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Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World
From the president of Emily's List, a playbook for women changing the world in politics, business, or any arena
For the past thirty-five years Emily's List has helped the campaigns of thousands of pro-choice Democratic women, but the hardest part has always been convincing more women to run. Then Donald Trump was elected, and something shifted into place. American women who were furious and frustrated were looking for a way to channel their outrage into action, united in proclaiming, "If that guy can get elected, why not me?"
The day after the 2016 election, dozens of women searched out an old sign-up link buried on the Emily's List website. By Thanksgiving, those dozens had grown to a few thousand. And that was only the beginning. By the end of 2018, there were nearly fifty thousand women signed up to run for office, with scores more signing up each day.
Run to Win is for all women who are looking to lead. Organized around the steps that Emily's List coaches its candidates through (from deciding to run through celebrating victory), this book is full of essential lessons for any woman trying to succeed in a male-dominated field. Their arena is politics but their message is universal.
And Stephanie Schriock is the most qualified person to share these lessons. Not only is she a powerful figure in politics but she's also a woman who commands respect for her astounding success as president of Emily's List and a longtime Democratic operative. Her message is uplifting and actionable, her voice is that of your best girlfriend walking you through what you need to consider as you make your plan, and her experience coaching the biggest female candidates in recent elections (including all of the female 2020 Democratic presidential candidates) makes her the de facto authority on the strategies women can employ to run, fight, and win, whatever their field or goal.
For the past thirty-five years Emily's List has helped the campaigns of thousands of pro-choice Democratic women, but the hardest part has always been convincing more women to run. Then Donald Trump was elected, and something shifted into place. American women who were furious and frustrated were looking for a way to channel their outrage into action, united in proclaiming, "If that guy can get elected, why not me?"
The day after the 2016 election, dozens of women searched out an old sign-up link buried on the Emily's List website. By Thanksgiving, those dozens had grown to a few thousand. And that was only the beginning. By the end of 2018, there were nearly fifty thousand women signed up to run for office, with scores more signing up each day.
Run to Win is for all women who are looking to lead. Organized around the steps that Emily's List coaches its candidates through (from deciding to run through celebrating victory), this book is full of essential lessons for any woman trying to succeed in a male-dominated field. Their arena is politics but their message is universal.
And Stephanie Schriock is the most qualified person to share these lessons. Not only is she a powerful figure in politics but she's also a woman who commands respect for her astounding success as president of Emily's List and a longtime Democratic operative. Her message is uplifting and actionable, her voice is that of your best girlfriend walking you through what you need to consider as you make your plan, and her experience coaching the biggest female candidates in recent elections (including all of the female 2020 Democratic presidential candidates) makes her the de facto authority on the strategies women can employ to run, fight, and win, whatever their field or goal.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 12, 2021
69 people are currently reading
2336 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 31 reviews
February 11, 2021
This book definitely has good life-lessons and advice for women running for office, or just women in general. However, the book felt like a giant ad for EMILY's List. I get that the president wrote the book and all, but after every other page mentioning EMILY's List in some way, it gets kind of annoying. I liked how there were tl;dr at the end of each chapters, but I felt pressured to donate money to EMILY's List the entire time reading this.
March 23, 2021
I originally thought this book was geared towards women in leadership, but it is almost exclusively for women considering running for office. Although that wasn’t expected, I did appreciate the lessons that can be applied to the working corporate world such as building a team and strategies for making an ask. Also- huge fan of Stephanie Schriock and the work she had done for women, so I recommend this book just based on her stories and experience alone.
March 18, 2021
Picked up this book because
- I really enjoyed listening to the author's chat with Honest Dog Books,
- I wanted to pull aside the political curtain a little more to see what lay behind (there are actual, caring people back there not just mannequins and props), and
- because the author indicates that her book is for leaders and managers as well (not just those who are considering running for an office).
The book is well-organized.
It is filled with personal anecdotes to help the reader put the advice into perspective.
It is pragmatic. The end of each chapter lists her "Toplines" which are the "main points" of the preceding chapter.
