Tune into this captivating episode of Chatter that Matters and be inspired by world-renowned journalist Claire Shipman's journey and her ground-breaking insights on power in the modern world
In 1887, the English politician and writer Lord John Acton invented the immortal phrase, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."
I have always been fascinated by power, and as a father of two wonderful girls, I have always questioned why there aren't more women in power.
Only 10 percent of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women, and only 27 of the 193 countries in the world are led by women.
With more women in power, we would be less consumed by conquest and more focused on the health of individuals, our communities, and our planet.
For all the above, I was thrilled to have an opportunity to chat with Claire Shipman.
For decades, I have watched and admired Claire's Emmy and Peabody award-winning work as a host and reporter.
Her career includes Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News and CNN News, and she was on the front lines of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Claire has co-authored several New York Times bestsellers with British Journalist Katty Kay.
In this episode of Chatter That Matters, Claire shares fantastic stories from her extraordinary career and key takeaways from their previous books. We then discuss The Power Code: More Joy, Less Ego, Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone).
We learn that that power, as it stands today, is inherently flawed. It's not about breaking glass ceilings or climbing corporate ladders; it's about redefining, remaking, and modernizing the very essence of power.
In doing so, we depart from the traditional understanding of power, defined by the men who wield it as a hierarchical force and infers control over and competition with other people, to a new code where power becomes a tool to focus and collaborate and to improve the current conditions of our world dramatically.
Erica Nielsen, the EVP of Personal Banking and Investments at RBC, joins the show. We discuss Erica's role as co-chair of RBC's Canadian Banking Women's Forum and their work to champion inclusivity, transparency, and allyship.
Time Codes:
00:00:00 Tony shares why this episode on power and gender disparity matters.
00:05:54 Claire talks about her early life.
00:07:07 Struggle with people pleasing, finding own voice.
00:12:21 Women's work and leadership, confidence gap and risk-taking.
00:17:04 Confidence code flows, power code complicated.
00:18:35 Massive shift underway; need more women in power.
00:21:47 Surface power men, women's power behind the scenes.
00:26:43 Valuing essential work, resistance to change.
00:28:30 Men must value time and share responsibilities.
00:34:06 Redefining work for broader values, gender equality.
00:36:32 Writing books is humbling and stressful.
00:40:16 Tony's three takeaways.
00:43:12 Erica: Societal norms impact behavior in organizations.
00:46:10 Erica: Unconscious bias in coaching and mentoring explained.
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