Book Club July – Our Power As Women
Our Power as Women: Wisdom and Strategies of Highly Successful Women
by:
Helene Lerner-Robbins
Book Club suggestion and initial comments provided by Kathi King.
Although written over a decade ago in 1996 , women in 2009 can still relate to the 75 well-known women who offer advice, experiences and inspiration characterizing how we can tap our inner strength and power.
Our Power as Women is easy-to-read. You can read this inspirational guide cover-to-cover – as I did over a few glasses of wine in my courtyard – or you can browse through the chapters and select the ones that speak to you. Each original essay is short – just 2 to 3 pages each. Contributors include some of the greats: Maya Angelou, Olympia Dukakis, Barbara Bush, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt and more.
There are also wonderful quotes throughout the book. For example, this particular insight from Melody Beattie, the author who is best known for coining the term “codependence,” spoke to me:
“It is far more accurate and beneficial to tell ourselves that who we are is okay, and what we are doing is good enough.”
The book is conveniently divided into four sections. The first section, Women and Power, makes you stop and really determine your own definition of Power. If we use Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (as Lerner-Robbins did in the first chapter), Power is defined as possession of control, authority or influence over others.
What’s your definition of Power? Grab a pencil and write it down. Feel free to share it with us – if you’d like. It’s no doubt different than mine. We all have our own unique definitions and I know that my definition today is much different than when I was a 24 and the youngest advertising director at Gannett News. (My apologies to those who worked for me then!) Lerner-Robbins defines power to be “…an active force that unifies, rather than destroys. It allows us to create our visions, be successful and influence events and people.”
The second section is Power Breakdowns, and here she addresses our fears, as well as how over-critical of ourselves we women can be. How many of us strive for perfectionism, and yet know it’s ok to make a mistake as long as we learn from it and move on? AMEN! When was the last time that you gave honest feedback to a friend when asked? Or more to the point, how did you react the last time a friend or peer or supervisor gave you the same?
Power Breakdowns also allows you to examine the expectations you have set for yourself. Yes, we most likely have set the bar too high. I chose this book for our first book review because of the work and family conflict we all experience. As women, we continually take on more responsibilities and can’t help but feel the additional demands on our time and relationships. There is a great essay in this section from a personal interview with Paula Zahn, former CNN anchor. She discusses the balancing act that we all face every day. I particularly loved her idea about the life being like a scale. There are days when the scale is tipped heavier with work, and with awareness, you can work the next day to tip it in favor of your family.
The third section is devoted to Power Build-ups, reminding us that we all have unique power to nurture our family and friends. This unique power – or talent – can also be used to lead teams, especially in stressful times like today. If you’ve ever sought a mentor or are currently work with a coach, this section is for you.
The fourth and last section is entitled Power Expanders. Like those women in 1996 who paved the road for us today, Power Expanders are the group who will make the differences for our daughters, nieces, cousins and granddaughters. This section reminds us how special our girlfriends are to our success, to love ourselves, ask for help, that we have a choice, and most importantly that we must forgive ourselves when we encounter crazy moments in our life and cause those around us concern.
Lerner-Robbins ends her introduction in the book with its overall theme,
It’s this quick breath of inspiration that had me leave Our Power as Women on my desk rather than stash it on the bookshelf. A few times during the week, I’ve reached for it and reread a section for insight from Lerner-Robbins or one of the fascinating women who have paved the pathways for us today.
At Skirts In Dirt, we hope that our Book Club will bring us closer together. Our goal is to highlight great reads we feel capture the essence of “Business…Body, Mind and Spirit.” If you have a book that you would like to share with other Skirts, please send us a note at bookreview@skirtsindirt.com.