Q: Does the media play a role in all this?
A: The media plays off of what sells. It’s easy to say it’s the media’s fault. It’s also about how we’ve been raised…Also, what messages does your mom send you growing up?...You’ll often hear the word “mediagenic.” People will say, “Is she mediagenic?”…Will she look good on TV?...If you look around at who is informing the debate, it’s mostly men.
The glass ceiling is different. Producers and editors ask for women experts all the time. Oftentimes women do not step up to the plate. They do not want to voice a strong opinion or they don’t feel confident doing so…From nuclear proliferation to childcare, there are plenty of experts. But where are the women?...You can talk to expert after expert…Public opinion is mostly being shaped by men (white men specifically). Most of the pundits and people who shape the news are men. The majority of people we’re listening to are white men. But the conversation needs to be broader. We feel strongly at Woodhull, it’s not only okay to have your opinion, but it’s important to get it out there—from the boardroom to television to your local PTA…It’s great to celebrate the successes, but of the 500 Fortune companies, there are only about ten female CEOs—and we’re 50 percent of the population!
Q: Describe ethical leadership.
A: Ethical leadership is the compassionate use of power. Women in power can be an interesting conversation...Women shy away from power and money…We’re trying to teach that power and money are not evil; it’s what you do with it…You can do so with compassion and an eye for social justice...
Leadership is important. It’s also about recognizing that none of us got to where we are by ourselves…Women in my generation [did not always do this]…I’m not sure if it holds true of younger generations. There was the sense that there were just so many jobs, so many books to be written, and just so many inventions…We try to teach a psychology of abundance instead. If a woman helps another woman, it doesn’t mean she’s putting herself at risk…
Things are changing. As more women reach leadership roles, this will continue. Erica Jong is one of our board members [the author of Fear of Flying]. [When writing her book] she went to female authors and they were not forthcoming at the time,…she found her greatest support from men…It’s changing…but it’s something we still need to work on…
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