Julia Boorstin ’00 on Women Who Lead

Julia Boorstin ’00 is the author of When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, How We Can Learn From Them. She is also CNBC’s senior media and tech correspondent and a part of the network’s tech-focused show, Tech Check. In her new book she tells the stories of dozens of female leaders who have defied the odds, weaving them together with research and studies on the power of these women’s approaches, explaining how everyone can learn from them. Boorstin suggests some leadership traits that have traditionally been seen as more “female” — empathy, vulnerability, gratitude, and a communal approach — are exactly what everyone needs right now to succeed in business. Here are three books about female leaders that inspired her.

Image

My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future

By Indra Nooyi

Indra Nooyi is a legend – not only one of the most well-respected CEOs of all time, but she was also the first woman of color and immigrant to run a Fortune 50 company. She led one of the biggest companies in the world, PepsiCo, with a great sense of gratitude and profound purpose, driving it to be far more environmentally sustainable and focused on healthier products. Her story of courage and grit is amazing and her call on business leaders to prioritize policies that support women and families is compelling and actionable. 

Image

Vital Voices: 100 Women Using Their Power to Empower

By Alyse Nelson

This beautifully illustrated book celebrates 100 remarkable women from Ruth Bader Ginsberg to Manal Al-Sharif to Tarana Burke. Each woman’s story is paired with a colorful portrait. I leave this book on the table in our family room so my two sons can see the amazing diversity of game-changing women and learn about their journeys. It’s a great gift for families to help kids see this wide variety of women as role models.  

Image

Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change

By Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams not only shares her own powerful story, but she also explains the power of being an outsider. This book serves as a roadmap for all people who are outside power structures to help identify their passion and find the courage to fight for change. Abrams’ focus on transforming an outsider status from a disadvantage into a superpower is something I write about in my book When Women Lead, and I have found it is a key way to drive personal growth.