And I think overall, Schriock meets her goal of making the world of politics a lot less impersonal and out of reach, and more like,
"Yeah politics are brutal, but we are real people up in here (contrary to the word on the streets)... and you're a real person...so this place is just as much for you as it is for me and all the other awesome women running."
The book is catered for political running for sure, but there are a lot of wonderful leadership takeaways that you can form-fit around your own leadership role (or desired leadership role).
- I really enjoyed listening to the author's chat with Honest Dog Books,
- I wanted to pull aside the political curtain a little more to see what lay behind (there are actual, caring people back there not just mannequins and props), and
- because the author indicates that her book is for leaders and managers as well (not just those who are considering running for an office).
The book is well-organized.
It is filled with personal anecdotes to help the reader put the advice into perspective.
It is pragmatic. The end of each chapter lists her "Toplines" which are the "main points" of the preceding chapter.
And I think overall, Schriock meets her goal of making the world of politics a lot less impersonal and out of reach, and more like,
"Yeah politics are brutal, but we are real people up in here (contrary to the word on the streets)... and you're a real person...so this place is just as much for you as it is for me and all the other awesome women running."
The book is catered for political running for sure, but there are a lot of wonderful leadership takeaways that you can form-fit around your own leadership role (or desired leadership role).
May 8, 2022
I'm not sure who this book is for. Most examples are from congressional races yet the advice is far too basic for anyone with any political experience. You'll be better served by skipping the book and spending your time pulling similar platitudes from your Instagram feed.
October 25, 2021
Run to Win is a mystifying and inspiring book depicting how strong women can (and have) changed the world. The book highlights that when we lift up women, we lift up humanity. As women gain rights and equity, families flourish, and so do societies. If women are going to take their place as equals with men, it won’t come from winning our rights one by
one or step by step, but winning rights in waves as we become more empowered.
This book emphasizes strategies for Democratic women to succeed whereupon every woman should be able to use her voice and pursue her potential and that men and women should all work together to take down the barriers and end the biases that still
hold women back.
Stephanie Schriock provides a manual for women to make an impact in male dominated fields, highlighting winning strategies to run a political campaign and/or provide vital lessons on leadership in business and life. Barriers for women are extensive, both internal and external to politics. Often, women are made to feel that they are not good enough or smart enough. On average, women get paid less than men
do. Women of color get paid even less. Women get raises and promotions more slowly than men do.
Women do not get trained, mentored, sponsored, or jobs as much as men do. And women get isolated from one another more than men do – so it takes time for a woman to feel that these
circumstances are not their fault but instead a part of culture.
Diversity is the best way to defend equality. If people from
diverse groups are not making the decisions, the burdens and benefits of society will be divided unequally
and unfairly – with people writing the rules ensuring themselves a greater share of the benefits and a
lesser share of the burdens of society.
We have to help women develop their talents and use their gifts for the good of the community.
Women must leave the margins and take their place – not
above or below men, but beside them at the center of society, adding our voices and making the decisions
we are qualitied and entitled to make.
In Run to Win, Schriock highlights how women may not only change but save the world. As women we have the ability to change the world because the world starts small. Furthermore, we can do anything with the right attitude, heart, brains, and determination. We are better for our differences. If we don't fit the mold we are told to break it. We know the system was not made for women. So we are to knock down those barriers by ignoring the naysayers, being ourself, and getting creative. Although countless lessons for campaigning and being a female leader were highlighted some of the top suggestions include:
- You don't need to know everything but be willing and able to learn on the job.
- Candidates need integrity, passion, commitment, energy, liking or wanting to help people, willingness to learn, ability to be open minded.
- To change the world ask these questions: what motivates me, what do I have to offer, am I ready, is this fight winable, and will I do the work needed.
- True leadership is about showing vulnerability and trusting that people will understand and appreciate your honesty. Having the confidence to know people will accept you if you don't know everything.
-Just because someone tells you you can't do something because people like you have never done it, remember every other first that heard no and did it anyway.
