Heading into the homestretch

of a high-risk pregnancy, I am turning to a time-honored coping mechanism. “Go to the literature,” as Joan Didion writes in The Year of Magical Thinking. “Information is control.” I’m annotating my way through a pile of books on our nightstand, from Strong as a Mother to The Anthropology of Childhood; scanning the What to Expect and Mayo Clinic websites; and perusing scientific studies, journalistic articles, personal essays, and blog posts. Consuming a steady diet of perspectives on parenting helps me feel less alone in my experiences. There is comfort in context, in precedents, in joining a long line of initiates into motherhood.

What’s often struck me in navigating these unfamiliar, choppy waters is how much goes into making a singular human being. Community and connection are critical. The list of people who have helped and supported me thus far is long. Numbering among them are the members of Guerrero’s creative department. They congratulated me with immediate, unreserved warmth when I shared the news of my pregnancy. They treated me with respect and kindness when I ranted, or lamented, or thought aloud about my hopes and dreams for my future daughter. They did the same during a prolonged period in the first trimester when I said nothing at all. And when I worked from home, bedridden for weeks because of what was then an unspecified health condition, they demonstrated, in word and deed, what institutional support can look like.

The anticipated arrival of one person has fundamentally altered the tilt of my world’s axis. I marvel that everyone I see—functional, purposeful, bright-eyed—came about through a process requiring tremendous effort and care. Like tree ecosystems that nourish vast swathes of flora, fauna, and people, society’s interconnected leaves and branches and roots woven thickly together sustain multitudes of individuals. None of us can do it alone. The good news is that we don’t have to. We are all in this together.

This issue’s feature section, Purpose, spotlights ten legal executives who care about the greater good. Purpose is what transforms a job into a calling. The leaders in our Purpose section are called to serve. Turn to page 73 to read about ManpowerGroup’s Noah Fenceroy, whose love for Milwaukee has motivated him to revitalize his hometown by connecting community residents (and job seekers nationwide) to career opportunities. On page 76, Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Vaishali Udupa describes how she has charted a rare course as a woman of color in leadership—and spoken up early and often about the need for more diverse representation in law. And on page 44, you will find our cover story on Bacardi’s Martin Voke, detailing his efforts to level the playing field for women at his company and throughout the predominantly male spirits industry.

The truth is that information is not control. We can only control so much of our lives. But we can do our best to ride the waves of change, making informed decisions that benefit ourselves and our world.

Hana Yoo Managing Editor