As we gear up for Customer Contact Week in Austin, we wanted to reflect on the insights shared by our community in past events. Our work wouldn’t be possible without our luminaries’ continuous support and advocacy.
During our CCWomen Nashville summit, our keynote speaker, Gloria Feldt, led a powerful talk on reshaping women’s relationship with power—and how we can leverage our strengths to make a lasting impact.
She noted, “History has made power about fighting, war, and the consumption of scarce resources. But we must think about power as the ability to do what we think is important—to make life better for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our world.”
Former president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, founder of Take the Lead Women and an all-around feminist trailblazer, Feldt boasts decades of experience that inspire women worldwide. With a relentless passion for gender parity and equity, she shared nine women’s empowerment tools to help us redefine leadership and pursue success more confidently.
Let’s review.
1. “Uncover yourself.”
Practicing authenticity is liberating, but it’s also incredibly vulnerable. Sometimes, it feels easier to mask our real selves and become more digestible to the masses. Men, women, and people in between—we’re all guilty of it. In fact, Deloitte reveals that 60% of employees cover themselves during work. We fight to belong and be accepted but sometimes lose ourselves in the process.
If you truly want to reframe power, Feldt notes, the first step is to uncover yourself. Even in the face of possible judgment, you must learn to come as you are and remove the mask that hides you. Why? She states: “When we can comfortably walk in our own skin, it builds trust. When we’re authentic, people know how to relate with us.”
2. “Dream up.”
With a dream of her own—to achieve gender parity by 2025—Feldt dares us to strive without limits. After all, women’s empowerment is a lifetime commitment that requires us to dive into meaningful work, whatever that looks like for each of us.
Want to start a business? Become a vice president of an entire department? Write it all down for your long-term vision. Feldt reminds us that it’s important to set big goals and follow up with smaller, more attainable steps to help you get where you need to be. And when you inevitably run into obstacles, don’t allow them to deter you; value the life lesson and continue to move forward.
3. “Believe in the infinite pie.”
When building genuine connections, we shouldn’t just think about what people can do for us but consider everything we can do for one another. In Feldt’s supplementary workbook for her book, Intentioning, she challenges us to reflect on two questions:
- “How can I help you?”
- “How can you help me?”
You can immediately put these into action and log whenever you feel you accomplished one. When you take a step back, you may be able to note the impact of your efforts and how it further solidifies your relationships. Any support goes a long way; you’d be surprised by how your network shows up when you least expect it.
4. “Modulate confidence.”
Boosting confidence is an absolute must, especially if we know we can bring fresh ideas to the table. However, Feldt also emphasizes that we must maintain our expectations and be open to learning with humility.
If you approach goals with the mindset that you can do no wrong and make no mistakes, it can slow you down in the long run. There’s value in acknowledging your shortcomings while taking the necessary risks to grow. As long as you maintain a sense of your purpose and pursue your mission with people who can both elevate and teach you, you’ll get where you need to be.
5. “Strike your own balance.”
You may have many daring dreams and a long list of high-level priorities, but trying to tackle everything at once is daunting. Without direction, they can quickly get bogged down and bear little fruit. Instead, Feldt encourages us to “strike our own balance” or take the time to identify what’s most important for us and filter out the rest.
Are your plans inspired by the authentic you, or are they conjured up by external forces and pressure to be someone you’re not? You must ask yourself the hard questions—because the answers will help you silence the noise and map a clearer path.
6. “Build social capital.”
In leadership, community, and other facets of the corporate experience, relationships are at the heart of what we do. To be memorable and relatable, we must clearly communicate the values that we hold closest to us, then invite others in achieving a common purpose.
Our social capital enables us to unlock growth opportunities and take our careers to the next level. Whether you want to secure a promotion or change the world, you can’t do any of it alone. Expanding your network to include mentors, colleagues, and associates from all backgrounds allows you to be empowered from multiple places, and by a diverse group of people.
7. “Be unreasonable.”
Similar to how we should “dream up,” being excessively ambitious may take us higher than we think. Imagine your seemingly impossible objectives and tell yourself that they’re, in fact, more than possible. As we chug along the new year, you can be creative in how you choose to visualize your ambitions, whether you write them in your journal, create a physical vision board, or make a presentation.
Want to curb climate change? Empower women nationwide through policies and legislation? Help get rid of poverty? Don’t hold your dreams in; breathe life and personality into them, and share your passion with others who can fight the good fight with you.
8. “Unpack implicit bias.”
As women in business, we’re all too familiar with harmful biases that often prevent us from reaching our full potential. McKinsey reveals that we receive microaggressions more than men, with Asian and Black women being seven times more likely to be confused with someone else from a similar background.
The beauty of intersectionality is that no person’s experience is the same, and we can use these moments to empower us—and our community—instead of allowing them to hinder our progress. Think of the areas of your life you have privilege versus where you do not. How can you leverage your advantages to dismantle biases and pave a more equitable future for other women?
9. “Clang your symbols.”
When words fail to stick, symbols help us remember. Why does every organization invest time into creating a distinct logo? It’s a succinct form of brand storytelling where companies express their values to a core audience through memorable images, styles, and fonts. It requires creativity and strategy, and a level of vulnerability that can help maximize impact.
Feldt urges us to think about our own story and what we want to share with the world. What symbols define your journey and who you strive to be? How can they inspire you to pursue meaningful work with boldness and courage?
Discover your power with CCWomen.
At CCWomen, a platform created by women, for women and allies, we strive to elevate our community in tangible ways—through informative webinars, resonant content, networking opportunities, and more.
We can’t wait to continue empowering you as we build a brighter, more equitable future for all of us. Join our membership to be a part of our story.
Want to learn more about “intentioning” and how Feldt’s leadership solutions can help you take the lead? Purchase her book here.
