BOOK REVIEW - We're Speaking
by Fran Hauser
Guest Editor
We're Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris: How to Use Your Voice, Be Assertive, and Own Your Story by Hitha Palepu. Have you ever had someone mentor you that you’ve never met? The brilliant Hitha Palepu - author, CEO and investor - certainly has. Throughout Hitha's career and life, she has captured quotes and “Kamala-isms” in a notebook that served as strength and motivation when she needed it most.
We're Speaking weaves together wonderful lessons from Kamala's groundbreaking accomplishments along with Hitha's insights from actualizing these lessons herself.
Some of my favorite pearls of wisdom from the book include:
Kamala's clarity about her North Star: since the early days of her career as a prosecutor, it’s always been “For the people”. This is her compass that guides every decision she makes.
The consistency of Kamala's voice, which carries both authority and warmth. She speaks in truthful, short sentences. When she’s interrupted, she replies with two powerful words: ”I’m speaking.”
Kamala's tenacity and resilience. As a Black and Asian-American woman in a male-dominated political landscape, Kamala has been told, "It's not your time. It's not your turn." Her response? "I eat no for breakfast."
The guiding technique, which Kamala uses to reframe potentially negative perceptions by putting herself in someone else’s shoes and understanding how they see her.
Kamala's "showing the math" technique. As a global leader, Harris is often tasked with influencing or persuading, and she believes there is huge power in showing the work that helped you arrive at your position: the steps taken, the information used, the other options considered.
If something is broken, she doesn’t wait for others to take the lead. Instead, she steps up and does something about it.
While there is so much to learn from Kamala, Hitha is a star in her own right. She’s the ultimate multi-hyphenate. She’s the CEO of a pharmaceutical company, author, speaker, investor, social media influencer, and more. Just as Kamala has been a mentor from afar to many women around the globe, I suspect that there is a long list of women who would say the same about Hitha.
Hitha drops so many gems into this book. I read a lot of personal development books and it’s rare to come across fresh ideas, especially when it comes to actionable practices and behaviors. There were two that stood out to me, personally:
Hitha talks about how hard it can be to get started with a task she may be overwhelmed by. She creates a list of “start triggers” -- rituals, behaviors and micro-actions that nudge her brain out of emotion and into action -- things like putting her phone in a drawer, closing out her email, taking a deep breath and more. I love the idea of having a list you can go back and refer to.
I also found it helpful to read about Hitha’s approach to creating presentations. She prepares the first draft based on the emotions that she wants to convey. She scribbles down phrases and words that capture how she feels, the stories she wants to include and the key points she wants to make before she even begins crafting the slides themselves.
In the final chapter of the book, Hitha writes, “The core principle of this book is to identify the false choices and narratives we find ourselves confined in, and to reject them outright the way Kamala Harris has.” I'd read a book of Kamala Harris' insights on their own. I'd read a book of Hitha Palepu's insights on their own. So to have the experiences and advice of these two women interwoven together, "Kamala-isms" and what I'll call "Hitha-isms" side-by-side, is what truly makes We're Speaking a must-read.
This is the perfect book for anyone who is looking to step into their power, use their voice, and lead.
Fran Hauser is a bestselling author, startup investor and champion of women. For more of her book recommendations, follow @fransbookshelf on Instagram.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE WHAT LIST
Join the 70,000+ readers who rely on us for WHAT to know, WHAT to buy, WHAT to try, and where to go. Delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe here.