When Did You First Know You Had Power?
Do keep on posting those wonderful stories of women in history who deserve greater recognition than they get.
Today, I also have an extra question to ask. I’m delivering the keynote address at an event that recognizes two very important women in history: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I’ll be at the University of Rochester’s Stanton/Anthony Conversations, speaking on “How Women Use Power: Transforming Leadership.”
My question is: Was there a moment when you knew you had the power to….(you fill in the blank)? If so, what was it? If not, was there some other process that occurred to give you a sense of your own power to…(your words here)?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Read MoreInvestors Put Gender on the Agenda
This article was originally published in Businesswire. Whatever works . . .
A coalition of global investors, managing over US $73 billion in assets, called on companies across the world today to increase representation of qualified women on boards of directors and in senior management. The call from Pax World, Calvert and Walden Asset Management, comes in response to a survey of 4,200 global companies that found only 9.4 percent of directors on corporate boards were women.
These findings have led a number of mainstream investors to identify gender balance and diversity as a strategic issue in their investment activity. The investors in this new coalition have asked 54 selected companies from across the business spectrum for greater clarity about gender balance within their organizations.
“We view gender equality and women’s empowerment as strategic business and investment issues,” said Joe Keefe, President and CEO of Pax World. “When women are at the table, the discussion is richer, the decision-making process is better, management is more innovative and collaborative and the organization is stronger. Because companies that advance and empower women are, in our view, better long-term investments, we are encouraging companies in our portfolios to enhance their performance on gender issues.”
The investor initiative is a response to the Women’s Empowerment Principles1 recently developed by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the United Nations Global Compact. The Women’s Empowerment Principles are designed to help companies take specific steps to advance and empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.
Read MoreBusboys and Poets: Washington, DC
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The Busboys and Poets audience was fantastic! There was standing room only. I saw many old friends and made lots of new ones. Thank you DC! And is this the cutest stage ever? Love the pumpkin!
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From the Left:
Reading from No Excuses
Jenna Mellor and J. Schmitz told their stories and we discussed power tools “tell your story” and “embrace controversy.”
Jodi Jacobson, editor in chief of RH Reality Check introducing the program at Busboys and Poets. Special thanks to Tamara Kreinin and the United Nations Foundation Women and Population program. UNF, RHRC, and the Women’s Campaign Forum co-sponsored the event.
Read MoreWelcome to 9Ways Blog
Read MoreCome join the conversation about No Excuses –
9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power
Download the 9 Ways Power Tools. And watch this brief slide show about the 9 Ways Power Tools.
Welcome to 9 Ways: a conversation about how you can apply the No Excuses 9 Ways power tools to your life. Download the free 9 Ways Power Tools. Subscribe to the 9 Ways Blog feed to stay in the loop. know your history * define your own terms * use what you’ve got * embrace controversy * carpe the…
Read MoreWriting Women Back Into History
On Monday I told you the story of Sybil Luddington, a Revolutionary War hero who has been all but erased from history. We all know who has written the history books, and how that has resulted in men getting to tell their version of events. But there are two sides to every story. Part of changing our relationship with power means that it’s time for women to reclaim our history, and write ourselves back into the history books.
Shelby Knox took some time to speak with me at my book launch last week about a woman who has inspired her: suffragist Matilda Joslyn Gage. Take a look at what Shelby has to say about Gage’s contributions to women’s history.
What women from history have inspired you? Whose shoulders are you standing on? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments section.
Discussing Women's Leadership at 2010 Bioneers Conference
Many people have asked what I’m going be doing at the famous and fabulous Bioneers conference. Here’s a big part of it described in the post below, and I am so excited! Bioneers co-founder Nina Simons has created a stunning women’s leadership program that grapples with just the issues of women’s relationship with power that I discuss in No Excuses. If you’re going to be attending Bioneers, please find me and say hello. I’m also doing a book signing at 4:30 on Saturday Oct.16 in the bookstore, as well as two panels in addition to this. For more information, check out my events page.
