Michele Sullivan - Looking Up: The Advantages of Being Underestimated

PRAISE FOR LOOKING UP

Michele Sullivans beautiful book shows us that cultivating empathy and compassion for others can bring out the best in us. Her message is much needed at a time when so much human progress depends on connection and understanding.

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.org and OptionB.org

This woman is a health hazard for bores or anyone crying into their beer... unless theyre tears of laughter or joy. Shes so sharp you could cut yourself on these pages. Michele has the brain of a neurophysicist and a spirit the size of the sky. If you want to be uplifted, Look this book Up.

Bono, musician and philanthropist

Michele Sullivan has spent a lifetime dismantling assumptions and challenging traditional points of viewabout both people and organizations. The lessons from Looking Up in her career in philanthropy show the power of both individual leadership and collaborative partnership.

Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term mayor of New York City

Looking Up is an uplifting memoir about the journey of an inspiring woman who saw no limits despite being born with a rare form of dwarfism. Throughout this book, Michele takes you on her personal journey that makes you laugh and cry as she refuses to be defined by what some would call a disability. After reading Looking Up, you would be hard-pressed to see Michele as disabled at allrather, she is differently abled. She is pure grace and grit, a unique combination enabling her to overcome all obstacles to successfully accomplish her personal and professional goals, some of which we might think are well beyond our own limits.

Cynthia DiBartolo, founder, chairwoman, and CEO of Tigress Financial Partners

This book is a helpful resource for anyone interested in personal and professional growth. Because you are in charge of your own growth, Id encourage you to grab a copy and read it with your team. Im certainly going to do just that!

Clay Scroggins, author of How to Lead in a World of Distraction

Be inspired to look up when your instinct may be to turn away. This book elicits a call to change perspective, to view people as they truly are and not only what we see. By changing her own perspective, Michele has changed the lives of millions of people around the globe. An inspiring read for all!

Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water and author of Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World

Throughout my career I was influenced and touched by some amazing leadersMichele is one of them. As I strived to be a better leader, I learned from the example she set by embracing diversity and practicing the principles she has outlined in Looking Up. As I have dealt with the challenges of an ALS diagnosis, I have drawn from the courage Michele demonstrates each and every day. Her book will make you laugh and cry but more importantly, think. Enjoy.

Ed Rapp, former Caterpillar Group president

Micheles call to action is simple but profound: strip away the deep-seated biases and view others, instead, for their inherent value. Her captivating story and the enlightened lessons woven within will inspire you to live better, and to elevate others along your path.

Bill Kurtis, award-winning journalist

When we look up to others, we discover their true value and it places an indelible imprint on our lives. Investing, both financially and emotionally, in social impact endeavors will not only improve our businesses, families, and communitiesit will make us better people. Valuing those around us and giving of ourselves are essential and less complicated than you may think. Within these pages, Michele will inspire you, call you to action, and impart genuine wisdom.

Jeff Whiteman, president/CEO of Empire Southwest

Copyright 2020 by Michele Sullivan

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by HarperCollins Leadership, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC.

Any internet addresses, phone numbers, or company or product information printed in this book are offered as a resource and are not intended in any way to be or to imply an endorsement by HarperCollins Leadership, nor does HarperCollins Leadership vouch for the existence, content, or services of these sites, phone numbers, companies, or products beyond the life of this book.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Photograph of author with Barack Obama courtesy of the White House. All other photos courtesy of the author and used with permission.

ISBN 978-1-4002-1432-7 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-1431-0 (HC)

Epub Edition December 2019 9781400214327

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sullivan, Michele, 1965- author.

Title: Looking up : how a different perspective turns obstacles into advantages / Michele Sullivan.

Description: [Nashville. TN] : HarperCollins Leadership, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: Michele Sullivan, who has a rare form of dwarfism, shares how her physical posture taught her the most effective relational posture with others, which helped her become one of the most powerful women in philanthropy-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019031474 | ISBN 9781400214310 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781400214327 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Attitude change. | Interpersonal communication. | Vulnerability (Personality trait)

Classification: LCC HM1186 .S85 2020 | DDC 303.3/8--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019031474

Printed in the United States of America

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Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that the endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

This book is dedicated to my family and

to those who choose every day to look up

to others instead of down on them.

CONTENTS

H i, CherieIm Michele Sullivan. This is how our friendship began in 2014, with a perfect blend of warmth and poise, as Im sure it has for many others who have been lucky enough to meet Michele. We got on from the start and I felt inspired by the introduction. We met while attending the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where there are endless esteemed and accomplished people to meet. Michele and I instantly found a common ground: we were both there to elevate others. Michele was there with the Caterpillar Foundation, and I was representing the work of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and the incredible women entrepreneurs I have the privilege of working with all over the world.

I started the foundation in 2008, with the vision of working toward economic equality between men and women, and weve been incredibly successful, helping nearly 150,000 aspiring women entrepreneurs across the world to start and grow businesses. Micheles work with the Caterpillar Foundation had caught my attention in the months prior to attending the UNGA. I told Michele how I was a fan of her work. It was true then and it remains so today.