In a recent LinkedIn post, Emily Lyons shared a powerful observation about the nature of support and ambition, using a moment from the Golden Globes to illustrate her point. Lyons highlights the palpable joy and pride displayed by Jamie Lee Curtis upon Michelle Yeoh’s Best Actress win for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” suggesting this uncontained enthusiasm is the energy she seeks to cultivate.
As Emily Lyons puts it:
“That’s the energy I’m looking for in 2026. Not quiet support. Not polite applause. Not comparison disguised as curiosity. Full-body celebration.”
Rethinking Professional Relationships and Success
Lyons uses this vivid imagery to challenge conventional notions of professional support and competition. She argues that true advancement comes not from passive acknowledgment but from genuine, enthusiastic endorsement. This perspective, honed over 16 years in business, leads her to a core belief:
“You can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you.”
This statement underscores a proactive approach to building a supportive network. Lyons contends that individual success should not be viewed as a zero-sum game where one person’s triumph diminishes another’s. She directly addresses the ingrained societal conditioning that often pits women against each other, framing it as the real obstacle rather than external competition.
Challenging Traditional Competitive Frameworks
According to Emily Lyons, the narrative that women must compete for limited opportunities is a detrimental one. She suggests that instead of viewing colleagues as rivals for scarce resources, individuals should foster an environment where one person’s success fuels another’s. Lyons points out that this competitive mindset, often learned from a young age, can hinder collective progress.
“Her success doesn’t subtract from yours. Her moment doesn’t delay yours. Her spotlight doesn’t dim what’s meant for you. Competition was never the threat. Conditioning was.”
Lyons advocates for a paradigm shift, moving away from scarcity-based thinking towards abundance and mutual encouragement. She believes that breaking down these ‘conditioned’ barriers is essential for true professional growth, not just for individuals but for the broader community.
Cultivating Authentic Support Networks
In her concluding remarks, Emily Lyons encourages readers to actively seek and embody the kind of enthusiastic support she admires. She urges a move beyond superficial encouragement towards deep, meaningful celebration of each other’s achievements.
Finding and Being a ‘Jamie’
Lyons’s call to action is to identify and nurture relationships characterized by genuine support, likening it to the supportive dynamic she observed at the awards ceremony. She posits that settling for less enthusiastic acknowledgment is a disservice to oneself and the potential for collective achievement.
“We were taught to see other women as obstacles to limited seats at tables we should’ve burned down years ago. In 2026: Find your Jamie. Be someone’s Jamie. And stop settling for people who can only celebrate you in whispers.”
Lyons’s message is a powerful reminder that the environment we create and the people we surround ourselves with significantly impact our journey. By fostering a culture of genuine, ‘full-body celebration,’ she suggests, professionals can unlock greater potential and build more resilient, empowering networks.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Emily Lyons on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on January 20, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →