What Does Power Mean in 2023?

Now is the time to re-examine power. The individuals we've named to this list are actors and authors, politicians and pop stars—even a professional race car driver—but they share one thing in common: power. Here, they share what they've learned about it. How they came by it. The ways they wield it. And what, in this moment, "power" means to them.

Kristen Kish: Chef, Author, Television Host

How do you define power?

Power means finding comfort within myself to just be me...It's about finding patience for myself and empowering others. When I was younger, I thought power meant having things, having ego, not asking for help. Now, power means being able to clearly define my weaknesses more so than my strengths.

You've been a contestant, guest judge, and now you are the host of Top Chef. What have all those roles taught you about power?

That it can come in all different forms. When I was a contestant, I did not trust myself at all. I was second-guessing myself as a person, not feeling worthy. As much as I am confident now in my role as host, I came to this incredibly insecure. But my insecurities are always going to be a part of me. What I can control is how I parlay them into being something helpful. Therein lies the power. The first five minutes of filming in Milwaukee [Wisconsin], I was incredibly nervous. There was an external pressure of replacing [former host Padma Lakshmi]. But she was her and I am me. There is also another definition of power in saying, 'I'm not meant to be anybody other than me.'

As the host of Top Chef you're more visible within the franchise. Have you thought about how that might change your actions because you have more power?

Power is, in a lot of ways, not changing at all. No matter what my job is, who I am remains the same. There is power in knowing I am a queer Asian woman, a Korean adoptee. That doesn't change. I don't need to tell myself, Now when this airs, you're going to do this. That's not how I think about it.

Michelle Obama: Former First Lady; Author; Cofounder of Plezi Nutrition

When I think about power, I don't just think about who has it, but who will have it—who should have it. That's why for most of my professional life, I've been working to lift up the next generation that will soon be leading the way in boardrooms, courtrooms, classrooms, and everywhere else.

But before young people can do any of that, they've got to have a sturdy foundation. Their bodies have to be healthy so that their minds and spirits can soar. That's what my Let's Move! initiative was all about when I was First Lady. And it's why, earlier this year, I cofounded a children's nutrition company called PLEZi Nutrition to push our food industry to produce better options for our kids. I'm out to prove good business can truly change the game when it comes to our kids' health.

And if we do that—if we make sure that every child is healthy enough to reach their fullest potential—we'll see a generation that's better equipped to rise up to whatever challenges come along. That's how we'll give them power—and I'm confident we'll see them use it in remarkable ways.

Susie Wolff: Former Professional Race Car Driver; Managing Director of F1 Academy

On finding power in a world that is traditionally male-dominated:
I don't worry that I am very different to those sitting around me. I don't get intimidated and I don't try to act like a man. Authenticity is key. You need to be authentic, because it's when you're not, you get called out very quickly.

Advice for the next generation about finding power:

I joined Formula E team as a principal and at my first media round table I was asked, "Did your husband get you this job? You've just had a baby, how are you going to manage travel?" That was the moment where I realized how much work there was to do, but also that the biggest way to change perceptions is to be successful, focus on the performance. I tell the younger generation, let the noise around your gender fade away because the minute you perform, everything else fades away. If you are really good at what you do, that naturally gives you power.

Jane Fonda: Actor; Activist

Lauren Chan: Fashion Model; Entrepreneur

If power is the ability to implement your will, you have to know what you want. And to know what you really want, you must know yourself. Do you? Forgive the invasive question; I only ask because I so did not.

To make a long story short: I realized I was gay in my 30s, then came out to the world in this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. In hindsight, I believe I didn't fully know myself because it required extreme vulnerability—something I wasn't able to access until recently. (Shout out to my therapist!)

Here's my crash course in knowing your deepest self:

Don't assume that you do. We are made up of trauma responses, act reactively to those around us, and are shaped by societal norms. How much of what you think, do, or feel is influenced by forces outside of you?

Take time to be in your own mind. What was the last time you were zero percent distracted? To get in tune with yourself, try meditating, journaling, taking baths, getting massages—any activity where you can do nothing but think.

Do not judge or cut off your thoughts. Nothing bad will happen from thinking something privately in your own mind. This is where you'll find any buried feelings, which you'll then be able to reconcile.

Here's the kicker: When you're able to know yourself, you're able to be yourself, and your world will change to reflect you. Some people call this the law of attraction, others say manifesting, it's even considered quantum physics—in the simplest terms, it's harnessing your power. And trust me when I tell you that once you feel this alignment, every move you make will feel like a power move.

Selma Blair: Actor; Author; Advocate

Don't underestimate a woman who has gained clarity of strength. The great discoveries in my evolution have all come at the heavy price of chronic breakdown of spirit, mind, and body.

The first discovery was the breakthrough of my own knowing: the only true abandonment, I realized, was the one I had done to myself. It was the threatening whispers of my own fear and shame, overwhelmed by disease and alcoholism that silenced my self-loathing. It took a plummet to rise up past a crisis of faith, which had grown steadily in my aloneness.

To stop drinking, to share my story of sexual assault and finally the diagnosis of a long undetected life with multiple sclerosis, these unburdenings allowed grace. For years, I had been under attack: The nervous system, the brain, the spine, the emotional control, all that blur of hurt came into focus. I could feel a calm settle in as my own self-worth stretched exponentially. With the knowledge of the diagnosis, the potential for healing, the acceptance that my body and brain were in a real crisis was a gift. I gained a tribe of supporters and community to uplift me as I reflect this gratitude and love out to you.

Our disabilities shine light on disparity. My character has grown through essential love and support. The traumatized hold so much gratitude, love, and a hope to be free if given a map. I pray to be a map of character.

My superpower is what I found in support, community, faith, and tools of awareness. I gladly give it all right back to you all.

Kris Jenner: Media Personality; Producer; Entrepreneur

Power is: The ability to shape and control my life, enabling me to achieve both personal and professional goals.

Power over my image means: We believe in the power of storytelling and the power of our fans. There is very little that we do not share and there is power in that. It has become clear that our fans value that in us. Over the years, we've learned to tell each of our narratives together and separately while still maintaining our own values, aspirations, and the messages we want to convey. For us, our show and social media have allowed us to remain authentic and make sure our narrative reflects who we truly are, rather than leaving it solely to external sources.

The lessons on power I share with my family: I encourage my children to be self-reliant and confident—and we empower each other on a daily basis. We love and are supportive of each other no matter what and that is one of the most important lessons.

How my view of power changed: I recognize the influence that we have as a family, not only to each other but for others, and we do not take that lightly. Remaining true to myself has become more important as I've moved through my career.

The best piece of advice on power I've received: Never take no for an answer and dream big.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: United States Representative for New Yorks' 14th Congressional District

Sade Lythcott: CEO of National Black Theatre

So much of my perception of power is rooted in the sacred. I was raised by a village of witchy Black women that conjured a future from shards of the broken pieces of life they were handed, spinning them into something worth living for, something so sacred that each breath felt like a prayer.

They raised me to believe that power is not a singular, oppressive force but a dynamic, transformative energy that resides within each of us and the communities we build. That power is ignited and activated in the remembering and not the acquiring. Remembering that I am the embodiment of possibility, born out of impossible circumstances. Remembering the ancestral wisdom that we are always the altar and not the sacrifice. For me, power emerges when we come together, recognizing our interconnectedness and interdependence. It's not about hierarchy, but about synergy, and that is the most clear in the work I do.

As a theater maker and community organizer, I marvel at the power of storytelling. Storytelling is a portal to change, rooted in the ability to reclaim narratives that have long been silenced or distorted. Because of this, I believe it is the most powerful medium on Earth, recognizing that its true power lies in our willingness to be open, authentic, empathetic, and vulnerable. Who tells our stories and how we tell them helps heal and harmonize our communities; fostering a greater sense of belonging and well-being, creating collective experiences and narratives that become the catalyst for changing lives, social practice and ultimately a more humane world. What is more powerful than that?

