing chapters and opening new doors! 

Reykjavík, Iceland, January 20th 2024

PS: The official book launch is February 3rd 2024, LIVE on Facebook [HERE]. Luckily, it’s not going to be about me and this boring book; it’s going to be about the future of leadership in a disruptive world with five amazing leaders and thought leaders from five countries.

PPS: If you want to stay in touch and follow my journey - here is a link to sign up for my Newsletter!