Power Up

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to move effortlessly through setbacks, criticism, and bias while others get stuck defending themselves or waiting to be noticed? In Power Up, Magdalena Yeşil—a pioneering Silicon Valley entrepreneur and first investor in Salesforce—argues that true success in the modern economy doesn’t come from waiting for permission or relying on others to validate you. It comes from taking ownership of your power.

Yeşil contends that technology and the new economy present unprecedented opportunities for women and outsiders—yet these opportunities demand courage to fail, confidence to act, and clarity of purpose. Powering up is not about claiming victimhood or shouting for equality; it’s about behaving as though equality already exists and proving your value through excellence, vision, and integrity. Everyone in any industry can cultivate this kind of power, but women especially must learn to apply it deliberately, given persistent structural obstacles and bias.

Seeing Obstacles as Rivers to Cross

Yeşil opens with her vivid childhood story from Turkey, where local tradition bids travelers farewell by throwing buckets of water behind them—wishing them to "flow past obstacles." This metaphor of flow defines her life: from emigrating alone to the U.S. for college, to confronting sexism in multiple tech boardrooms, she learns to move around barriers instead of smashing headfirst into them. Powering up, she insists, is not about denying bias but about refusing to let it determine your trajectory.

When she entered Silicon Valley in the 1980s, microprocessor sales conferences featured topless performers and women were treated as props. Yet instead of retreating, Yeşil spoke directly to AMD’s infamous CEO Jerry Sanders, calmly asserting professionalism and dignity without anger. In doing so, she ended the practice and gained respect overnight. This pattern recurs throughout her career—assertive but unemotional action, grounded in gravitas, not confrontation.

Gravitas and Authenticity as Power

One of the book’s central insights is that power begins with gravitas: a blend of dignity, confidence, and integrity that others can feel immediately. Gravitas is cultivated daily through posture, tone, clothing, and purpose, not charisma or aggression. Yeşil recounts coaching younger women to dress for their professional goals without apology—"wear the clothes that make you feel powerful." For her, true authenticity meant expressing femininity without fear of judgment: long red hair, simple clothes, and a kind demeanor that disarmed sexist environments without sacrificing authority.

Gravitas also means remembering why you’re there—to do excellent work that matters. It helps you protect yourself from innuendo and manipulation. In one example, Yeşil describes perfecting the calm “Spock stare” to deflect inappropriate comments, keeping interactions purely professional. In this way, she teaches that control over your emotions and presentation is the most immediate power any professional can exercise.

Attitude over Victimhood

Yeşil’s motto—“Better a bitch than a victim”—captures her philosophy on confidence. She chronicles the story of Lara Druyan calling out interrupting colleagues at Silicon Graphics with poise, choosing respect over meekness. Across industries, Yeşil observes that women often face a double standard: assertive behavior earns men respect but earns women labels. Yet the antidote isn’t retreat—it’s to embrace assertiveness and redefine it as professionalism, not rebellion. This resilience echoes findings by researchers like Angela Duckworth (Grit) and Brené Brown (Dare to Lead): courage without bitterness beats perfectionism every time.

Building Momentum Through Relationships

Powering up isn’t solitary. Yeşil advises cultivating sponsors, mentors, and allies—not fairy godmothers who fix problems but colleagues who advocate for you because you’ve earned their trust. Her own career accelerated through sponsorship from figures like Marc Benioff, Eric Schmidt, and Irwin Federman, who backed her ideas because she contributed measurable value. The book insists that every professional needs “people power”: a circle of allies who create openings.

She differentiates mentors (those who advise) and sponsors (those who act). The fastest career growth happens when powerful figures publicly invest in your advancement—something women often miss due to overly modest self-presentation. Instead of waiting, Yeşil encourages you to ask boldly, present data-driven accomplishments, and engage confidently with potential allies across gender lines.

Leadership Through Values and Inclusion

Late in the book, Yeşil argues that true leadership in the new economy lies not just in personal success but in shaping inclusive organizations. She recounts Salesforce’s multimillion-dollar pay parity audits, GoDaddy’s partnership with Stanford researchers to remove bias, and Etsy’s creative solution to open “Hacker School” for female engineers. These examples prove that diversity, when pursued through clear processes rather than shaming or quotas, drives innovation and morale.