Sophia Amoruso: General Partner at Trust Fund; Founder and CEO at Business Class; Founder of Nasty Gal

When I think of power in the post-Girlboss era, and what it means to me, I know the needle has moved [in that women have more power in the workplace], but that the needle hasn't moved enough. I coined a word that became part of the zeitgeist—and still is, whatever it means to you.

As a woman new to the venture capital industry, I've found myself in rooms mostly made up of balding white dudes. While the conversations around power, as it relates to gender, race, sexuality, ability, class, and age, have been updated, it's quite visible that the statistics are far from good.

To me, the most important power I can possess is unseen—power is integrity, honesty, boundaries, discipline, kindness, and wielding influence like a genuine human being, not a "boss."

The most surprising thing I've learned about power is its ability to affect change. I didn't know what would eventually happen when I stood akimbo on the cover of a pink book about shoplifting and working hard, but the 500,000 copies that sold prompted thousands of women to quit their jobs and take a bet on themselves—and if that's not powerful, I don't know what is.

Stacey Abrams: Chair for Race and Black Politics at Howard University; Senior Counsel for Rewiring America

Where do you find power when it feels like it's been taken away?

I grew up with a very clear understanding that power was not in the realm of possibility for me. If you have no expectation of power, you also have no limitation, which has allowed me to respond to defeats or challenges not by feeling vanquished, but by recognizing that if I wasn't supposed to have it in the first place, I might just have to find another way to get there.

You've had many different career paths as not only an attorney and a politician, but also as a romance and thriller novelist. How does doing things outside your "lane" give you power?

I am driven by concerns of poverty and disadvantage, and who doesn't have access. That core driver has never wavered but I have always been fascinated by the different ways I could tackle it. What, to other people, looks like me getting out of my lane is more the fact that I've always existed on a multi-lane freeway. I'm always traveling in the same direction. Part of writing is narrative building, telling stories, shaping vision. That's the responsibility of the writer but also an effective leader. Whether it's starting a company or writing a book or running for office or fighting for democracy, it all comes back to my core mission that we serve those who are disadvantaged and marginalized.

The old adage is that too much power is a bad thing. But you also need power to do good in the world and enact change. How do you find the balance between those two ideas?

If all you're doing is hoarding power, that is a problem. I see the acquisition of power as a shared opportunity. What I get, I should be able to then multiply by spreading to more people. In almost every facet of my life I begin my work by thinking about who else I can bring to the table. I worry less about hoarding power and more about sharing power.

Sheryl Lee Ralph: Actor; Producer

As an artist and a public figure, it's not just a privilege but a responsibility to use my platform to shed light on issues that matter to me and the world. Speaking up about important issues, even when it's not the popular narrative, is a testament to one's commitment to social justice and the well-being of communities worldwide.

In 1981, I had just made my big break starring in the original production of Dreamgirls on Broadway. Simultaneously, AIDS was growing into an epidemic. My friends would be sick one day and dead the next. Even when people told me to shut up, I risked my career for a cause that was impacting the communities that meant so much to me. I spoke out by creating The Diva Foundation to fight stigma and bring awareness to transmission prevention of HIV/AIDS.

For me, channeling power comes from a deep sense of conviction and genuine desire for positive change. It's about amplifying voices that often go unheard and being a catalyst for meaningful conversations and action. So, in a way, I find strength in knowing that my single voice can make a difference. I encourage others to use their voices to speak up for themselves and their community because when you speak your truth, and stand up for what you believe in, you not only empower yourself but also inspire others to do the same.

Kim Petras: Singer-songwriter

Power to me is being on stage. These songs really pick me up before I perform every night. They make me feel like I am strong enough to face anything.

Go Off, Doja Cat

Not Fair, Lily Allen

Alien Superstar, Beyoncé

Bad Girls, M.I.A.

