Olivia: The most common advice for women in politics used to be: act more like a man. This book argues that's not just outdated, it's a losing strategy. Jackson: Right. The new rule? Your biggest perceived weakness might just be your greatest political weapon. Olivia: And that's the core idea in Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World by Stephanie Schriock. Jackson: And Schriock is the perfect person to write this. She's not an academic; she was the president of EMILY's List for a decade and managed the nail-biter Senate campaigns for Jon Tester and Al Franken. She's been in the political trenches. Olivia: Exactly. She's seen firsthand what works. And the book came out right in the middle of that massive cultural wave of women running for office after the 2016 election. It's both a product of that moment and a playbook for it. It all starts with completely demolishing the old template of what a candidate should be.

Jackson: What do you mean by the 'old template'? Are we talking about the classic pantsuit and a firm handshake? Olivia: That’s part of it, for sure. Schriock tells this story from 1996 when she was advising a candidate named Mary Rieder in Minnesota. The advice was literally: cut your hair short, get different glasses, and never, ever wear jeans in a parade. There was a uniform, and it was designed to make women look as much like the male standard as possible. Jackson: That sounds incredibly stifling. Like you have to erase your personality just to be taken seriously. Olivia: Precisely. And the book’s argument is that the power has completely flipped. The new playbook is about breaking those unwritten rules. Schriock points to Deb Haaland, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress. For her swearing-in ceremony, she didn't wear a standard business suit. She wore a traditional Pueblo dress and moccasins. It was this incredibly powerful statement. Jackson: Wow. That’s not just breaking a rule, that’s introducing a whole new culture to the halls of power. Olivia: It is. And it’s not just about appearance. It’s about your life story. Take MJ Hegar, a veteran who ran for a House seat in Texas. In one of her campaign ads, she proudly showed off her tattoos. And they weren't just random tattoos; they were cherry blossoms designed to cover up the shrapnel scars she got when her helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. Jackson: Okay, that's a powerful image. It turns a potential 'flaw' or something unconventional into a story of resilience and service. Olivia: That’s the whole point. She didn't hide it; she centered it. The book is full of these examples. Women who are former CIA officers, women who were teenage mothers, women who are dirt farmers. The message is, if they’ve never seen someone like you in power, that’s a sure sign they need you. Jackson: I love the sentiment. But it feels like a tightrope walk. How do you know when you're being 'authentically different' versus just 'unelectable'? Does the book give a litmus test for that? Olivia: It doesn't offer a simple test, because the point is that the "test" itself is the problem. The focus is more on the 'why.' The book spends a whole chapter on asking the right questions before you even decide to run. What motivates you? Is it an external event, like the 1991 Anita Hill hearings that sparked the "Year of the Woman"? Or is it an internal drive, like seeing a specific problem in your community you know how to fix? Jackson: That makes sense. Lauren Underwood, the congresswoman from Illinois, is a great example of that. She was a nurse who worked on the Affordable Care Act. When her congressman voted to gut protections for preexisting conditions, she didn't just get mad. She ran against him and won. Olivia: Exactly. Her 'why' was crystal clear. It wasn't about fitting a mold; it was about a mission. Jackson: Now, I have to ask about something critics sometimes point out. The book, and EMILY's List, are very focused on pro-choice Democratic women. Does this 'break the rules' strategy work across the political spectrum, or is it more of a feature of one party's brand right now? Olivia: That's a fair question. While the examples are from one side of the aisle, Schriock argues the core principles are universal. The idea of connecting with voters through an authentic story, of drawing strength from your unique background, of solving problems people actually face—that's not a partisan concept. The expression of it might look different, but the underlying strategy of genuine connection is what's changing. Jackson: So the authenticity itself is the strategy, regardless of ideology. Olivia: I think that's the argument. But of course, when you put your authentic self out there, you're also making yourself a target. Which brings us to the second, and maybe most crucial, part of the playbook: you need both a story and a shield.

