Celebrating Unique Ways Women Lead
By Laura Cox Kaplan
You don’t have to be “anti man” to be “pro woman!” That may seem obvious, but I find myself constantly confronted with a narrative that demands we choose a side. It’s unhealthy, and it ultimately harms the people it proclaims to help. It is also one of many reasons why I created the She Said/She Said podcast and platform and joined the board of The Policy Circle. Our goal: learning from each other and celebrating the unique ways that we lead, offer insight, and impact the world in positive ways.
One thing I love best about She Said/She Said is talking through challenges that are often unique to women: how we encounter and process feedback (especially when it’s negative); holding ourselves to an impossibly high standard; navigating career breaks and big transactions (something we are much more likely to experience than men); battling impostor syndrome; and lots of others. The conversations are positive and empowering, but not at the expense of the other gender! As the mother of both a son and a daughter, this is something particularly important to me.
It’s no accident that many of the goals of She Said/She Said align so beautifully with the goals and mission of The Policy Circle. My friend Sylvie Légère (co-founder of The Policy Circle) actually encouraged me to take my seed of an idea and turn it into a podcast. Her support is a powerful example of what we can accomplish as a community when we support each other. Sylvie encouraged me to do something that I already knew I needed to do, but her much-needed push and support gave me the confidence I needed to go for it. Coming from someone who I trust and respect, that meant a lot. (Sylvie was also our first guest on the podcast!) I was also delighted to join the board of The Policy Circle this year and help grow and expand its reach.
Leaping from executive-level partner at PwC to something much more entrepreneurial, I navigated a big career transition like those my guests often talk about on the podcast. And, like many of my guests I did so to pursue a passion and to challenge myself in ways that push me outside (sometimes way outside) my comfort zone. If I’m honest, that scares me. And, if I’m really honest, that fear is sometimes fueled by a tendency to “over internalize” what others think. We talk about this a lot on She Said/She Said (Apparently, I’m not the only one who does this to herself!) I love the myriad of advice my guests provide about letting go of self-doubt, distinguishing between constructive feedback and criticism, and not taking anyone else’s opinion too seriously.
One important thing I’ve learned is that all of us have things that we do to ourselves that — if not well understood or paired with a healthy does of self awareness — can be destructive. With greater self awareness, we can better understand those tendencies and be more conscious about things like why we do or don’t take that big risk. For my guests on the podcast, our listeners, and for me, the power of that self awareness is very empowering!
If you haven’t had a chance to check out She Said/She Said, I hope you’ll do so and subscribe. Like The Policy Circle, we’re building a tremendous community of experts who inspire and educate, and who help us see our tremendous impact as women and as leaders. Our guests’ collective expertise and practical, actionable advice spans business, politics, art, entertainment, diplomacy, education, personal finance, policy, academia, government service, philanthropy, and more. And, their passion, commitment, and impact on others will leave you inspired! And I look forward to seeing you and talking with you at the 2019 Policy Circle Leadership Summit this November. Register today and let’s talk over coffee! And, if you have suggestions and feedback for She Said/She Said, please be sure to send them my way!
The Policy Circle is a 501(c)3 which provides a fact-based, nonpartisan framework built to inspire women living in the same community to connect, learn about and discuss economic policies that impact their lives. Women across the nation are taking a leadership role in the public policy dialogue on what human creativity can accomplish in an open economy.