Sat 10/16 @2:45 pm
Panel: Moonrise – Women Leading from the HeartSun 10/17 @10:45 am
Plenary Keynote: Riding the Leadership WaveSun. 10/17 @ 4:30 pm
Panel: Women, Gender, Media
Bioneers Conference programming is central to the women’s leadership program, as it not only creates opportunities for thousands to experience the stories of diverse innovative women leaders, but captures their presentations by video and audio recording for future radio, media and educational use. This year’s conference program is especially strong, spanning U.S. and global efforts, and bridging the environmental and social worlds with power, edginess and grace.
Plenary presentations – which will reach many thousands in satellite sites across the nation and on web casts around the world – will feature accomplished global sustainability youth leader Jess Rimington and international media arts innovator for women’s human rights Mallika Dutt, whose use of celebrity in media is saving lives and transforming culture in India and the US. National Geographic fellow and native Hawai’ian Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey, who was raised by elders to be a steward of ancestral wisdom, will reveal the key role of indigenous science in planetary restoration. A legendary community organizer and leader at integrating faith-based organizing, Mary Gonzales will speak to the environment’s relationship to equity and the economy. Sunday will feature the activist/author of The Soul of Money and cofounder of The Pachamama Alliance, Lynne Twist, who works to save the rainforest and cultures that coexist with it, to reconnect money with what we hold sacred, and to awaken corporations and people to the urgency of global warming. Gloria Feldt, celebrated author and former president of Planned Parenthood of America will speak to the value of (especially women, but all of us) Embracing Controversy to cultivate leadership capacity. Jane Goodall, whose world-renowned primatology work in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park has already inspired generations of women globally, will offer her vision of empowering people to make a difference for all living things.
Read MorePower Tool #1: Know Your History
Women’s history is the primary tool of their emancipation. ~Gerda Lerner
This week I’d love to know your thoughts about the first of the 9 Ways power tools, “Know your history and you can create the future of your choice.” Do you agree with that statement?
I wrote it because women have been all but written out of history. Yet we are always everywhere giving birth to everyone and doing all kinds of important things despite barriers.
Take the story of Sybil Luddington. At age sixteen, on April 26, 1777, Sybil rode through towns in New York and Connecticut warning that the British were coming. She gathered enough volunteers to beat back the British army the next day, and her ride was twice as long as Paul Revere’s. Yet, unless you live in the small Connecticut town named for her, it’s doubtful you’ve ever heard of her. Sometimes she is called the “female Paul Revere” but couldn’t he just as well be called “the male Sybil Luddington?”
How many women did you learn about in high school history classes? Bet you can count them on one hand without using all your fingers. So here’s your chance to rectify that. Tell 9 Ways readers (and me) about a woman or women in history that you feel wasn’t given her due by the history books.
We’re going to be talking about these questions all week. I’m looking forward to your thoughts and stories.
Read MoreI Myself Am The Lathe
Introductory note from Gloria: When you write a book, you never know how who will read it or what impression it might make. Imagine how moved I was to stumble across this post by someone I had never met and read her words about how No Excuses had inspired her. Elin Stebbins Waldal really takes the power tools to heart . . . read on and see.
A Twitter post has got me thinking today.
Although I have not met Gloria Feldt—I almost feel I have. After perusing her website and reading a few of her blogs—I feel it in my bones, there is a common ground that we stand on.
I happened upon her Twitter feed this morning and opened her link and read this:
“In No Excuses, I say women don’t yet know what to do with the power everyone else knows we have. That the time has come for women to embrace that power. What are your thoughts? What examples in your own life or your observations about others makes you think this is or is not women’s moment?” –Gloria Feldt
It’s quite possible that I have read Gloria’s question above about a thousand times, seriously, at least a thousand…or that is how it feels. I should state first that I have not read her book, No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power—yet.
I have however, read her 9 Power Tools, love that—power tools, makes me feel as if I have a Lathe at my disposal—or is it that I myself am the Lathe, capable of re-shaping anything beginning with the way I think about power.
Yes, I myself am the Lathe.
Read MoreThe Strand: New York, New York
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Left: Jenn Pozner, founder and executive director of Women in Media and News asks a question while journalist Jessica Wakeman and filmmaker Therese Shechter look on.
Center: Talking about No Excuses and the 9 Ways at The Strand in New York
Right: Jenn Pozner live tweets while Liz Abzug tells us how her mother Bella used her power. (Bella used to say, “We want it all but we’ll take half.”)
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