After nearly 12 years, yesterday marked my last day at Gap Inc.
While I’m excited to begin a new journey at the end of this month (more to come!), I couldn’t be more grateful to have started my career at the Gap. To everyone who poured into me during my tenure — thank you. Sharing an excerpt from my final email to the company below, as it’s the only way I know how to properly say goodbye.
Until next time.
_______
As my team knows, I often speak in threes. Years ago, as a merchant tasked with learning the art of storytelling, a wise leader once told me, “most people can only remember three things at a time – keep your message concise by focusing on the three most important things you want them to take away from you”. So, to wrap this thing up in proper fashion and leave you with a little bit of me before I go, here are my final “1-2-3s”:
1️⃣ Start with belonging.
Whether it's creating it for your team, driving it through the business, or building it across our global communities, belonging is fundamental to who we are and what we do. You can’t have diversity without inclusion, and both are fruitless without belonging. Further, as the research shows, belonging is one of the most critical components of high performing teams and organizations. So, if you’re stuck on where to start on your Equality & Belonging journey, simply ask yourself and your team if they feel they belong – the rest will flow from there.
2️⃣ Lead with humanity.
Whether facing a global pandemic, a racial reckoning, or a year of unbridled change – being a leader can be as challenging as it is rewarding. To be in service to my team and our mission, over the years I had to grow into being a more vulnerable and transparent leader. I had to show them I was human to build trust and respect. In turn, they gave me grace on my journey, and brought the best of themselves to the job every day. Your teams are looking to you for leadership and direction. They are also looking to you to be human. When in doubt, lead with humanity. It will pay you back tenfold.
3️⃣ Create space for others to be seen.
I will never forget the first time I truly felt seen at this company. It unlocked my purpose and changed the course of my career. Everything I’ve done since then has been a product of that feeling and is continuously amplified by those who pass the feeling onto others. There is someone currently waiting to be seen by you; don’t miss the moment – it could change their life.
And finally: as many of you know, I wouldn’t be here without the Gap. My parents met as District Managers many years ago, and I couldn’t have imagined this to be where I’d start my professional career. Nearly 12 years later and I can honestly say that my time here has been nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you for being part of the journey, and for making me better along the way. This Gap Baby is forever grateful for you.
Until next time – here’s to doing more than selling clothes.
💙🫶🏾
Bahja
Researcher of Authentic Leadership. Doctoral candidate. Leader of amazing humans. Professor. Leadership Nerd.
1moMy very first job was at GAP, in 1999! I worked for the brand for many, many, years and then in more recent years at Old Navy in various roles. From the second I walked in as a 16 year old employee in 1999 to now “just” being a customer (and biggest brand fan), GAP Inc. was always home. Safe. Welcoming. Ahead of its time. Old Navy, and all Gap Inc. employees are amazing and do amazing work for the communities they are in. Thank you for being such a tremendous support to your employees and customers!