The Power Code: More Joy. Less Ego. Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone).

by Katty Kay, Claire Shipman

The authors of the  New York Times  bestseller  The Confidence Code  explore the nature of women’s power—in the workplace, in politics, and at home—explaining how a new model, one designed by and for women, will not only make it possible for women to become their most powerful selves but will benefit everyone.  We are living in a moment of unprecedented transformation for women. Despite recent setbacks, women continue to advance in almost every arena—politics, business, education. We are starting to earn more than our husbands. More of us are getting elected to public office. We are better educated than men. Businesses know they need us and are desperate to hire and keep us. Management gurus at top universities say female leaders are the key to success in the 21st century. Of course, not everything is equal yet—and progress doesn’t follow a straight line, as the recent Supreme Court ruling makes painfully clear—but the underlying evidence and the long-term indications show that the world is moving inexorably from one dominated by men, as it has been for 2000 years, to one in which women have an equal if not greater say in how things run. If it’s all so great, (at least for some of us) why does it feel so hard and why are there so many tensions that no one wants to talk about? Almost a dozen global studies show women improve profits, so why aren’t more of us CEOs? We’re doing better at school than boys, yet we can’t crack STEM? Do women use power differently and do we even want it? Can men ever learn to live with and, yes, love powerful women? And can we ever make real progress if we’re still operating in a world built by and for men? Do we still have to become alpha men in skirts? What we need is a new definition of power and a reimagined workplace and homefront that everyone can buy into and benefit from. Drawing on the latest research, interviews with high-powered women, and their own personal stories, Kay and Shipman ask tough questions, surfacing hidden opportunities that draw on women’s underappreciated strengths and presenting a new operating system that helps women use their talents to become their most powerful selves.  

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Self Help, Audiobook, Leadership

344 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2023

About the author

Katherine "Katty" Kay (born c. 1964) is an English journalist. She is the lead anchor of BBC World News America and was previously the BBC News Washington correspondent from 2002. Until 2009 she also blogged at the website True/Slant and is a Board Member at the IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation).

Kay grew up in various Middle East countries, where her father was posted as a British diplomat. She studied modern languages at the University of Oxford and, as a result, speaks fluent French and Italian. After graduation, she briefly worked for the Bank of England. Deciding a career in economics was not for her, she left to work for an aid agency in Zimbabwe.

A short time later, friend Matt Frei came out with a tape recorder and persuaded her to become a journalist. Kay joined the BBC in 1990 as Zimbabwe correspondent for the African section of the BBC World Service. She then returned to London to work for BBC World Service radio, before being posted to Tokyo for BBC News television in 1992 and then Washington, D.C., in 1996. Soon afterwards, she joined The Times news bureau, but returned to the BBC as a freelance journalist in 2002, based in the United States.

From June 2004, Kay co-presented the BBC World news bulletins with Mike Embley in London, shown on 230 public broadcast-television stations throughout the US and on BBC America. From 1 October 2007, Kay became correspondent to presenter Matt Frei of BBC World's one-hour Washington-based news broadcast, BBC World News America, it airs on the BBC News Channel, BBC America, and BBC World. Kay also makes frequent appearances as a guest panelist on The Chris Matthews Show and Meet the Press on NBC, and in the past also appeared on Larry King Live on CNN. She occasionally substitutes for Diane Rehm on The Diane Rehm Show on NPR.

On 2 June 2009, Harper Collins published Womenomics, a book written by Kay and ABC News' Good Morning America senior national correspondent Claire Shipman exploring the redefinition of success for working women based on recent trends of the value of women to the business world.

On April 15, 2014, HarperBusiness published [sold by HarperCollins Publishers] The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance – What Women Should Know, a book written by Kay and Claire Shipman.

Kay is married to ex-BBC reporter and current Control Risks Group senior vice-president Tom Carver. They have four children. She is non-religious and considers herself to be an agnostic.

Reviews

[Ita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read on power and how we need to change it to be more inclusive. I didn't like the beginning where I felt the authors thought that if more women were in power, everything would be better. They have interviewed some amazing female leaders but I've seen quite a few female leaders who behave worse than traditional white male leaders. I did enjoy the end of each chapter where you get pointers on how you can help change power to be more inclusive. Thank you Harper Collins for my review copy.

[Carol Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows what happens when women gain power in the workplace. It also shows what is preventing women from moving up in their careers. It’s not just corporate culture, but husbands can exert more pressure for his wife to not succeed.

[Sindhu Vinod · Rating 4 out of 5]

The want for power is something that everyone has. Working towards achieving it is what people plan but what is it like when you have it and what do you have to do to sustain it is something that a major number of people don’t do it right. Does it mean that they stopped thinking? No. Their thought process isn’t streamlined.

