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Heather Backstrom
a book bubble about
Collaborative Confidence
Business & Investing
Author Insight
Amplify Yourself and Other Women
Women who make their presence and contributions known position themselves as strong, capable leaders. When women do this, it raises their visibility and sets them apart from the crowd. When women amplify the voices and contributions of other women, they truly epitomize the essence of Collaborative Confidence, which means: “I’m responsible for my own confidence and I’m responsible for helping other women with theirs.” However, getting one’s voice, impact and contributions noticed can be challenging for women for a variety of reasons. The challenges range from struggling to feel comfortable with engaging in self-promotion to being routinely interrupted in meetings. Regardless, the antidote is what lies at the heart and center of Collaborative Confidence. It’s the enduring reciprocal nature that draws women together to authentically amplify each other. When women amplify each other they create an enduring bond that propels them forward together. No longer does a woman have to shoulder the weight of striving to be noticed and recognized alone. Collaborative Confidence, and specifically the notion of amplification, gives women the platform and tools to mutually support and champion each other.
Book Excerpt
Collaborative Confidence
Chapter 7
Spotlight Contributions and Ideas of Other Women
During former president Obama’s first term, the vast majority of his top aides and cabinet members were men. They easily exerted their influence in meetings, while top female aides found it hard to achieve the same stature, despite their stellar credentials and extensive political experience. Not only did these women struggle to get their voices heard in meetings, but they struggled to be included in them in the first place. That meant they were left out of policy decisions, strategic calculations, and other matters of national and global significance. As described by Juliet Eilperin in her September 2016 Washington Post article about the situation, “Women complained of having to elbow their way into important meetings. And when they got in their voices were sometimes ignored.”
These strong, intelligent women were not about to be deterred, though. They came together and adopted an imaginative strategy they called “amplification.” When a female aide made a point in a meeting, another woman repeated it, giving credit back to her. As reported by Eilperin, an anonymous Obama aide said, “We just started doing it and made a purpose of doing it. It was an everyday thing.” As the women continued amplifying each other, over time, Obama noticed and began calling on them. The women’s brilliant strategy raised their voices, visibility, and impact. They were no longer on the sidelines; they were at the center of everything.
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