Who Do You Think You Are, Spice Girls

I'm The Best, Nicki Minaj

Bitch Better Have My Money, Rihanna

Strong Enough, Cher

brrr, Kim Petras

Faith, George Michael

Eva Longoria: Director; Actor; Activist

You've been producing your own work for years. How did moving behind the camera give you power over your own career?

As an actor, I would go into work, stand on my marks, say my lines, and go home. I want to not only have more control over the final products but also to create my own opportunities. I don't want to sit back and wait for the universe to deliver an opportunity to me. Having control to create opportunities for other people, other women, people of color, Latinos, that was important to me.

I like to think of power as when you have the ability to influence culture, people, and events. If I can influence the media or how women or Latinos are portrayed, that's powerful.

What did being in the director's chair for the major film Flamin' Hot teach you about power?

There is no greater position of power than giving opportunities to department heads and executing your vision. That position of hiring is sacred to me. I used that moment to hire from a different talent pool to build a pipeline of talent who can get that next job because I gave them their first job.

You're incredibly active in politics. Where do you find power in that space?

The biggest myth is that politicians hold power. They don't. Citizens hold power. I don't speak for women or the Latino community. I encourage them to speak for themselves, to speak up, to pay attention, to look at what's going on, research their candidates, and get educated. I want others to feel empowered on their own.

Michelle Buteau: Comedian; Actor

As you gain more fame and attract more attention, how has your relationship with power changed?

Being powerful isn't about what restaurant you can get into. It's knowing that you have a platform and people are listening. Be mindful. How are you using it for good? For me, it's in the form of allyship—having a voice for people who don't have one.

Your brand of comedy often goes hand in hand with kindness and open-heartedness. How does that type of humor translate to power?

You hear phrases like "killing with kindness" and that's what it is. I can still kill it but not be an asshole or disparage a whole community. It's lazy when comedians say, "We can't say anything anymore." You can still say lots of things but the world is different, and thank God.

Noor Tagouri: Journalist; Producer; Founder of At Your Service Media

Power to me is being fully present in my body, being fully here right now, feeling all of my feelings all the way through every time, and alchemizing those feelings into art and love and service. Power for me is being aware of the choices that I get to make in life and my ability to rethink those choices. Power is using my body and my spirit and my heart to protect another person's space so that they can go on their own life journey and step into their power. Power is giving myself the space to be and also giving other people space to be.

In my head the image of power feels like an Amazonian woman, a really strong, grounded being that is tied to and connected to the earth, that is connected to themselves, and that is connected to the oneness of everyone.

I truly believe that real power, true power, is understanding that there is no separation, that we are all one, that my story is interconnected with your story. That's why we need to know ourselves, and we need to know each other, because until we have investigated ourselves and understand who we are, and why we are, we can never fully be in our power.

Emma Grede: Cofounder and CEO of Good American; Founding Partner of Skims; Chairwoman of the Fifteen Percent Pledge

Power is the courage to challenge norms and embrace the unknown. This rings true in everything I do throughout my businesses, investments, and in my non-profit work as a board member of Baby2Baby and chairwoman of the Fifteen Percent Pledge. Since day one, I've had the mindset of pushing boundaries and challenging perceived societal norms. Good American is a great example of a business that was built on these principles, redefining how clothes are made and marketed. Inclusivity has never just been a buzzword for me, it is at the core of everything I do and build.

I look at the power and ability to achieve purpose and affect meaningful change. There is unique power that comes from working alongside talented and diverse individuals who share a vision and are willing to take risks to achieve it. The synergy of diverse talents, working and thinking together, makes the difference and improves the way you do business and, more importantly, the results. If I can influence others to think about inclusivity, representation, and diversity as valuable principles to what we're creating in all areas of business and beyond—that, to me, is power in action.

Bethann Hardison: Luxury Brand Consultant; Fashion Advocate

I've felt most powerful when: I wrote letters to each council of fashion from New York to London to Milan to Paris saying that if you continue to use one or two or no models of color consistently season through season, no matter the intention, the result is racist. That took a lot of consciousness.

