We’re Still Here!
July 5th, 2026
Rarely has the world needed Women’s Ways of Leading more than now. Yesterday was July 4th and much of our country was celebrating–as it should be, even when deep in our hearts we’re not so sure. Mary and I celebrate the evolution of the role of women since our youth. As part of our celebration we’ve not ask how women can better fit those models of old but we have reinvented roles…our vision of leadership emphasizes self-awareness, collaboration, shared learning, purpose-driven action, mentoring others, and building healthy communities. We know that innately women excel in these areas. One of our central ideas is that leadership develops over time through increasing confidence, authenticity, and integration of one’s values and actions. Leadership is portrayed not as a position of traditional power but as a reinvention of power itself. Stay tuned.
Reframing Power
August 22nd, 2026
We women have been struggling with ambivalence and experiences about power for centuries. Women have been encased by dominating power, avoided our own expressions of power and submitted to the shadows of powerlessness. Laura Kray, an organizational psychologist, and authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman and we recommend that the definition of power be reframed from the traditional definition of control, authority or influence over others as “power over,” to a newer form, a distinctly female version, “power with.. Consider “power to” as a means to maximize the impact of change, and, more importantly, “power with” as a communal exercise.
In previous writings, we have designated the difference between power over and power to. As well as power with. We define power as first and foremost a personal, internal process ranging from powerless to powerful. It involves finding one’s voice, growing in confidence and acknowledging personal authority. Externally, power is manifest in the mutual influence of other’s questions, judgments, emotions and behaviors.
“Power With” is inherent in our concept of reciprocal learning and leadership. It multiples the personal power of the participants through mutual influence and creation. To understand the process fully, see our new book, Women’s Ways of Leading: Revisited.
The pathway from Powerless to Power With is the journey of a lifetime. See our next posting for how to compose a powerful life.