Authority Issues: Midlife Women & Power
How to navigate leadership, power, and cultural visibility as a midlife woman.
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Fellow Empresses, How the hell are you?
I’ve been thinking about this recent quote from
The whole thing has me positively incensed because I see women in our demo struggling to “land” new gigs. And it’s absurd because here we have ALL these women with incredible portfolios of skills, knowledge, experience, and wisdom being rendered invisible by a piece of code that just takes their CVs willy-nilly out of the pile.
The defiant Tracy Flick in me longs to embrace a pro-deceit agenda—so that we can put ourselves back in the pile by just lying our asses off and masking our DOBs because why should we suffer due to a damn ageist algorithm?
I want more agency and authority over my robots, thank you very much.
Something we at The Empress have been giving a great deal of thought to lately is how thriving as a midlife woman intersects with “authority” and “cultural visibility”— as often discussed by
, Editor of Womancake Magazine.As we consider what remains when the titles and positions are stripped away, especially for midlife women who seemingly lose authority and visibility once they hit age 50—it’s critical we understand the nature of “authority”, how it works, and then… how much midlife women’s influence persists beyond the symbols of their roles?
What’s at the essence of leadership, transcending titles and positions when you are a professional woman facing midlife and not ready to resign yourself to a marginalized, isolated, crone narrative—when you’re still wanting to apply your trove of skills, knowledge, and wisdom to your present professional context and life?
I first observed this phenomenon when I transitioned from a prominent global c-suite role, overseeing hundreds with numerous direct reports. As I engaged with leaders across various sectors and scenarios, this pattern of authority became more pronounced.
With subsequent roles tied to esteemed institutions, the distinction among three types of authority crystallized: Legacy, Executive, and Earned Authority.
Legacy Authority
Legacy authority relies on a depth and breadth of past experiences, expertise, and associated historical name value serving as a shortcut to credibility. Yet, its potency diminishes if current outcomes diverge from past achievements. If you’re caught in a moment of brain fog or a hot flash mid-meeting—systemic ageism and deeply internalized misogyny can see a woman’s Legacy Authority quickly portrayed as compromised.
What you can do: Remind your colleagues and reports that a) This is all perfectly normal. b) There are a billion of us, and c) The past is just as relevant as the present and future. Rarely is anything entirely new. Problems are often cyclical and persist in repetition with minor permutations. Having perspective on your side is everything. So, they need you.
Executive Authority
Executive authority emanates from titles, signaling organizational trust and responsibility. It hinges on implicit confidence in systemic structures and the individuals placed within them. Yes, titles matter. Yes, relationships and optics matter. Yes, the system is often rigged against us if we didn’t go to x,y, or z school, but this is where career planning, transitioning, and mentoring can help you chart a path that aligns with the growth and credibility you seek.
What you can do: Get with the experts in organizational psych—those coaches and mentors specializing in networking, career transition, personal branding, and executive presence. This is an opportunity to get very intentional about your strategy should you wish to boost your performance in this and other areas. We work with some great ones like Alicia Dara, Andrea Yacub Macek, Shery Saeed, Sandra Ann Miller, and Gabrielle Espinosa. Our sister-in-arms, Dr. Heather Bartos, is also available for consult sessions so you can understand the full gamut of midlife/menopause treatment options and start feeling like your badass self again. (How wonderful to have authority over your own body, eh?)
Earned Authority
All this being said, it's earned authority that truly distinguishes effective midlife female leaders. This form of authority manifests in the present moment as the kind that is not overcome by the stressors and symptoms of midlife, but that proactively deals with them while demonstrating competence and trustworthiness when it matters most. It means you deliver on your promises with empathy, curiosity, and often data.
Without earned authority, the foundation of executive and legacy authority crumbles. It is this ability to "walk the talk" and deliver both hard and soft results.
What you can do: It may sound trite, but it doesn’t make it any less true; surround yourself with team members who are smarter than you are, who can complement your knowledge gaps, and who compel you to play better strategic tennis. By age 50, you will have worked with so many people in life, try often to work with those you already know and trust who improve your game.
Exceptional leaders (those with real, longstanding cultural visibility) often embody all three forms of authority, fostering unwavering loyalty and trust. Their leadership transcends all titles and job descriptions; it's about earning authority through consistent action and tangible results.
Here is what I might add to that…
When it comes to cultural visibility, by age 50, we are vast human Venn diagrams of all three components of authority—it’s key that we remember, foster, and hold these up to the light.
Recognizing these in ourselves enables the world to do so as well.
What holds all three layers of authority together? I would argue it's a strong archetypal narrative. Whether it is a role model, a goddess, or a framework of your own devising, the story is core to giving voice to your agency and authority. And, it is but one step in your midlife heroine's journey.
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Yours in Grandeur & Deep Sh*t,
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Thanks so much for the kind mention, Alisa. One thing I was lucky to find during my last job hunt (in LA, of all places) was that an "experienced" person was being sought. Meaning "older". Meaning Gen X work ethic and the acquired skills/knowledge that come with age. Of course, having a recruiter helped with that (though, I did make it through Indeed's algo a few times). But, if we have the chance to hire, we also need to open the doors for each other. xo
Honored to be included in this stellar roundup of resources! Great advice for midlife working women and their co-workers.