My power move: When you feel powerful is when you're feeling your most joy because the freedom of that is so wonderful. I'm most joyful when I'm dancing. When I was coming up as a model, I would go to [now defunct NYC dance club] Palladium to hear salsa. You'd get this feeling that lends to your spirit.

The biggest lie about power: That everybody has it. That's not true. You can't just meditate or say the right words and have power. It's a rare commodity and it doesn't happen to many. They tell kids that everybody's a winner, there are no losers here. But that's not true and it's not helping. It creates an illusion.

Whitney Cummings: Comedian

My power playlist:

Still D.R.E., Dr Dre featuring Snoop Dogg

This song never fails to trick me into thinking I'm way more confident than I am.

Supermarine, Hans Zimmer

It's very corny and embarrassing to admit, but triumphant anthems help inspire me to pretend I'm a superhero that needs to save the day, and by save the day, I mean I return the email.

Circle of Life, The Lion King soundtrack

The nostalgic innocence takes me back to a time when I was more hopeful. It reminds me why I started.

My Chick Bad, Ludacris featuring Nicki Minaj

I play this song when I'm feeling insecure—it's very good if you need a delusional amount of confidence.

Crystallize, Lindsey Stirling

Lindsey's music taps into some ancestral wisdom and energy.

Free Your Mind, En Vogue

This song is a legit bop but also has a profound message. It taught me that you can make something mainstream but also say something real.

Take Me or Leave Me, Idina Menzel and Fredi Walker

Look, I'm a Rent head. This song always puts me in a playtime mode, every since I couldn't afford to pay my own rent.

Ready or Not, Fugees

Duh.

Dancing On My Own, Robyn

This always makes me feel clear, inspired, and not ashamed to do things alone.

Jessica Knoll; Author: Screenwriter; Producer

All too often, victims and survivors don't get justice. At the end of the day, all you have that's within your control is the story of what happened. In my case, that story had been hijacked from me. It was easier for [my high-school classmates] to go along with a story that a girl got really drunk at a party and hooked up with three guys than a girl got really drunk at a party and was gang raped by three guys.

[In writing Bright Young Women, a novel that centers fictionalized versions of the victims of Ted Bundy], I felt that if I could just strip him of the unearned qualities that we remembered him having—his intelligence, his charm, his good looks—then what we were left with was a woman's story. The things she hoped for, the things she wanted for herself.

The power in storytelling is not just the realization that my voice matters, but that it's valuable to people, that my input and creative instincts are valuable. The more I'm in the adaptation world the more I learn that so much of it boils down to trusting people.

I trust other people because I respect their instincts and choices. Feeling that the respect is reciprocated makes me realize I can stand in my own power and call the shots.

Aminatou Sow: Writer; Interviewer

We do not all have the same degree of power but I believe that power, however you define it for yourself, is available to everyone. I keep this note in my phone for when I feel defeated. It's a reminder that even in the most challenging of circumstances, there are still choices to be made:

Power is knowing: "There is difference and there is power; and who holds the power decides the meaning of the difference." —June Jordan

Understanding that: "Generosity is more than just 'giving up.' Generosity generates its power from the gesture of letting go. Being able to give to others shows us our ability to let go of attachments that otherwise can limit our beliefs and our experiences." —Sharon Salzberg

When: "We can join together to effect a future the world has not yet conceived, let alone seen." —Audre Lorde

Being fully self-expressed: I am disciplined in my language, mindful of the words I speak and the words I read or listen to. Words hold so much power. Their meaning crystallizes perceptions that shape our beliefs, drive our behaviors, and ultimately, create our world.

Courage: A lot of courage. This is not time to be feckless.

Remembering that: If you are lucky enough life is a long game and your power is forever expanding.

Hunter Harris: Journalist; Screenwriter

You often write about celebrities and notable figures. What has the experience taught you about power?

