The spark from widow to leader

Katherine Graham was at a cross-roads with her family business when her husband committed suicide in 1963. Graham’s situation is best summarized by author Thorndike: “At age 46, she was the mother of four and hadn’t been regularly employed since the birth of her first child nearly twenty years before.” (110 - Outsiders)  

Graham confesses in her autobiography, “I knew next to nothing about business and absolutely nothing about accounting… I was also uneducated in even the basics of the working world – how to relate to people professionally…” (343 - Personal History) 

Graham had every reason to sell the business. She had no confidence. Graham’s inner dialogue was full of self-doubt.  

BUT she had a friend to spark the positive belief in herself.  

Graham had a dear friend, Luvie Pearson, that launched her from a widow in despair to world-class CEO: 

“’Don’t be silly dear. You can do it.’ 

’Me?’ I exclaimed. ‘That’s impossible. I couldn’t possibly do it. You don’t know how hard and complicated it is. There’s no way I could do it.’ 

‘It’s ridiculous to think you can’t do it. You’ve just been pushed down so far you don’t recognize what you can do.’ 

‘That was the first time that anyone had mentioned the idea of my running the company, or that I had even contemplated it in passing.’” (319 – Personal History) 

Graham began to dance with the fear to find a way forward. She shares, “I cared so much about the paper and about keeping it in the family that, despite my lack of knowledge and feelings of insecurity, I felt I had to make it work…” (343 – Personal History) 

Graham admits, “I am quaking in my boots a little but trying not to show it.” (340 – Personal History) 

Graham went on to become one of the best CEOs of all time with a remarkable 22.3 percent compound annual return to shareholders from 1971 until 1993! For reference S&P 500 was a 7.4% compound annual return during this period. 

The Washington Post was a beacon of independent journalism during her tenure. Graham courageously led The Washington Post to publish the Pentagon Papers and provided unwavering support of the Watergate investigation. 

Graham should give all of us confidence that it’s okay to be nervous. It’s okay to quake in our boots. It’s okay to not have all the answers. But you have to show up.  

Most importantly, maybe we can be the Luvie Pearson to someone on our team, family, or friends? Supporting those among us to be the best version of oneself because all of us are fighting our own internal battles. 

Onward, 

Matt