Power suits
How do women rise to the top at The New York Times or Goldman Sachs, or get appointed to the president’s cabinet? They start by knowing who they are and not being afraid to take risks, even if that means failing now and then. That sound advice came during a gathering of elite women in media, business, and government in what Harvard University President Drew Faust called a “critical conversation” about the changing role of women and the challenges and opportunities they face today. “What does power require of me beyond a thick skin?” Faust asked in her introductory remarks Monday at Sanders Theatre. “Do women exercise power and, if so, do they choose to or do they have to? Does being a female leader offer someone a special opportunity in any way? Can it ever be an advantage?” Karen Gordon Mills ’75, M.B.A. ’77, former head of the U.S. Small Business Administration...