She closes with a challenge: integrate your personal values at work, because integrity and empathy are renewable sources of power. Leaders like Benioff, who once made her wait while he talked to his grandmother, exemplify compassion over convenience—a trait Yeşil regards as the cornerstone of powerful leadership.

Why It Matters

In Yeşil’s view, the modern technology economy amplifies both inequality and opportunity. It rewards those who move fast but forgets those who freeze. Powering up means cultivating inner confidence, clarity, and conviction to act, even when no one gives you permission. Whether you’re entering a male-dominated space, balancing parenthood, or starting over after a failure, Yeşil’s formula is the same: believe in yourself, lead with dignity, and keep flowing toward your destination. In short, powering up isn’t just career advice—it’s an approach to life where courage, conviction, and compassion converge.

Yeşil begins with the deeply personal story of her emigration from Turkey to the U.S.—a tale of fear, mistakes, and resilience that becomes a metaphor for every professional challenge. She vividly compares success to water: gentle yet unstoppable, adjusting its path to reach the sea. This imagery shapes her advice on failure, courage, and adaptability.

Courage to Fail

Early mistakes taught Yeşil that persistence defines winners. She applied to American universities haphazardly, landed in a dangerous Chicago neighborhood, nearly quit—all before finding freedom at Stanford. Each obstacle reinforced her father’s lesson: “Anyone can take a risk with eyes closed; take one with eyes open.” That principle of informed risk follows her into Silicon Valley, where failed startups and rejected pitches became stepping stones. Like Sheryl Sandberg in Lean In, Yeşil suggests women must act before they feel ready—boldness beats hesitation.

Audacity and Gratitude

Yeşil coins two linked virtues: audacity and gratitude. Audacity is the willingness to ask big—like demanding a seat at Stewart Alsop’s elite AGENDA conference when she was unknown. Gratitude is humility without self-doubt, the immigrant’s reflex to appreciate every chance. Combined, they create what her boss dubbed her “delicious eff-you attitude”: assertive yet kind, competitive yet grateful. This balance lets ambition thrive without arrogance.

Her stories show how embracing feedback—rather than defending against it—accelerated learning. At AMD, engineers shredded her designs; she listened calmly, took notes, and improved. That maturity signals professional power: emotional control amid critique.

Flexibility as Strength

In business and life, Yeşil maintains that stubborn vision paired with flexible execution distinguishes success from failure. When her first Internet startup couldn’t find funding, she pivoted to partner with UUNet, surrendering founder status but gaining scale. It taught her that pride can sink good ideas faster than poverty. Adaptability, not ego, moves mountains—a view echoed by Eric Ries (The Lean Startup), who sees iteration as the lifeblood of innovation.

Learning to Flow

“Flow” isn’t passive acceptance; it’s proactive navigation. Yeşil reminds readers that reactivity—whether to rejection, sexism, or failure—wastes energy. When Salesforce faced financial crisis during the dot-com crash, she reframed despair into creativity, suggesting upfront-payment contracts that saved the company. Flow means turning panic into strategy. If you can focus on solutions while others freeze, you create your own current of progress. Failure, she concludes, isn’t a wall—it’s a river bend. Those who adapt their course always reach the sea.

One of Yeşil’s most powerful lessons is that leadership begins before you speak—it starts with how you carry yourself. She calls this quality gravitas: the calm strength that commands respect without aggression. Cultivating gravitas is key to protecting your power in any male-dominated or hierarchical setting.

What Gravitas Looks Like

Gravitas encompasses tone, posture, and intention. It communicates, “I mean business.” Yeşil describes walking into rooms tall and confident, gives firm handshakes, and meets eyes with sincerity. Gravitas is distinctly unflashy—it’s authority that whispers instead of shouts. Sandra Day O’Connor’s blend of legal precision and warmth exemplifies this balanced power. Emotion, Yeşil warns, erodes gravitas: respond to disrespect calmly; never let anger or embarrassment take the reins.

Authenticity vs. Armor

Yeşil rejects two extremes: hiding feminine identity (as Lynne Laube once did with pantsuits and football talk) or flaunting style as rebellion. Authenticity, not mimicry, builds confidence. She tells the amusing tale of a young woman defending her short skirt as “today’s freedom.” Yeşil agrees—but notes that freedom also includes strategic choice. Dress to express your power, not to test boundaries. Rachel Maddow’s monochrome jackets let her audience focus on her words; Elizabeth Holmes’ black turtleneck became a faux-symbol of iconic Silicon Valley leadership. These examples show how visual branding reinforces credibility—but must align with integrity.

