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>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> PLEASURE TO BE HERE.
>> YOU'RE A FED EX ABQ SPEAKER IN 2011, AND YOU SAID AT THAT
TIME YOU REALIZED MOST OF YOUR LIFE YOU WERE LEADING FROM
YOUR MASCULINE SIDE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> WHAT IT MEANT TO ME, MEGAN, WAS THAT I RELIED HEAVILY ON
MY OWN CAPACITY TO TAKE CHARGE, TO KNOW WHAT NEEDED TO
BE DONE AND DO IT, OR INITIATE IT, TO REALLY LOOK TOWARDS MY
SORT OF LINEAR SKILLS, MY CAPACITY TO WRITE A BUSINESS
PLAN, MY MATH SKILLS, MY ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS.
AND I WASN'T REALLY -- WHAT I REALIZED AT THAT TIME, WAS
THAT I HADN'T BEEN USING MY, WHAT I SAW, AS MY FEMININE
SIDE. AND, SO, I REALLY HADN'T BEEN
PAYING ATTENTION TO ANY SORT OF CREATIVE INSIGHTS THAT CAME
UP. I HADN'T BEEN LISTENING AS
MUCH AS I MIGHT BE IN LEADERSHIP.
I HAD BEEN TALKING CERTAINLY MORE THAN I WAS LISTENING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO
SYNCHRONICITY OR INTUITION OR ANY OTHER ASPECTS OF MYSELF SO
IN MY INNER LEXICON I HAD BEEN LEANING ON MY MASCULINE AND
NOT REALLY USING MY FEMININE SIDE.
>> THOSE WERE THE VALUES THAT SOCIETY VALUE, THE QUALITIES
THAT SOCIETY VALUES. >> EXACTLY, WHICH WAS WHY I
REALIZED THAT I HAD NATURALLY AND OF NECESSITY LEANED ON
THEM, YOU KNOW, SO IT WASN'T THAT I WAS FEELING BADLY.
I JUST REALIZED THAT I DIDN'T FEEL IN BALANCE WITH MYSELF.
AND, THAT THERE WERE ASPECTS OF WHO I WAS THAT I REALLY
WANTED TO BRING INTO MY LEADERSHIP AND THAT IN ORDER
TO DO THAT, I HAD TO GET CONSCIOUS ABOUT A LOT OF
CHOICES THAT I HAD BEEN MAKING THAT I THINK I HAD
MADE SUBLIMINALLY AND BECAUSE THE CULTURE SORT OF INCLINED
ME TOWARDS IT. >> SO, WHAT ARE THE KIND OF
VALUES YOU NEED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THAT YOU THINK WE
SHOULD BE CELEBRATING IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP?
>> I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH WOMEN WHO ARE GRASS ROOTS
WOMEN'S LEADERS FOR THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AND A LOT
OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS THAT WOMEN ARE BRINGING A WHOLE
DIFFERENT SET OF VALUES INTO LEADERSHIP AND AMONG THEM ARE
THE ABILITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN WE DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW. HUH.
YOU CAN BE JUST AS POWERFUL A LEADER AND NOT KNOW THE ANSWER
TO A QUESTION. OR, THE NEED TO ASSERT
BOUNDARIES TO YOUR LEADERSHIP SO INSTEAD OF DRIVING IN FIFTH
GEAR NONSTOP THAT IT IS OKAY AS A LEADER TO SAY, I HAVE
THIS MUCH ENERGY AND THEN I NEED TO REST AND THEN I NEED
SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE THE BALL FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
WHAT WE FOUND IS WOMEN CONSISTENTLY OR OFTEN,
ANYWAY, REALLY VALUE COLLABORATION AND SHARED
LEADERSHIP, MUCH MORE THAN OUR TRADITIONAL INHERITED
DEFINITION WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE.
