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Speaking to a packed ballroom with an estimated 300 women and men, William & Mary president Katherine A. Rowe delivered a visionary address at the Power of Women 2020 event, sponsored by The Women’s Business Council & SCORE Williamsburg.
“We are hitting our stride as women leaders in our 50s, 60s and 70s,” opened Rowe, who reminded the attendees to think back to Glenn Close’s commencement address to the William & Mary Class of 2019.
Quoting Close, 72, Rowe said, “Just to endure is impressive enough. But to endure and to triumph on your own terms, that is the feat of a lifetime.”
Rowe indicated that William & Mary is ready to lead the way in change and charged women to be attentive to their roles and to embrace them.
“I’m a president. I’m a CEO. I’m a scholar. I’m an entrepreneur. I’m a lifelong teacher. I’m an athlete. I’m a coach. I’m a volunteer. I’m a daughter and a spouse and a mom,” she said.
Those roles allow women to harness innate talent and ability for second shifting—skillfully balance their multiple life roles and using them in the professional world—and forcefully move forward in this decade.
“We second shift. We move between our hats every day. We carry them all with us,” said Rowe. “A key lesson about second shifting is it can be as powerful an asset as it is a challenge. It requires you to prioritize what you value most.”
Perhaps her most popular nugget of wisdom was what she coined as “The Playdate Rule.” After receiving a loud round of applause, Row expanded on what the rule entailed.
“The Playdate rule is when you have a toddler and you take them on a playdate, you always end the playdate before they’re ready to be done. If you stop before they’re ready, the energy and excitement stays and they want to go back and have another playdate,” she said. “This is an incredibly good rule for committee meetings. End before people are tired; end with excitement and a clear understanding of the work that’s ahead.”
She encouraged the audience to focus on just getting ideas out and not being afraid to claim your identity. “Tolerate non-perfection. It needs to be awesome but doesn’t need to be perfect,” she quipped.
She wove the point together telling a story of an athlete she coached named Joanna who had a sprained ankle. She tried to encourage Joanna to focus on her throwing while she was injured. The girl objected. She nudged her again to which Joanna said she had a serious sprain and exasperatedly said, “I’m not an athlete.” Rowe stopped her and said, “Yes, you are an athlete.” That confirmation changed the girl’s perspective and she left to go throw.
“We have to claim our identity and to uplift others and to ensure that the next generation of women leaders is strong,” she concluded.