Jackson: A story and a shield. That sounds like the ultimate paradox of modern leadership. You have to be open and vulnerable, but also completely bulletproof. Olivia: It is. And the book tackles both sides. First, the story. Schriock argues that campaigns are won and lost on narrative. It’s not just about policy papers; it’s about making an emotional connection. She breaks it down into a simple but powerful framework: Situation, Reaction, Resolve, and Ask. Jackson: Okay, break that down for me. Olivia: The perfect example is a story Amy Klobuchar told during a presidential debate. The situation: her newborn daughter was seriously ill, but the hospital policy kicked her out after just 24 hours. The reaction: as a private citizen, she went to the state legislature and fought for a new law. The resolve: she got it passed, guaranteeing a 48-hour hospital stay for new moms, a law that then helped countless other families. And the ask: she used that story to prove her grit and ask for people's votes to bring that same problem-solving attitude to Washington. Jackson: That’s incredibly effective. It’s personal, it shows her character, and it demonstrates a concrete accomplishment. It’s not just talk. Olivia: Exactly. It humanizes her and proves her effectiveness in one single story. But then comes the other side of the coin: the shield. What happens when your story is turned against you? Jackson: Right. The attacks. Olivia: The book uses Stacey Abrams' 2018 run for governor of Georgia as a prime example. Her opponents discovered she was over $200,000 in debt from student loans, credit cards, and helping her parents with medical bills. They tried to frame it as her being financially irresponsible. Jackson: A classic political attack. How did she handle it? Olivia: She didn't run from it. She leaned into it. She flipped the script and said, yes, I have debt. And so do millions of other Americans. She used it to talk about the crushing weight of student loans, the impossible costs of healthcare, and the economic realities facing working families. She turned a personal vulnerability into a shared public issue. Jackson: She made her story their story. That’s brilliant. But it also sounds incredibly draining. To have your personal struggles picked apart in public and have to constantly be 'on,' defending yourself... Olivia: It's brutal. And the book is very clear that politics is a contact sport. Women, in particular, face attacks that are often deeply personal, racist, or sexist. Jackson: So what’s the practical advice? How do you actually build that resilience, beyond just being told to 'grow a thicker skin'? Olivia: Schriock offers a few concrete strategies. First, and this is a big one: do not read the comments. Ever. Delegate that to your team. Your job is to stay focused and positive. Second, surround yourself with a small circle of honest advisors who will tell you the truth, not just what you want to hear. And third, prepare. Do your own opposition research on yourself. Know your vulnerabilities before your opponent does, and have a response ready. Jackson: Plan for the worst, so you're not caught off guard. It's like a pre-mortem for your own reputation. Olivia: Exactly. It takes the emotional sting out of the attack because you've already processed it and you have a plan. It’s about building emotional armor, not just having it.

Jackson: So when you put it all together, this isn't just a book about campaign tactics like fundraising or door-knocking, even though that's in there. Olivia: Not at all. It's about a fundamental shift in the nature of public leadership. The old model was about projecting this polished, invulnerable, almost superhuman image. This new model, which Schriock argues is especially powerful for women, is about leading with humanity. Jackson: It’s about acknowledging that your story, your scars, your unique background—those aren't liabilities you need to hide. Olivia: They are the very source of your connection and your power. The things that make you different are the things that make you necessary. Jackson: And it's a power that feels desperately needed right now. The book opens with a foreword from Kamala Harris where she talks about the nation being at an 'inflection point,' facing all these simultaneous crises. This style of leadership feels like a direct response to that. Olivia: It really is. And Schriock's final message is a direct challenge. She asks every reader: 'Will you run for office?' But she knows that's not the path for everyone. So the real question, the one that sits behind that, is 'Women, we have a ton of power. How are you going to use it?' Jackson: That's a powerful question for all of us to think about, whether we're running for president or just trying to make a change in our own community. We'd love to hear what our listeners think. What does 'running to win' mean in your own life? Let us know on our socials. Olivia: This is Aibrary, signing off.