AND SO COLLABORATION, LISTENING, BEING WILLING TO
NOT KNOW AND INTEGRATING SORT OF MORE OF THE PARTS OF
OURSELVES IN LEADERSHIP THAN THE CONVENTIONAL LEADERSHIP
MODEL. >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
INTEGRATING DIFFERENT PARTS AND IN THE WORKSHOPS YOU DO ON
CULTIVATING WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP YOU TALK ABOUT INFILTRATING
THE FEMININE AND MASCULINE CAPACITY WITHIN EACH OF US, SO
MEN AND WOMEN INTEGRATING THEIR FEMININE AND MASCULINE.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? >> I BELIEVE DEEPLY THAT WE
ALL HAVE MASCULINE AND FEMININE WITHIN US, REGARDLESS
OF WHAT GENDER WE INHABIT. PART OF WHAT WE'RE ALL
REINVENTING RIGHT NOW IS WHAT DOES A HEALTHY MASCULINE AND
HEALTHY FEMININE MEAN FOR ANY US.
IT IS PART OF A WHOLE SYSTEM'S APPROACH TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THE WORLD HAS MASCULINE AND FEMININE IN IT, SO DO WE.
OF COURSE, THE WORLD OUT THERE, REFLECTS THE WORLD IN
HERE. SO, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GET
IN TOUCH WITH YOUR QUOTE MASCULINE CAPACITIES AS A
WOMAN WHICH MIGHT MEAN YOUR ABILITY TO STAY FOCUSED, YOUR
ABILITY TO TAKE THE LEAD IN A GENERATIVE SENSE, YOU'RE
ABILITY TO STAND STRONG FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN AND TO
MAKE A COMPELLING CASE. THOSE MIGHT BE SEEN AS
MASCULINE QUALITIES WITHIN A WOMAN.
IT IS EVEN, I WOULD SUGGEST -- >> SHE MIGHT GET CALLED BOSSY.
SORRY. >> I WAS GOING TO GO FURTHER
AND SAY, IT MIGHT EVEN BE APPROPRIATE IN LEADERSHIP
SOMETIMES FOR A WOMAN TO BE ANGRY, YOU KNOW, WHEN, OF
COURSE, SHE WOULD BE CALLED ALL KINDS OF OTHER NAMES.
BUT, LEADERSHIP MEANS INTEGRATING ALL OF WHO WE ARE.
AND IN THE SAME WAY, IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A WOMAN IN
LEADERSHIP TO SHOW IF SHE IS UNHAPPY OR GRIEVE, YOU KNOW.
AND, NONE OF THOSE THINGS MAKE US LESS OF A LEADER.
SO, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ALL INHERITED A DEFINITION OF
LEADERSHIP THAT IS VERY SELF LIMITING AND THAT IS KEEPING A
LOT OF US, PARTICULARLY WE WOMEN, FROM WHOLEHEARTEDLY
ASPIRING TO LEADERSHIP. >> THAT IS INTERESTING YOU
BRING THAT UP. WHEN I WAS ASKED A FEW YEARS
AGO TO RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF A NATIONAL WOMEN'S
JOURNALISM ORGANIZATION, MY FIRST REACTION WAS, WHAT, I
CAN'T DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH.
AKA, I AM NOT WORTHY OR WHATEVER SELF LIMITING STORY.
THIS IS VERY COMMON. >> I THINK IT IS ALMOST
UNIVERSAL. >> WHY?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHY. I THINK BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN
TAUGHT THAT TO BE A NICE PERSON OR A GOOD WOMAN WE NEED
TO SERVE THE GREATER GOOD AND THAT PART OF THAT SERVICE
INVOLVES A KIND OF HUMILITY AND SO IN MY EXPERIENCE, YOU
KNOW, I TOOK A TRAINING CALLED THE OP ED TRAINING THAT WAS
ABOUT WOMEN SPEAKING OUT AND THE BEGINNING OF THAT
TRAINING, THEY ASKED YOU TO DESCRIBE WHAT YOU'RE AN EXPERT
IN AND EVERY WOMAN IN THE ROOM SAID, WELL, I AM NOT AN EXPERT
IN ANYTHING. AND THE TRUTH IS, WE'RE ALL
EXPERTS IN OUR OWN LIVES, IF NOT IN A BIG BODY OF
KNOWLEDGE. SO, CLAIMING OUR OWN AUTHORITY
IS SOMETHING THAT SEEMS COUNTER-INTUITIVE FOR A LOT
OF-- HOW A LOT OF WOMEN WERE RAISED.
