She did so even though the company’s lawyer said he “guessed he wouldn’t” because of the legal liability. For example, during the Vietnam War, the Post was debating whether to publish the Pentagon Papers and she made the final decision to publish. Her leadership exhibited itself in courageous ways as well. Part of leadership is being a good judge of character and surrounding yourself with talented people who can do the job (especially when you don’t know how!). This was a great choice because he turned out to be the best newspaper editor of his generation. For example, she hired Ben Bradlee as managing editor in 1965. Humilityĭespite her lack of business experience, she showed great leadership at times. She also began a long friendship with Gloria Steinem and ended up giving her $20,000 to start Ms. For example, she refused to excuse herself from the dinner table at long-time friend Joe Alsop’s house, even though it was tradition for women to leave so that the men could talk politics. In a 1969 interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Graham stated: “I can’t see a woman as managing editor of a newspaper.” This view changed and she fought tirelessly for women’s rights. She freely admits that she, herself, was schooled in the old ideology that men were better at a business. I liked Graham’s fight against gender bias. It would symbolize her emergence from her dead husband’s shadow she would become her own woman before the entire world.
Putting her in the spotlight was also his ultimate act as Pygmalion. She was arguably the most powerful woman in the country, but still largely unknown outside of Washington. I liked the symbolism of Truman Capote’s “Black and White Ball,” where Graham was the guest of honor. Yet, when offered $100 million for the paper, she turned it down because she wanted the challenge of running the paper herself. She freely admits that she had no financial or business background and being a woman in a man’s world only added to her insecurity.
In fact, she agreed to assume the reins as publisher of the Washington Post (NYSE: WPO). Phil’s death could have crushed her spirit, but Graham persevered.
He then committed suicide, which communicated that he would rather be dead than spend any more time with her. While she loved her husband Phil, he continually belittled her in front of the children and had an affair with a Washington Post employee. Outsiders often are the best fighters (because they have to be to survive). Meyer was Jewish and, although Graham claims she never experienced anti-Semitism until Vassar, being half-Jewish must have forced her to understand that she was an outsider of sorts. Agnes Ernst was a poor social climber who used her feminine beauty to land a rich Wall Street financier named Eugene Meyer.
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After all, how can a pampered childhood full of money and servants prepare you?īelow the surface, however, her upbringing was a personal struggle Graham had to deal with a self-absorbed, unloving mother. On the face of it, her privileged upbringing does not appear to be the source of this inner strength. In some ways, pioneers are the best and strongest type of leader, because they are forced to fight against the resistance of the status quo, an effort required in addition to the effort of successfully managing the business itself. Katharine Graham was a pioneer, one of the first women to head a major public company.
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