Handling Harassment Without Losing Power

Yeşil’s experiences in the 1980s shaped her pragmatic philosophy on sexual harassment. At AMD, where stripping was treated as corporate entertainment, she responded to indecency with firm professionalism—and changed company policy. Later, she developed personal “guardrails”: never mix work with romance, never engage emotionally with harassment, and respond factually. When men made innuendos, she defused them with blank stares or literal questions (“Can you please explain what you mean by that?”), turning shame into awkward accountability. She encourages formal complaint and documentation yet acknowledges that psychological power is often the first weapon available. In all cases, the goal is to reclaim control of the narrative, not retreat from it.

Gravitas in Action

Applied consistently, gravitas becomes magnetic. People listen, emulate, and respect you—often more than they understand why. It’s the invisible armor that protects dignity in uncomfortable environments, whether boardroom or classroom. Cultivating this power requires daily practice: stand tall, speak calmly, be deliberate in every choice. As Yeşil puts it, “Wear the clothes that make you feel powerful and in control of your environment.” When your authenticity and composure align, you radiate energy that commands respect without demand—a transformational skill for every career stage.

Yeşil devotes an entire section to what she calls people power—the ability to build relationships that accelerate your success while strengthening your network’s collective reach. She dismantles the myth that mentorship alone guarantees advancement. Real progress, she insists, comes through sponsorship—active advocacy from those in positions of influence.

From Mentors to Sponsors

Mentors advise; sponsors act. Yeşil cites Sheryl Sandberg, who didn’t just advise former employees—she got them jobs, board positions, and partnerships. True sponsorship involves risk-sharing. For employees, the first sponsor is often their boss; by doing exceptional work and making their boss successful, they earn loyalty and public endorsement. External sponsors (venture backers, investors, partners) arise from shared goals, not flattery.

Yeşil’s own career was shaped by sponsors such as Dan Lynch, Eric Schmidt, and Marc Benioff, whose trust grew from mutual collaboration. When Benioff proposed Salesforce, her belief and early investment catalyzed his confidence—the definition of reciprocal sponsorship.

Hyper-Local Networking

Rather than chasing celebrity mentors, Yeşil advocates “hyper-local” relationship building: connect with people whose work directly overlaps with yours. Shared challenges create genuine chemistry. This strategy led to her partnership with Lynch after linking through his son’s colleague. For entrepreneurs, hyper-local means targeting investors and mentors aligned with your product’s mission, not just status. Leah Busque’s TaskRabbit flourished after she connected with ZipCar CEO Scott Griffith—an ally who understood local network dynamics and offered her office space.

Men as Allies

Contrary to some gendered networking trends, Yeşil argues that women limit themselves by exclusively seeking female mentors. Because men still dominate leadership roles, partnerships across gender lines are vital. Male allies like Benioff or Steven Aldrich (GoDaddy) demonstrate that genuine partnership yields faster change than exclusion. Making friends across gender divides, she says, transforms inclusion from obligation to collaboration.

Building Momentum

Ultimately, people power means building a circle where mentorship, sponsorship, and friendship interweave. It’s less about collecting contacts than about nurturing mutual growth. Share credit, provide help, and seek feedback openly. Yeşil’s partnership with Irwin Federman at U.S. Venture Partners became a lifelong mentorship built on respect and transparency. As she writes, “Wise people are rare; treasure each moment you have with them.” Strong alliances multiply success—and remind you that powering up never happens alone.

The book’s title chapter, “Entering the Men’s Room,” captures Yeşil’s most provocative metaphor: women must walk courageously into spaces historically reserved for men—sometimes literally—and act as though they belong. It’s a manifesto about crossing boundaries with competence and collaboration, not confrontation.

Networking Beyond Comfort Zones

Yeşil cites research showing that women tend to build mostly female networks—three times more likely than men. This limits access to power because decision-makers are predominantly male. She recounts humorous examples, like women leaving for a “women’s networking event” mid-lunch while male colleagues stayed behind and turned the meal into an impromptu men’s session. Separation reinforces hierarchy. Instead, she urges women to mix professionally and socially with men, stepping into conversations even if sports analogies dominate.