There is also a popular notion that it corrupts when you get into power. But after you read this, you are likely to change your opinion. This book will give you a definition of power that will give you the way of attaining it and withholding it responsibly. The workplace environment has undergone a major shift and the power to manage and thrive in the workplace scenario.

Nine chapters are carefully crafted for women who want to be in power and hold it responsibly. This will change the way power is looked upon when women have it and will also serve as a guidebook for women who want to attain it. My favorite chapter has to be The Power (and joy) of having power. It outlines what is actually needed when you are in power and changes the power code that you already possess. From getting personal to stamping out fear, returning on respect, and enjoying the ride, they touch on the major points that will help improve. What really resonates with the current scenario is us women, doing it for the kids. Kids learn and absorb from the home environment (especially girls) and if there are power struggles it is going to make it difficult for them. Rather on the other hand if they see fathers taking up household chores it gives them a win-win. A positive impact can be these kids having a wider career aspect.

The authors have given their research based on their own experiences and from interviews with women who were able to share experiences. A lot of new lessons were learned from already what we know about power. 

[Parker | simplybibliophiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember AT ALL why I picked up this book. It was probably the cover. And considering how I have been burned by books with pretty covers…I really need to stop doing that lol. But in this case, I did enjoy this one.

I appreciated Kay and Shipman’s premise that there is a definition of power (male version of power) that has predominated business for, oh, I don’t know, all of history, and it’s no longer working…for anybody. They argue that to fix this, we as a society must redefine power or, instead, align with how women view power. They argue that women view power differently than men because they have different considerations when pursuing certain professional tracks and how they are perceived at work - considerations that men, who are their professional peers, do not have to consider. As such, women have had to adjust their expectations, which has ultimately affected how they view and/or show up in the workplace as leaders…as women with power.

The notion that there needs to be a redefinition of power so that ALL can succeed (even men), and to see the various research to back it up was intriguing. This kept me mostly engaged, but there were a few lulls, and I lost the plot in some chapters (FYI - some chapters were too long). Overall, this is a good read for women trying to climb the corporate ladder and/or those who feel like what they experience in Corporate America is specific to them. I promise you…you are not alone!

Women across race, age, socioeconomic status, and job position are dealing with the same foolishness at work…and at home (yes, there is a whole chapter about men who don’t want to do housework and how that affects their working wives…God help us).

[swipethebook]

I loved the premise of the book. It started out very promising but fell short in delivery. The authors definitely did thorough research in curating their thoughts, but it became too much and too repetitive. The basic premise of the book revolved around the concept of “Power over” and “Power to”.

When we think of leadership, many things come to mind, and the authors tried to bring forward the thinking that men and women had on this subject. The book highlights the disparity in thought processes between men and women and sheds light on the perils and complexities women face professionally and personally. The authors also gave real life examples of how women have overcome difficult circumstance. In the end joy and happiness play a major role in creating maximum impact in the workplace. I appreciated how the author emphasized that 'power to' is the way forward and the importance of a radical shift in thinking in the present time.

I loved how the your personal “power code” was given at the end of each chapter, prompting readers to reflect on their way of analyzing and seeing things. If nothing else, this book will get you to ponder on the idea of 'power to' rather than 'power over.' Overall, I think this book has a strong premise and would definitely recommend it.

[Varma Shagun · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Power is not working - for women, for men, or for the world. We don't need to remake women. We need to remake power."

✓𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝑰 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝑻𝒐 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑰𝒕:
I decided to read this book because:
>I was intrigued by the title and this book seemed to be a powerful and motivating read.

✓𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕:
This book portrays a powerful perspective on women empowerment. Ut highlights how power can be made more accessible to women and appealing to everyone in general. The book talks about men becoming standard bearers too. Examples and relatable situations have been incorporated which helps the readers connect more and get more clarity.

✓𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
>Relevant title.
>Appealing cover.

✓𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
>Lucid language.
>Rich vocabulary.
>Concepts explained in a simple way.

✓𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌:
>I loved how the content is direct and has been presented in a meaningful way. Any unnecessary exaggeration has been avoided.
>The book comments on both - societal font and professional pathway.
>The guidelines are thought-provoking, systematic and practical.

✓𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔:
>Self-Help.
>Non-Fiction.
>Women Empowerment.
>Confidence.

✓𝑶𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏:
Looking for a book that can help you shape your personality and which you can keep on your coffee table? Well, this is where your search stops. The book emphasizes on how we can balance our personal and professional life, maximizing the impact of our power and being a happier and more confident version of ourselves.

