Nancy Pelosi's 'unapologetically ruthless' campaign to get Biden to step back

Is this how women should lead? Columnist says Pelosi is a model worth emulating

What you probably already know: Regardless of your politics, there’s no denying that U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi is a woman in power. But over the last few weeks, as calls for President Biden to step back got louder, Pelosi was behind the scenes pulling the strings and mounting a pressure campaign that ultimately resulted in Biden endorsing Kamala Harris. In an opinion piece in the New York Times, contributing editor Jessica Bennett outlines how Pelosi negotiated with an iron fist, and what that says about “how woman should lead.”

Why? Do women need to be more humble? Are we better at building consensus? Are we tough but friendly? There’s been much hand-wringing about the “right” way for women to lead. Well, Bennet writes, if you’re modeling yourself after Pelosi, you’re “unapologetically ruthless,” even “coldblooded.” This isn’t “lean in.” It’s “be shrewd and formidable.”

What it means: Obviously, here at Formidable, we agree that women leaders simply must be formidable to be successful. There’s no other option. And that means women leaders can “cause fear, dread or apprehension,” “have qualities that discourage approach or attack,” and “tend to inspire awe or wonder,” according to the definition of the word formidable.

What happens now? Pelosi, who is 84, may have pressured Biden to step back, but she herself doesn’t seem to be taking a back seat any time soon. She announced Wednesday she would boycott Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address of Congress and instead meet with Israeli citizens whose families suffered in the wake of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

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