Insider Mindset

Having grown up as part of a minority in Turkey, Yeşil learned not to internalize exclusion. She teaches readers to replace “outsider” identity with “insider attitude.” You can’t control how others see you, but you can control self-perception. Her mantra: don’t wait to be invited, act as though you belong. She recalls learning tolerance through experience—such as forgiving school bullies—then later using that confidence to thrive as one of few women in Silicon Valley.

Making Male Allies

Confidence doesn’t mean isolation. Yeşil recommends cultivating male allies who serve as honest sounding boards—a “work spouse.” She explains how having such allies helped curb self-doubt and workplace sexism, citing Gallup research showing employees with a best friend at work are more productive and loyal. Friendship dissolves gender tension and provides insight into male perspectives, helping women avoid unproductive defensiveness. A trusted ally can even call out inappropriate behavior before you have to—amplifying your influence through shared advocacy.

Join the Club, Don’t Resent It

To infiltrate exclusionary cultures, Yeşil encourages playful pragmatism. Her friend Kate Mitchell memorized one sports fact daily to join pre-meeting banter among male venture partners, transforming awkwardness into camaraderie. Others, like Gina Bianchini, invent social “hacks”: invite an extra colleague when meeting alone to reduce discomfort. Inclusion often means creativity, not confrontation. Yeşil herself hosted hikes or dinners when excluded from sports outings—choosing visible engagement rather than resentment.

Beyond Gender Politics

While feminist debate often centers on fairness, Yeşil focuses on efficacy. Political correctness that silences conversation can backfire; genuine parity comes from trust and collaboration. She applauds women who call out bias without condemnation—“Jay Smooth it,” she says, referring to the viral video teaching how to confront racist remarks by focusing on behavior, not identity. By engaging calmly, allies evolve instead of retreating defensively. Entering the men’s room isn’t rebellion—it’s partnership, proving equality through competence and confidence.

Few leadership books confront motherhood as candidly as Yeşil’s Power Up. She dismantles the myth of effortless balance by sharing her own messy, multidimensional story: raising two sons while launching companies and relying on her mother as caregiver. For Yeşil, parenthood isn’t a career liability—it's a source of motivation and discipline.

No More Mommy Guilt

The recurring emotional theme is guilt—a burden that working mothers still carry more than fathers. Yeşil recounts the sting of being labeled “the woman who forgot she was a mother” after casually answering “no” to being one on a hike. Cultural shaming convinces mothers they’re neglecting their children simply by working. Yet her story proves the opposite: her sons grew up proud of her achievements and internalized ambition through example. Like entrepreneur Heidi Zak, Yeşil emphasizes modeling purpose over preaching sacrifice.

Integrating Family and Work

Yeşil recounts turning her office into a family playground—stocking toys and cookies so her kids loved “working Saturdays.” When offered an executive position at Apple under Steve Jobs, she declined after realizing the expected seven-day schedule would destroy family equilibrium. This decision, which she never regretted, shows that powering up doesn’t mean choosing career over family—it’s crafting a sustainable hybrid that aligns with personal priorities. “I don’t do regret,” she says, emphasizing intentional choice as empowerment.

Family Leave and Co-Parenting

Yeşil reframes maternity leave as family leave—a term that neutralizes gender bias and supports fathers’ involvement. She champions companies like Rent the Runway and GoldieBlox for parity policies, illustrating how shared caregiving can transform workplace culture. Couples like Eventbrite’s Julia and Kevin Hartz embody this “unicorn” 50/50 parenting model, negotiating roles consciously rather than defaulting to tradition. Yeşil adds that even policy reforms fail if men resist taking leave: lasting equality starts at home.

Parenthood as Innovation Catalyst

For Yeşil and leaders like Lynn Perkins (UrbanSitter), parenting sparked entrepreneurship. Facing childcare challenges led Perkins to invent a platform for parents seeking sitters. Parenthood teaches prioritization, empathy, and time management—skills CEOs pay to learn later. Yeşil asserts that the decade of intense childrearing doesn’t derail ambition; it simply reshapes it. “Don’t get discouraged if progress slows; you have forty years ahead,” she writes. Parenthood isn’t just manageable—it’s transformative fuel for innovation and leadership integrity.