>> GOING BACK TO SORT OF MASCULINE AND FEMININE
QUALITY, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT NOW TO EVOLVE THE WAY WE THINK
LEADERSHIP TO HAVE A MORE DIVERSIFIED IDEA OF
LEADERSHIP, TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES WE FACE NOW?
>> YEAH, WELL, I BELIEVE, MEGAN, THAT WE LIVE IN A TIME
WHEN THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE FACING IN TERMS OF EARTH'S
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND IN TERMS OF SOCIAL CONFLICT AND
INEQUITY ARE SO HUGE THAT WE'RE ALL CALLED UPON TO BE
LEADERS RIGHT NOW. AND, WHEREAS OUR OLD
DEFINITION MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FEW CHARISMATIC LEADERS AT THE
TOP AND A LOT OF FOLLOWERS, I BELIEVE WE ARE ALIVE AT A
MOMENT WHEN ALL HANDS NEED TO BE ON DECK AND OUR NEW
DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP REALLY CAN INCLUDE AND INVITE
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US INTO ENGAGEMENT IN A WHOLE DEEPER,
MORE FULFILLING WAY THAN WE MAY HAVE IMAGINED.
>> YOU'RE A CO-FOUNDER OF BIONEERS.
I HEAR THE BIONEERS COMING OUT IN YOU AND THAT ORGANIZATION
BROADLY SORT OF EXPLORES HOW NATURE CAN INFORM OUR OWN
HUMAN SYSTEMS AND HOW WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT, BUT WHAT DOES
NATURE TELL US ABOUT DIVERSITY IN LEADERSHIP?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT NATURE TELLS US VERY SPECIFICALLY IS
THAT ECOSYSTEMS THAT ARE RICH IN DIVERSITY REBOUND MUCH MORE
QUICKLY AFTER A TRAUMA. AND WE ALL KNOW WE'RE LIVING
IN A TIME WHEN EVERYTHING FROM THE WEATHER TO THE ECONOMY IS
ERRATIC AND VERY CHANGEABLE SO, HOW WE CULTIVATE OUR OWN
RESILIENCE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
AND NATURE TELLS US THAT DIVERSITY IS ESSENTIAL TO
RESILIENCE AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THAT IS TRUE ABOUT NOT
ONLY OUR INNER DIVERSITY WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN
TERMS OF THE MASCULINE AND FEMININE WITHIN US OR ALL OF
OUR HUMAN CAPACITIES, BUT, ALSO, EXTERNALLY IN TERMS OF
OUR SOCIAL SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, THAT DIVERSITY IS NO LONGER
ABOUT JUST BEING POLITICALLY CORRECT.
IT IS WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR SOCIAL SYSTEMS TO BE RESILIENT
AND STRONG AND ALSO TO BRING THE BEST INTELLIGENCE TO THE
FORE. >> YOU KNOW, ONE THINK I HAVE
ALWAYS LOVED ABOUT THE IDEA BEHIND BIONEERS AND THE RADIO
SHOW AND OTHER TALKS IS THAT IT DOESN'T SHY AWAY FROM THE
EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE.