[Anya Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my Women Lead course and was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did, but this was a well written an interesting book! The pace was good and it was easy to read which I think is important in a book aimed to change the minds of so many people. It also made some very interesting points about power and specifically the differences between how men and women approach power. There are two main issues I had with the book. The first was that the authors repeated themselves quite often which I understand was a way of drilling in their arguments, it just got a little tiring after awhile. The second issue I guess isn’t really an issue with the book itself and more a realization that I very much wasn’t its target audience: This book was very focused on the corporate world and it gave solutions to balancing power between men and women only in that context except for one chapter where it talked about power dynamics in the home. Like I said, it’s not the books fault that I am not its target audience, but it did make it slightly harder for me to connect with what was being said.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kay and Shipman have produced an important piece of work in The Power Code. Looking at how men and women differ in their view of power and how it should be used put much of my working career in perspective. Each chapter ends with a Your Power Code section in an attempt to provide ways to put the chapter’s content into action to work toward change. But midway through I felt the book became repetitive and slow. A fair amount was spent on the plight of working mothers … the home-work imbalance coupled with an inability to be recognized for the value women bring to the work force.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting ideas about power and how we can create a structure that meets the needs of women and all* who don't fit the traditional power structure as it has historically been defined. This book lacks any analysis of class and power, and by default, focuses on women who have enough resources to engage their own power. While the authors acknowledge this limitation, it is difficult to think about what we can learn from this book without considering those among us who have the least power.

[Laura Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “power to” is a fundamental concept from this read. Women value the “power to” instead of “power over.” The book describes how the approach can help leaders excel. Most of all in reading this book, I was proud of my husband. He brings so much balance to our roles in the home. It’s incredibly important to have that in your partner. The book definitely promotes the idea of sharing more in child rearing and domestic jobs.

[Melanie Klym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resonates with my experience

This book resonates with and validates so much of my professional experience. The premise of "power to" instead of "power over" makes so much sense. The book is well researched and includes several personal stories and interviews. Each chapter ends with ideas for implementation and application.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What stood out most was the "permission" or acknowledgement that women often don't want the conventional style of power (aggressive, selfish, isolated). The book makes the argument for a "power to" style focused on can be achieved via power, with a focus on listening and growing others. That message resonated with me as I've struggled on "wanting" to climb the corporate ladder.

[Desiree McKinney Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for women & any man who would like a look into why power (as we know it) is entirely unattainable for women. Good news & no spoiler here… the power structure can evolve & change! How will we do it, what does it look for each individual woman, will we get there?

This book is brilliant and the research behind it is incredible.

Yep, this is a must. For everyone. But will you?

[Susan Waller · Rating 3 out of 5]

How women's definition and use of power is different, and how increased power sharing can benefit everyone. Less academic than I thought it would be. The authors provide ideas for women to apply in their own lives. I enjoyed the stories of the women profiled.

[Sydney Merz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring book. Thank you for writing it! Definitely have things to chew and things I already have applied!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every woman needs to read this book!

[Flan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I read it as a reinforcement of a good idea. It's not the sort of book that deserves high accolades, but they are ideas that will help us build a better future.

[Rachel Strang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insights. I saw the authors speak this week and there is even more good info in the book than what I heard in person.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical gender book of reasons genders aren’t equal without many solutions.

[Christine Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fascinating read. I felt empowered, angry, frustrated, and yet hopeful while reading this. Highly recommend to both women AND men.

[Natalie Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about all of the different oistudies on gender dynamics but the use cases weren’t all that relevant to me personally (a single person who doesn’t manage a team)

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

New York Times bestselling authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman are on a mission to reclaim power for women. The Power Code shows you how to leverage the power you already have, find new sources of power in yourself and your community, and remodel your workplace and your home-life to produce less ego, more joy, and maximum impact.

I love that this book emphasises on how the ‘traditional’ definition of ‘power’ no longer works for women and it needs to be re-made as women don’t find it appealing anymore. I do believe that the concept of ‘power’ doesn’t have to always have a negative connotation, and we can turn it into a positive one.

Some of the concepts outlined in this book are applicable to both ‘power’ and ‘confidence’, such as ‘practicing power’ through affirmations, which is pretty much interchangeable with ‘practicing confidence’.

All in all, the book covers a great, important concept that will need a bit of time to be normalised and adapted into daily practices by people and organisations. Does it help to ‘obtain’ positive power instantly today? Probably not, but any change starts with a great idea, and this is it.

(Thanks to HarperCollins Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)

See my bookstagram review.