Redefining Power with Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

Women have always had power. Every day, we successfully juggle our careers, social lives, and families, and increasingly women are the breadwinners in our relationships. We’re also landing more C-suite roles than ever.  Today there are 53 women leading Fortune 500 companies — that’s up from literally four women in the year 2000. So, while that’s certainly progress, it’s still only 10% — and we are 50% of the population. 

At the same time, we also have to acknowledge that the definition of the word “power” can be vastly different when we compare the sexes — what does a woman in power want and need, vs. a man in power? And when you think of a powerful woman vs. a powerful man, what images does your mind conjure?

READ MORE: 7 Dates in Financial History That Changed The Future For Women 

Thankfully, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman are helping us redefine the word “power” for a new generation. They joined us for an episode of the How She Does It podcast this week, with Host Karen Finerman. Katty and Claire are the authors of the new book: “The Power Code: More Joy. Less Ego. Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone).” They are New York Times bestselling authors, longtime journalists and advocates for change when it comes to issues vital to women. (Check out their previous episode of HerMoney with Jean Chatzky here!) 

In their newest title, they say that  “because women don’t like the way power is right now, a more expansive version of power would be better for everyone.” They say that traditionally, power has been defined largely as “power over” — it’s been focused on authority, but women see power as “power to.” For example, women are much more motivated by the WHY — why are we doing this? And what are we going to achieve? “They tend to be less hierarchical, more collaborative, more democratic about the use of power, and they’re heavily focused on the mission,” says Claire. 

So, how can we find more joy, and make the maximum impact? Listen in for their best advice for feeling confident when walking into an interview or a big presentation. And subscribe to How She Does It on Apple Podcasts, and leave us a review! 

READ MORE ON HERMONEY: 

• HerMoney Podcast Episode 257: How Women Over 50 Can Reclaim Workplace Confidence And Power 
• 3 Empowering Steps For Women To Build Financial Confidence  
• How to Truly Help Another Woman’s Career

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