Sunday Pick: Unlocking Your Power at Work: Kara Swisher on how to get what you want | from Fixable
Summary
In this episode of Fixable, hosts Anne Morris and Frances Frye interview legendary journalist Kara Swisher to explore the dynamics of power and influence in the workplace. Swisher shares her personal approach to calculated risk-taking, the importance of knowing your true goals rather than accepting available options, and how her early loss of her father shaped her resilient, anxiety-free mindset. The conversation also covers her views on holding tech leaders accountable and the value of self-honesty in professional growth.
Topics discussed
Reporter's lesson: What are they lying to themselves about?
Introduction to the 'Unlocking Your Power at Work' series
Fixable hotline and show promotion
Sponsor: Apple Card for end-of-year shopping
Sponsor: Planet Visionaries podcast
Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Show intro: Fixable and hosts Anne and Frances
Discussion on reacting to workplace power dynamics
Introducing guest Kara Swisher and her background
Frances Frye's history with Kara at Uber
The first meeting: No small talk, just game on
Welcome Kara and playful banter about 'fixing'
Kara's self-perception: Handy lesbian vs. fixer
Kara's emotional life: Lack of anxiety and fear
Daily emotions and reacting to kids' upset
Roots of low anxiety: Father's death and 'fix it' attitude
Highly functional family dynamics after loss
Sense of mortality and the value of time
Lessons from watching tech industry transformations
Profiles of grounded leaders: Nadella and Hastings
The danger of power coalescing in one place
The echo chamber of wealth and yes-men
Broadening interests: History, philosophy, and hands-on work
The 'Factory of Entrepreneurs' and VC dynamics
Kara's power: Words, opinion, and giving a 'big fuck'
Warning against power concentrated in small groups
Sponsor: Planet Visionaries and Rolex
Sponsor: Planet Visionaries (continued)
Sponsor: Capital One VentureX Business Card
Setting boundaries: The 'no grabbing boobs' policy
Asking for what you want despite lack of leverage
Frances reflects on being on Kara's side of the spectrum
The 'Capital F' fuck: Prioritizing big values over small insults
Contrast in styles: Kara's bluntness vs. Frances' fixability
Women taking up space and having healthy egos
The absence of apology in Kara's self-presentation
Confidence as fact: 'I am fantastic'
Sponsor: Natural Resources Defense Council
Sponsor: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Coaching: Understanding your leverage and goals
Thinking about worst-case scenarios and options
Case study: Defining your own career path, not just options
The 'Duck' metaphor: Asking for what you actually want
Observing gender dynamics in her sons
Unpaid career consulting and the value of advice
Advice: Take risks and understand your personality
When to quit: Recognizing when you are a bad fit
Steve Jobs' Stanford speech as a career North Star
Leaving the New York Times: Dread as a powerful indicator
'Flounce power': The cost of exiting a job
Acting like you're leaving: The 60-day window
Don't blame the job: If it's not for you, leave
Revisiting the reporter's lesson: Lying to themselves
Peeling the onion: Getting people to the truth
Kara's escape valve: Paint by number in Brooklyn
Closing remarks and show credits
Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Sponsor: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
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