- Telling your story is a vital part of you changing the world. Tell your story by breaking into the situation, reaction, resolve, and ask. Be confident. Speak directly to your audience and be personal where you can.
- It takes a village to lead and succeed. Strategy and messaging are foundation for success. Surround yourself with people you can trust and who know what they are doing. People are the most important people of any endeavour. Hire a partner that compliments you and brings new things to the table. Building loyalty is how you built power. Invest in your people. Good leadership has both strength and softness where building and valuing a diverse set of voices and lifting up marginalized voices and ensuring diversity is good business. Roles needed in your support system are: the one who will tell you the truth, the one who will tell you how great you look or how well you are doing, the one who will listen to you vent at the end of a long day, the one that will hold you accountable, and the ones that will run and win with you.
- You have to ask to get what you want. To properly ask you have to ask the right people. To make a successful ask you must do your research, find the right approach, find your own way, and let go of bad assumptions.
- Campaigning is hard. You need to have a thick skin. Do your best not to dwell on the hate.
- Plan for the worst by (1) knowing your own vulnerabilities, (2) be prepared to address each of them, (3) ensure that your supporters hear your response and are ready to rally around you. Turn weaknesses into strengths and understand you don't have to be perfect.
- A loss is just part of your journey. To respond and learn from loss you can try again, try again on a different stage, or find other ways to use your voice. Let the loss inspire you to find a new way to serve.
- Campaign joyfully, show gratitude deliberately, and celebrate liberally. As a leader you must show respect. When workers are happy and engaged they work harder and smarter. Celebrate the victories. Then show them what you can do.
one or step by step, but winning rights in waves as we become more empowered.
This book emphasizes strategies for Democratic women to succeed whereupon every woman should be able to use her voice and pursue her potential and that men and women should all work together to take down the barriers and end the biases that still
hold women back.
Stephanie Schriock provides a manual for women to make an impact in male dominated fields, highlighting winning strategies to run a political campaign and/or provide vital lessons on leadership in business and life. Barriers for women are extensive, both internal and external to politics. Often, women are made to feel that they are not good enough or smart enough. On average, women get paid less than men
do. Women of color get paid even less. Women get raises and promotions more slowly than men do.
Women do not get trained, mentored, sponsored, or jobs as much as men do. And women get isolated from one another more than men do – so it takes time for a woman to feel that these
circumstances are not their fault but instead a part of culture.
Diversity is the best way to defend equality. If people from
diverse groups are not making the decisions, the burdens and benefits of society will be divided unequally
and unfairly – with people writing the rules ensuring themselves a greater share of the benefits and a
lesser share of the burdens of society.
We have to help women develop their talents and use their gifts for the good of the community.
Women must leave the margins and take their place – not
above or below men, but beside them at the center of society, adding our voices and making the decisions
we are qualitied and entitled to make.
In Run to Win, Schriock highlights how women may not only change but save the world. As women we have the ability to change the world because the world starts small. Furthermore, we can do anything with the right attitude, heart, brains, and determination. We are better for our differences. If we don't fit the mold we are told to break it. We know the system was not made for women. So we are to knock down those barriers by ignoring the naysayers, being ourself, and getting creative. Although countless lessons for campaigning and being a female leader were highlighted some of the top suggestions include:
- You don't need to know everything but be willing and able to learn on the job.
- Candidates need integrity, passion, commitment, energy, liking or wanting to help people, willingness to learn, ability to be open minded.
- To change the world ask these questions: what motivates me, what do I have to offer, am I ready, is this fight winable, and will I do the work needed.
- True leadership is about showing vulnerability and trusting that people will understand and appreciate your honesty. Having the confidence to know people will accept you if you don't know everything.
-Just because someone tells you you can't do something because people like you have never done it, remember every other first that heard no and did it anyway.
- Telling your story is a vital part of you changing the world. Tell your story by breaking into the situation, reaction, resolve, and ask. Be confident. Speak directly to your audience and be personal where you can.
