Gloria Feldt on Women, Power, and Leadership After 60: Use What You've Got

She dreamed the accelerator stuck on a dusty West Texas road — no brakes, no key in the ignition. Then she looked down and the key was in her own hand. Gloria Feldt turned that dream into a life's work: the key is always in our hands. We need the wisdom to see it and the courage to use it.IN THIS EPISODE:Why women over 60 are the most untapped leadership resource in the world"Confidence is overrated" — why waiting until you feel ready is the mistakeWhy Gloria refuses to use the word "empower"Use What You've Got: the first of her 9 Leadership Power ToolsHow to close your own pay gap — research your worth, then askWomen earn 57% of college degrees; companies with more women leaders are ~15% more profitableHer two-word mantra for reinvention: just say yesEPISODE SUMMARY:Gloria Feldt has spent decades studying why women still hold a fraction of leadership positions — and her conclusion will free you. It isn't only the bias out there; it's what implicit bias does to our heads. We value ourselves less, ask for less, and wait to be tapped on the shoulder. Her work is about ending the wait.Drop the word "empower," she says — nobody needs to fill you up, because you already have power: your education, skills, relationships, money, plan. Shift from "power over" to "power to." And don't wait for confidence; overconfidence only stops you from learning.Her own story proves it. A teen mom in West Texas with three children, she rose to lead Planned Parenthood Federation of America, then left after 30 years — in her early sixties — to chase her childhood dream of writing. The books became a curriculum, the curriculum became Take The Lead, and Take The Lead became a movement, with online courses and "50 Women Can Change the World" cohorts where every woman builds a plan to rise and a plan to bring the next woman up with her.There will always be a disruption, Gloria says. Take its energy and build something new. Keep moving. Keep learning. Just say yes.ABOUT GLORIA:Gloria Feldt is an acclaimed expert on women, power, and leadership; bestselling author of five books including Intentioning; co-founder and president of Take The Lead; and former president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She taught "Women, Power and Leadership" at Arizona State University for a decade.CONNECT: https://www.taketheleadwomen.com/COMMUNITY: WeCanDoItWomen.comIf this episode put the key back in your hand, say yes to one thing this week — then join us at WeCanDoItWomen.com. A 5-star Apple Podcasts review takes under a minute and helps more women find this show.