A Fertile Space of Power & Leadership
Last week, I attended a three-day reunion of Women & Power, a program of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. I was well overdue, not having attended a reunion since 2011 or 2012. Having shifted from the position which first enabled me to join the program in 2005, my contact information was most likely not updated, and so I lost many years of reconnecting with some extraordinary women.
The reunion was held in North Carolina. The theme was “Leading with Purpose, Learning, Connecting, Sharing.” Women came from around the states, as well as from England, Ivory Coast, Mexico, and Wales. We were fortunate that members of the planning committee work with SAS, a global software analytics company, so our sessions were held on their impressive, state-of-the-art 600-acre campus in Cary, N.C.
As expected, the organizers brought in exceptional speakers from diverse areas—conservation, government, academia, health service, and small business. Even as Harvard runs the Woman & Power program each year, the reunions are volunteer planned and executed by alumnae. Typically, someone will offer to hold the reunion in their home city and others will step up to assist if there aren’t enough people to handle the months of planning it takes to pull it all together.
The women in this group, and others since its inception in 2002, are highly accomplished leaders in their industries with many decades of success and attainments. As we went around the room introducing ourselves and reconnecting with each other, common threads became apparent. These women are courageous yet vulnerable. Even as everyday realities become weighty, they strive for joy. They dare to step towards a challenge and are constantly self-reflective as they ask difficult questions about the purpose and meaning of their work. There is a deep desire to understand the nuances of power as it impacts their ability to effect change and do good work. The reunions, as with the initial program experience, create a space grounded in safety with springboards of possibility.
We listened to each other’s stories, identified with our struggles, and relished the small and large successes along the way. Our appreciation for each other deepened as we tapped into our expertise—individual and collective intelligence—to frame a new perspective or ask an empowering question when a challenge was presented. And so, we dug into our experiences of navigating the maze and dynamics of power to track the impact of what we do and how we do it.
Defining Our Relationship to Power
After watching a short video with several women of diverse age, ethnicity, and profession express their thoughts regarding power, we were asked to share something about our relationship to power. It was a reflection that brought forth the ever-evolving nature of power and the myriad dimensions it can take. As each woman spoke, another common thread became evident—power was not viewed from a stance of dominance or the ability to wield control.
The notion of having and using power was framed as a space to create opportunities. This space was fertile when it was seeded with:
Agency, which acknowledges everyone’s capacity to lead.
Grace, which underscores the importance of kindness as central to all interactions.
Responsibility, to see things through because our contributions are important.
Integrity, to hold fast to our values and act from our highest standards.
Respect, that welcomes different perspectives, voices, and styles.
Building consensus, for diverse voices to mold our direction.
Resiliency, to persevere and keep going irrespective of challenges.
Passion, as the fuel that makes us aspire for great things.
Jazz musicians often are asked to step into a performance at the last moment. It is in those instances that the deeply embedded principles and practices of the music prevail as the foundation for creating a beautiful musical experience. The beauty is that as audience members, we can’t tell who is new and who is not—and it doesn’t matter.
The experience of the Women & Power group, with women from the early classes of 2002 through 2023, of old friends and new acquaintances was reminiscent of the formation of a jazz ensemble as mentioned above—coming together for a common purpose, forming a synergy of connected cohesion, and moving forward with a harmonious flow (our highest principle Ensemble Mindset). Our three days together revealed what can happen when individuals leverage their power to help each other, which, in turn, creates a ripple effect radiating goodness and beauty.
Reminder: Look out for the debut of Greg’s Straight Ahead: The Omni-American Podcast on Sept. 28th at 4pm EST with musician and podcaster, Coleman Hughes!