- It takes a village to lead and succeed. Strategy and messaging are foundation for success. Surround yourself with people you can trust and who know what they are doing. People are the most important people of any endeavour. Hire a partner that compliments you and brings new things to the table. Building loyalty is how you built power. Invest in your people. Good leadership has both strength and softness where building and valuing a diverse set of voices and lifting up marginalized voices and ensuring diversity is good business. Roles needed in your support system are: the one who will tell you the truth, the one who will tell you how great you look or how well you are doing, the one who will listen to you vent at the end of a long day, the one that will hold you accountable, and the ones that will run and win with you.
- You have to ask to get what you want. To properly ask you have to ask the right people. To make a successful ask you must do your research, find the right approach, find your own way, and let go of bad assumptions.
- Campaigning is hard. You need to have a thick skin. Do your best not to dwell on the hate.
- Plan for the worst by (1) knowing your own vulnerabilities, (2) be prepared to address each of them, (3) ensure that your supporters hear your response and are ready to rally around you. Turn weaknesses into strengths and understand you don't have to be perfect.
- A loss is just part of your journey. To respond and learn from loss you can try again, try again on a different stage, or find other ways to use your voice. Let the loss inspire you to find a new way to serve.
- Campaign joyfully, show gratitude deliberately, and celebrate liberally. As a leader you must show respect. When workers are happy and engaged they work harder and smarter. Celebrate the victories. Then show them what you can do.
February 22, 2022
Repetitive!!!!!!!
September 27, 2021
This is basically a how-to handbook. For how to run for elected office (any level of office from auditor or constable to President). Written by the President of Emily’s List with a combined total of 25 years of experience in progressive politics. This should get a candidate in the right mindset for a possible political run. It is not a guide on how to file for candidacy, or any other fine details.
I should definitely revisit this when I join my next political campaign.
Schriok says from the start that this book can translate to how to get that promotion, raise, or lead a team. I’m not so sure I would recommend the whole book just for those purposes. Maybe I would dog-ear a chapter or two for those folks.
Schriok added inspiring stories into her pieces of advice. I only wish they (her personal stories and stories of women she has worked with at Emily’s List or otherwise) would be elaborated on even more. A paragraph or a page wasn’t enough for me.
This book definitely leaned on being more of a how-to guide than a memoir or personal account of candidates (a good example of the latter is the book ‘See Jane Win’).
It was really good for its purposes and gave me joy and motivation, even if I didn’t expect the book to literally serve to jumpstart someone’s campaign.
*read after attending a George Washington University GSPM event with Stephanie Schriok and becoming instantly sold on reading this.
I should definitely revisit this when I join my next political campaign.
Schriok says from the start that this book can translate to how to get that promotion, raise, or lead a team. I’m not so sure I would recommend the whole book just for those purposes. Maybe I would dog-ear a chapter or two for those folks.
Schriok added inspiring stories into her pieces of advice. I only wish they (her personal stories and stories of women she has worked with at Emily’s List or otherwise) would be elaborated on even more. A paragraph or a page wasn’t enough for me.
This book definitely leaned on being more of a how-to guide than a memoir or personal account of candidates (a good example of the latter is the book ‘See Jane Win’).
It was really good for its purposes and gave me joy and motivation, even if I didn’t expect the book to literally serve to jumpstart someone’s campaign.
*read after attending a George Washington University GSPM event with Stephanie Schriok and becoming instantly sold on reading this.
May 29, 2022
The author clearly has a lot of experience and had the overall messaging is good. I generally agree with much of what she says. However, this book had several downsides for me personally: (1) I was hoping there would be learnings for women in business leadership roles. It is highly focused on running for office in the US, and is not highly relevant if you’re not. I am not in the US and am not in government. (2) It’s written as a stream of consciousness with many stories. This makes it less concise, long and sometimes repetitive. I do, however, like the end of chapter synopses. And could have gotten away with just reading those. (3) The author deep dives into topics that seem obvious or potentially outdated (this could be based on my own knowledge and life experience, so you may not agree) and skims over relevant and more useful/complex topics like how to deal with saying no to an aggressive or toxic client. Exploring these topics could have taken this book from a collection of stories to a helpful guide.