In later chapters, Yeşil explores how to navigate endings—quitting jobs, failed ventures, or burnout—without losing dignity or momentum. Failure, she insists, is neutral; what matters is how you manage your exit and rebuild.

Breaking Perfectionism

Yeşil’s departure from Salesforce’s board due to a health scare highlights how perfectionism traps women into all-or-nothing decisions. She warns against quitting without counsel and against assuming success requires flawlessness. Her mantra echoes Patti Hart’s advice: “Good enough is often good.” Women, she argues, face harsher scrutiny, fueling anxiety that undermines progress. The antidote is self-compassion—trusting that imperfection doesn’t erase competence.

Reframing Breaks

Career gaps aren’t blemishes; they’re recalibrations. Hart’s sabbatical in Paris became fertile ground for renewal and creativity. Yeşil agrees: breaks enrich perspective, networks, and focus. The key is to maintain connection—through meetings, reading, and learning. Preparation makes reentry purposeful. If forced out by layoffs or transitions, invest downtime in exploration rather than despair; the accumulation of insight can spark next opportunities.

Disaster Recovery

Julie Wainwright’s rebound from the notorious Pets.com collapse exemplifies Yeşil’s philosophy. Publicly ridiculed, she reinvented herself through humor, introspection, and eventually TheRealReal—a billion-dollar resale marketplace. Yeşil praises Wainwright’s transformation as emotional intelligence in action: “She widened her perspective beyond failure’s echo chamber.” Disaster, when owned, clarifies values and sharpens resilience.

Quit Smart

Quitting isn’t failure; quitting badly is. Yeşil advises leaving jobs only when running toward purpose, not away from discomfort. Resolve conflicts before departure; reputation endures longer than titles. Emotional decisions—rage quits or panic exits—burn bridges. Her friend Lynn Perkins took a simple role at Gap after startup burnout, using stability to recharge and later returning stronger with new ventures. Yeşil’s final counsel: “Never throw in the towel without multiple perspectives. And when you do, walk out with your head high.” Rebirth, she concludes, requires humility, curiosity, and gratitude—the same virtues that started her journey.

Having guided readers through personal empowerment, Yeşil expands the lens to organizational leadership—how powered-up individuals can transform their companies into inclusive, values-driven cultures. Diversity, she insists, is not politics; it’s performance.

Guardrails Against Bias

Yeşil retells how GoDaddy shifted from “bro culture” to progressive inclusivity under CEO Blake Irving. Partnering with Stanford’s Clayman Institute, they redesigned hiring and evaluation processes to remove ambiguity—the breeding ground of unconscious bias. Clear criteria replaced subjective judgments like “aggressive” or “assertive,” eliminating pay and promotion gaps within eighteen months. The lesson: don’t police people’s minds, redesign systems that minimize bias.

Say No to Quotas

Quotas, Yeşil warns, backfire by breeding resentment and doubt. True diversity emerges from widening recruitment funnels—posting jobs broadly, engaging networks like Power to Fly and Jopwell, or launching creative programs like Etsy’s Hacker School to build female talent pipelines. Leaders should require teams to interview at least one qualified woman per role—not as obligation, but as opportunity to uncover overlooked excellence.

Values-Driven Leadership

At the heart of corporate power-up lies values. Yeşil recounts Salesforce’s internal pay audit—$3 million to correct discrepancies—and CEO Benioff’s personal integrity, seen when he delayed board meetings to talk with his grandmother. Such acts humanize leadership and anchor companies in empathy. She advises defining personal mission statements visible at work, asking: “Are my actions aligned with my values?” Values, she writes, are the compass through volatility—a horizon keeping teams oriented through storms.

The Business Case for Equality

Yeşil closes with data linking diversity to profit: 41% higher revenue growth in gender-diverse teams, triple returns among Fortune 1000 women CEOs. Her argument mirrors Catalyst’s research and McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace reports: inclusion isn’t charity, it’s smart economics. Companies that align fair processes with human values not only power up employees—they power up performance. Leadership, Yeşil concludes, is a moral and strategic act: “Your integrity will be remembered when all other details are forgotten.”