Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/292443
M aking it" has always been a loaded phrase. Is it the fancy title, a mega salary, or multi- ple board positions that scream success? For women, it can be even more compli- cated: Does it mean breaking through the notori- ous glass ceiling, earning equal pay for equal work… or just finding good child care, for God's sake? We assembled five of the city's most accomplished, prominent women, and asked them to sit in bright red chairs to share, ref lect, advise, laugh—and just talk. We asked WBZ -TV's Lisa Hughes to guide the discussion, invited an intimate crowd to listen (including several FBI agents who could not be photographed), and videotaped the one-hour event at Harvard University's Oberon Theater in Harvard Square. While the discussion ranged from empowering younger women to han- dling conf lict in the workplace, one common theme shone through: "Making it," for these women, means going forth with the right finesse and fortitude to make big things happen. Lisa Hughes: What is your personal definition of power? Barbara, I'll start with you. Barbara Lynch: Power is sharing knowledge. Knowledge is key, and so is learning to delegate. When I was younger I was louder, but when you're mentoring and sharing knowl- edge, that's power. Feeling good and being secure about yourself is power. Paula Johnson: When I think about power, I also think about leadership—the two are so inextricably linked. Then I think about leaders and the importance of having vision, being able to motivate others and pursue that vision, and having the abil- ity—the power—to inf luence people, populations, and to leave that legacy behind. LH: Are the notions of leadership different for men and women? Carmen Ortiz: I think the most difficult thing to navigate has been what people expect from you, what people perceive your abilities to be, what you are capable of based on, to some degree, stereotypes and definitions about being a woman. I believe I've done a good job in my office of inspir- ing and motivating people; basically, bringing out the best they have to offer. To be a good leader, whether you are a woman or a man, you need to be able to make decisions, be a good listener, be able to compromise. It is not always your way or the highway. That's critically important in a good leader; compromising, in many ways, can take you very, very far, as opposed to compromise being a sign of weakness. Some people are afraid Lisa Hughes, Moderator Anchor, WBZ-TV It's always helpful when the moderator has met the participants of any given panel; in Hughes' case, she has covered stories with all of our guests. In fact, she has reported on every major news story Boston has seen since she moved here in 2000. The Emmy Award–winning journalist coanchors the weekday 6 PM and 11 PM newscasts on WBZ-TV. Off the air, Hughes is involved with several charities, including First Literacy, Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, Perkins (a school for the blind), and Horizons for Homeless Children. She is married with two children. For women, it can be even more compli- cated: Does it mean breaking What is your personal definition of Power is sharing knowledge. Knowledge is key, and so is learning to delegate. When I was younger I was louder, but when you're mentoring and sharing knowl- edge, that's power. Feeling good and being secure about When I think about power, I also think about leadership—the two are so inextricably linked. Then Kerry Healey, PhD President, Babson College From Harvard College to the State House to the Babson College president's office, Dr. Kerry Healey's legacy is to excel at whatever task lands on her radar. Now the first woman president of Babson College, she has also served as the 70th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts and was appointed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as a founding member of the Executive Committee of the US State Department's Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan. She led successful efforts to expand legal protection and services for victims of domestic violence and child abuse, increase penalties for drunken driving, and create recovery high schools to support education for formerly drug-addicted youth. She is married with two children. Paula A. Johnson, MD, MPH Executive Director of the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital If Dr. Paula Johnson had a nickname, it really should be "first" or "founder." She was the first African American full professor in the 100-year history of Brigham and Women's Hospital. She founded the Center for Cardiovascular Disease in Women and launched the Gretchen S. and Edward A. Fish Center for Women's Health. She is chief of the Division of Women's Health at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her most recent work focuses on the impact of US health-care reform on women; she is also developing an initiative to advance emerging leaders devoted to improving the health of women globally. She is married with two children. 108 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 106-111_BC_F_Women_LateSpring14.indd 108 4/7/14 4:18 PM