Note: I read this book as part of a book club and would probably not have selected it on my own. That being said, it could be more relevant to those running for office in the US who could benefit from the experience of other women in their industry. In that case, it could become a motivational read.
Note: I read this book as part of a book club and would probably not have selected it on my own. That being said, it could be more relevant to those running for office in the US who could benefit from the experience of other women in their industry. In that case, it could become a motivational read.
March 24, 2021
3.75 stars. This was a well-written book and there was good information in it about leadership tips for women, and especially about running for office. But I cannot tell you how many sentences included the phrase “EMILY’s List.” So many times. Everywhere. Like being hit over the head with a blunt object. Also, if such things matter to you, it is very, very staunch in being Democrat-aligned (because the organization behind it raises money for Democratic female candidates). Again, it was a good read, and I’m sure it would be helpful for any woman looking to run for office, but it also could get a bit repetitive and none of the information was really ground breaking.
January 3, 2021
This book discusses EMILY'S List founder, Stephanie's insight, guidance and advice on how to be a powerful leader as a woman and to continue to help break through gender stereotypes that negatively affect women in the workplace today. A lot of the book was advice on also how you CAN become an elected political leader if you set yourself up properly! Overall I enjoyed this book.
August 10, 2021
I learned some interesting things about the women who've run for various offices. However, the book focused deeply on starting a political campaign. It says these lessons can be more broadly applied to all leadership areas, but it's really specific. If you're interested in running for office, I highly recommend it.
December 21, 2023
Amazing book! Very inspiring. Of course a lot of parts of the book are more relevant to those who really want to run for something within American politics, but many parts are motivational and great tips for careers (especially for women) in general. A great read if you either want to get into politics or need some motivational words as you're trying to progress in your career/business.
April 27, 2021
Such an inspirational book full of valuable life lessons that any women in any form of leadership should read. Stephanie Scchriock goes to great length to make the reader feel empowered to make change in this world.
Please every women, READ THIS BOOK!
Please every women, READ THIS BOOK!
June 3, 2021
Very brass tacks. Not as obviously transferrable as I'd hoped. Offered interesting insight into the goings-on around campaigning for and as women. Enjoyed the tidbits about specific women in politics.
July 16, 2021
It’s a love story to Emily’s list and also a how to guide to be a politician. Lots of advice for everyone - own your story, remember your WHY, have a motivational text group of women who root for each other, get back up after every failure, show up and make a difference.
January 14, 2022
DNF - the writing itself seemed of low quality. I was interested in the subject and the people that were interviewed and studied for the content, but I couldn’t get past the writing to focus on that.
January 18, 2021
As someone who is contemplating a run for local government, this book was incredibly helpful!
February 15, 2021
Outstanding — great read for all women looking to lead, and especially those looking to run for office!
March 9, 2021
Good information. Inspiring stories.
August 24, 2021
An insightful and inspiring look at why women should run for office and *how* to do it with lessons in leadership applicable to women whether or not they choose to enter the political realm.
October 12, 2021
Good book but was hoping for more about women in leadership, not just those who want to run for office.
November 6, 2021
I do not plan to run for office but this gave a little insight to some of the behind the scenes which was interesting.
June 27, 2022
Good primer for anyone wanting to amplify their impact in their community.
March 6, 2023
I rated this 4 stars if you are interested in running for office but 3 stars if not. I don’t think it’s as applicable to women in general leadership as advertised.
March 30, 2023
I stopped reading it after about 15 pages. It’s literally only for women intending to run for office, which is a very small segment of the population.
June 6, 2023
A solid primer on running for office, with transferable lessons to women in leadership roles outside politics.
Read
March 18, 2025read for a research project
March 19, 2025
This is a highly targeted book. I'm sure if you are the target of this book, it will be more fulfilling and be rated higher.
March 30, 2025
I read this because I love Emily’s List, and this certainly provided interesting insight
Displaying 1 - 29 of 31 reviews