BUT, IT FOCUSES POSITIVELY ON PEOPLE PROVIDING INNOVATIVE
SOLUTIONS. HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF
CARRYING THAT IDEA FORWARD INTO CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP
FOR WOMEN, FOR OTHERS? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, FOR ONE
THING I THINK THAT WE ARE LIVING AT A TIME WHEN ONE OF
OUR CHALLENGES IS REALLY TO TRANSCEND POLARIZATION AND
DUALITY AND I THINK THAT POLARIZATION AND DUALITY
EXISTS ON MANY LEVELS. IT CERTAINLY IS ABUNDANTLY
VIVID IN THE PARTISAN POLITICAL REALM BUT ALSO EVEN
WITH MEN AND WOMEN, YOU KNOW. THERE IS NO CONTEST ABOUT
WHETHER MEN OR WOMEN ARE BETTER OR WORSE.
ACTUALLY, WE NEED ALL OF US AND FOR A WHOLE SOCIAL SYSTEM,
WE NEED MEN AND WOMEN COLLABORATING AND BRINGING THE
BEST OF OURSELVES TOGETHER. THIS CALL TO LEADERSHIP IS NOT
ONLY ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT HAVING THE
MOST FULFILLING AND MOST JOYFUL LIFE THAT YOU CAN, SO,
SIMULTANEOUSLY, IT IS ABOUT SERVING THE COMMON GOOD IN THE
BEST WAY AND ALSO HAVE THE BEST LIFE WE CAN.
>> IT IS A PRETTY POSITIVE MESSAGE, BE HAPPY WHILE YOU'RE
TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT. >> WHEN I FIRST STARTED BEING
ACKNOWLEDGED BY LEADERSHIP, I WAS, LIKE, DON'T CALL ME THAT.
I FELT LIKE CALLING MYSELF A LEADER WAS TANTAMOUNT TO
PAINTING A BULLS EYE ON MY CHEST, YOU KNOW, THAT LEADERS
ARE THE ONES WHO ARE SELF SACRIFICING, WORK THEMSELVES
TO DEATH AND WHO BECOME A TARGET FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT BUT I DO THINK THE
REDEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP IS HAPPENING IN A WAY THAT IT CAN
INVITE AND INCLUDE EVERYONE AND REALLY THOSE VOICES THAT
HAVE BEEN MOST MARGINALIZED ARE THE ONES WE PERHAPS NEED
THE MOST AT THIS MOMENT TO RESTORE EQUILIBRIUM AND
DIVERSITY TO OUR SYSTEMS. >> LET ME END BY ASKING, WHAT
WOULD YOU SUGGEST FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TRY AND CULTIVATE
THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, WHO MIGHT NOT EVEN, AS YOU OR
I, THINK OF THEMSELVES AS LEADERS?
>> YOU KNOW, IT IS A GREAT QUESTION, MEGAN, AND I THINK
PART OF WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED THROUGH MY OWN EXPERIENCE IS
HOW MUCH IMPLICIT BIAS I HAD. AND WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY
THAT IS THAT WE'RE ALL PRODUCTS OF A CULTURE THAT
TEACHES US CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
LEADER, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN OR A WOMAN AND I THINK
THAT IN TRUTH, PART OF WHAT IS MOST EXCITING ABOUT LIVING NOW
IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTENTIONALLY REDEFINE THOSE
THINGS. SO, WHAT I WOULD SAY TO ANYONE
WHO IS WATCHING IS THERE IS A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO
UNPACK YOUR OWN BELIEF SYSTEMS AND ATTITUDES AND TO REALLY
LOOK AT WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE AS A MAN OR WOMAN TO
BE AND WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP TO THE MASCULINE
AND FEMININE WITHIN YOU AND WITHIN THE WORLD.
AND SIMILARLY, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND MIGHT
THERE BE SOME DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP THAT COULD REALLY
BRING TOGETHER MANY FACETS OF WHO YOU ARE IN A UNIQUE WAY
THAT COULD BE AN EXPRESSION OF NOT ONLY WHAT THE WORLD REALLY
NEEDS RIGHT NOW BUT WHAT IS ALSO MOST JOYFUL FOR YOU TO
PURSUE. >> THAT IS GREAT, NINA, I AM
GOING TO CONTINUE THIS MORE ON THE WEB BUT THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US THAT. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MEGAN, A
PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU.