Sunday Pick: Unlocking Your Power at Work: Kara Swisher on how to get what you want | from Fixable

Kara Swisher (0:00)

One of my greatest lessons of being a reporter over the many years, and I had lots of scoops and lots of great stories I've written, the biggest lesson I learned was that I used to think, what are they lying to me about? And one of the things I learned, and I think it's really a profound difference in being the better reporter, was what are they lying themselves about? And that's just, that yields every single, like what do they need to say every day to get through the day that isn't true?

Elise Hue (0:32)

Happy Sunday, y'all, Elise Hue here. Today, we're bringing you a Sunday Pick, where we share an episode of another podcast from TED, handpicked by us for you.

No matter where you fall on the corporate food chain, you have power at work. You might just not know how to use it. So today, we're sharing an episode from a new limited series on our podcast, Fixable, called Unlocking Your Power at Work. Hosts Anne and Frances dig in to how to discover, build and use your power, explore common power dynamics in the workplace, and learn from people who use their full power with honesty and swagger. Kara Swisher is one of the most influential voices in media and has built a career holding powerful people accountable. In this episode, she reflects with Anne and Frances on her own path to power and what she's learned from watching some people become corrupted by it, while others learn to wield it for good. She also argues people don't leave jobs early or often enough and makes the case for pursuing more than just the opportunities that are offered. Whatever you're dealing with at work, Fixable is there to help, offering actionable insights to create meaningful change in your life and workplace. Listen to Fixable wherever you get your podcasts. And if you have a problem you want fixed, call her hotline at 234-FIXABLE. That's 234-349-2253 to leave Anne and Frances a voicemail with your workplace problem. Learn more about TED's podcasts at podcast.ted.com.

Now, on to the episode after a quick break.

Kara Swisher (2:06)

Here's how I conduct my career. I'm in a restaurant and they have chicken, pork, or steak, and I want the duck. And she's like, well, they don't have the duck on the menu. And I said, oh, they have the fucking duck.

Anne Morris (2:26)

This is Fixable, a show where we take the problems at work that feel unfixable and prove to everyone and ourselves that they are not. I'm Anne Morris.

Frances Frey (2:36)

And I'm Frances Frey.

Anne Morris (2:38)

Today, we have something we're really excited to share with our listeners. We are launching a special series about finding your power at work.

We hear from a lot of listeners who don't feel powerful in their jobs, but we also observe a lot of people who aren't using the full power they already have.

Frances Frey (2:57)

You know, we also hear from people who are reacting to other people's power, so on the receiving end, reacting to the power dynamics in the office. And often they're just unsure how to respond.

Anne Morris (3:11)

Yes. Yeah. I mean, we think about this series as a way to discover and use your real power at work. We're going to dig in to how you can identify it, build it, get nice and comfortable with it, and then use your power ultimately for good.

Frances Frey (3:29)

You know, we talk a lot about having swagger on this show, which is one of my favorite words.

And I think when someone really connects to their full power at work, you can just see it in the way that they carry themselves, how they relate to others. It's infectious, and honestly, it's difficult to look away.

Anne Morris (3:47)

Totally.

To kick us off, we have a guest who has a whole lot of swagger. She's built a life and an incredible career around holding the powerful accountable and she's powerful in her own right. We're talking about the legendary Kara Swisher, one of the most influential voices in media today.

Frances Frey (4:05)

And if you are looking for a role model, look no further.

Anne Morris (4:09)

Yeah. She has been reporting on tech since the early 90s. She's worked at the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post. Her memoir, Burn Book, A Tech Love Story, is a New York Times bestseller. She's the host of the podcast, on with Kara Swisher and of course the co-host of Pivot. Frances, you know Kara from your Uber days.

For listeners who don't know, you took a sabbatical from Harvard back in 2017 to join Uber as their first senior vice president of leadership and strategy.