Career Lessons From Watching Speaker Nancy Pelosi Operate – Part I

When Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi announced the other day that she is stepping down as a leader of the Democratic Party, lots of stories were written about it being the end of an era, or the historic nature of her leadership and her remarkable accomplishments, all of which is true, laudable and to be celebrated.

But her career moves are lessons for us all too.

As the first female Speaker of the House and 2^nd in line to the presidency, Pelosi has broken dozens “marble” ceilings and carved paths for millions of women to excel. Great biographies have been written about her life, including the recent ones, Molly Ball’s “Pelosi,” and Susan Page’s “Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power.”

The way Speaker Pelosi has crafted her career, how she comports herself, and how she has been able to accomplish so much across so many years and with so many different players, provides a wide range of career lessons, especially for women.

Here are 10 of 20 career-related lessons I see from watching Speaker Pelosi operate over many years, especially the past 10 years (read Part II for the other 10):

1. Start a new career at any age - See how else you can apply your skills: Pelosi first came to Congress at 47 years old when she was chosen to succeed the Congresswoman in 1987 who was ill. Pelosi accepted because she saw that she could apply her considerable political skills and instincts, and her formidable intellect and relationship-building skills to actually serving in office. She also learned valuable relationship management skills growing up and as a mother – as the only girl in a political family of seven children, and successfully raising five children of her own.

2. When opportunity knocks seize it: There are numerous times in Pelosi’s career where opportunities presented and she said “yes,” from taking that first seat in Congress after Congresswoman Burton died, to running for office on her own, to running for Democratic leadership, to shepherding through massive bills in Congress against all odds.

3. Understand why you’re doing what you’re doing and what your ultimate goal is: Pelosi always makes it clear that she does what she does for the children and for preservation of democracy.

4. Master the rules of the game: Few people in history have mastered the rules of the political game like Speaker Pelosi has – even down to the way she filled the power vacuum on January 6^th and took the reins to save the country from a coup, and protecting the lawmakers, staff, journalists and the law enforcement in the Capitol that day from greater violence.

5. Disagree without being disagreeable: Pelosi is always strong and firm in her positions, but not mean in her communications, and always kind and respectful, from all public and private reports This is even when she admonished “the former guy” in the famous scene of her standing over him in the White House conference room. Considered “neither a screamer nor a bully,” Jay Newton-Small wrote in her book, “Broad Influence: How Women Are Changing The World” about Pelosi. (Listen to my interview with Jay about this book here too.)

6. Build relationships with the people you need to negotiate with: When she announced she was stepping down, former Republican Speakers Paul Ryan and John Boehner both posted tweets acknowledging her extraordinary service to the country and wishing her well. That tells you a lot. She’s notorious for reaching across the aisle to get legislation through for the American people, which is how she has such an extraordinary record, including the Affordable Care Act, the CARES Act to address the covid economy, and the recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, all of which were bipartisan.

7. Have your boundaries, your red lines, and stick to them, with grace and dignity: Protecting democracy is surely one of Pelosi’s red lines, which is why she stepped into the power vacuum on January 6^th to take charge. Making sure social security and Medicare are protected, and that children are taken care of, are red lines we’ve seen Pelosi draw and stick to as well.

8. Be a master communicator: :Listen to any Pelosi speech, interview, or press conference, including her retirement speech the other day, and notice her word choices, her rhythms, her pauses. Pelosi is also notorious for sending thank you, birthday and condolence notes, to legislators, constituents, local officials, donors, journalists, business and labor leaders, family and friends.

9. Take care of your physical health: Pelosi stays fit and seems to make self-care a priority.

10. Know when to be strong & when to be empathetic: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell of Michigan who has known Pelosi for decades (since her husband the late Congressman John Dingell served with Pelosi for many years), said on MSNBC when Pelosi announced she’s passing the torch to the next generation of Democratic leaders, that one of Pelosi’s many gifts was knowing how and when to be strong or empathetic.

“Though many studies have demonstrated women’s effectiveness in governing by consensus, Pelosi cemented it at the highest levels,” Newton-Small wrote, “She proved that ‘female’ tactics could achieve what many regarded as a male level of success, often eclipsing what male Speakers had done with their titles and time.”

Read 10 more career lessons from watching Speaker Pelosi here.