A lot of people conflate being famous with having power and that has never felt the same to me. A lot of famous people are really vulnerable and insecure, and a lot of regular people are extremely powerful and secure. That sort of disconnect between being visible and actually being empowered is the public friction that I think readers of my newsletter really like.

In what instances do you feel like you have power?

When I'm angry. Rage is a very powerful emotion for me. It's clarifying. I feel powerful when I'm writing; not because I'm writing from a mountaintop, but just sitting at my desk and feeling in control of myself, like I know exactly what I'm thinking.

What's the best piece of advice you ever received on power?

I interviewed Usher and he said, "If you live by the applause, you'll die by the boos." I've always felt that. There's pressure to be very visible showing your accomplishments online. I'm working all the time on things people can't necessarily see and there's power in that. The most powerful people I know are the ones who disappear for a while and come back with something astonishing and thrilling.

Bethenny Frankel: Entrepreneur; Philanthropist; Host of the Podcast Just B

As someone who has been in the public eye in many different contexts and roles, how do you view the connection between power and criticism?

If using your voice to do the right thing was easy, everyone would be doing it. You have to have a certain level of courage to walk a tightrope with no safety net.

What's the biggest misconception about power?

That is lacks vulnerability and is impenetrable. To use your power effectively you have to be malleable and open to change and evolution.

How are you trying to redistribute power with your reality TV union effort?

I don't think I am redistributing power, necessarily. I am, however, guiding people towards a media world where they can control their own story and content, versus the archaic world of a network deciding how your intellectual property is distributed and digested. This new world order is very scary to the dinosaurs who are on the verge of extinction.

Allyson Felix: Seven-time Olympic Gold Medalist; Cofounder and President of Saysh

These quotes reassure me of the many different ways power looks and feels. I find myself glancing at these in moments of adversity.

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up." —Babe Ruth

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." —Arthur Ashe

"You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated." —Maya Angelou

"It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent." —Madeleine Albright

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." —Nelson Mandela

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." —Winston Churchill

Alix Earle: Content Creator; Host of the Podcast Hot Mess

Ziwe: Comedian; Author of Black Friend: Essays

Power means nothing if you are not able to use your access to help other people. For some that means using your voice to boost the voiceless, but it is just as important to open doors for those who otherwise wouldn't get opportunities.

When I think of all of the people I look up to, I realize they are kingmakers. They are the geniuses credited with discovering some of the world's best talent. They are less interested in helping themselves and more interested in serving community.

I hope that every day I am on this Earth I can crack open a door or a window or a chimney shoot for someone to squeeze in behind me. That's what power means to me.

Megan Fox: Author; Actor

Laphonza Butler: United States Senator from California

MLK is quoted as saying, "Power at its best is love implementing justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."

Twenty-first century power must be a power that includes the hopes and the fears of everyone hurt by the power of the past. Urban and rural, varied economic backgrounds, people and communities who never got the love of being seen, supported or encouraged to thrive.

I've lived that experience being raised by working-class parents in a small town in Mississippi. As a U.S. Senator from California who is only the third Black woman to serve in the chamber and who has been to all 58 counties in our beautiful state, I have heard many of these hopes and fears. I carry these stories in my heart and am determined to be power at its best on their behalf.

Amanda Nguyen: Civil Rights Activist

Power is about agency, the freedom to be. The freedom to choose the life you want to live. If we examine our daily lives, how many of our choices are directed by conditions?

Let's take an example, a quaint one, of walking down the street. Ask a woman late at night if she is doing the calculations of how to be safe. Is she thinking about keys in her hands? Is she thinking about who to have on speed dial? Is this mundane task that millions of women go through every day free from those conditions? The answer is no. It is my wish that all women have power. The power to be safe. To not only survive but thrive.

The most powerful thing that we all have is our voice, and so I used mine to stand in my authenticity and truth. I think each of us was born with power beyond our imagination. It is our life's purpose to recognize the light that is already within us. No one is powerless when we come together, no one is invisible when we demand to be seen.