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Plus, inside Julia Stiles’ new role: director

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We begin this week’s ForbesWomen weekly talking about a man: In a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed that companies need more ‘masculine energy.’ He went on to say that “masculine energy I think is good, and obviously society has plenty of that, but I think that corporate culture was really trying to get away from it.”

As Forbes contributor Rebekah Bastian notes in a new piece, these comments are misguided for a number of reasons—not least of which is that women are often penalized when they display more masculine-coded traits in the workplaces. Performance reviews bear this out: a 2024 analysis of these reviews found that 56% of women have been described as ‘unlikeable’ (compared to 16% of men) and 88% of high-performing women have received personality-related feedback (compared to 12% of high-performing men).

It’s also worth remembering that investing in gender and racial diversity isn’t just some “woke” policy; it’s good business. Among the statistics that support this: According to McKinsey, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability.

Cheers!
Maggie

P.S.: We are continuing to keep those in Los Angeles affected by wildfires in our thoughts and coverage. Following last week’s bevy of links, here’s more information about how you can help and which organizations are accepting which type of donations and a separate story on how small businesses in L.A. can get up to $2 million in long-term and low-interest disaster loans through the Small Business Administration.

Maggie McGrath  Editor, ForbesWomen

Follow me on Bluesky and Forbes.com

As the response to the California wildfires has become politicized—with folks pointing fingers at Governor Gavin Newsom and LA mayor Karen Bass—one billionaire couple is also getting a portion of the blame: Lynda and Stewart Resnick, owners of the Wonderful Company, America’s largest pistachio and almond seller. Both are notoriously water hungry crops, and the Resnicks have some of the deepest pockets when it comes to purchasing water on the open market, which can drive up the price of water. But their influence within California’s water system has nothing to do with the burning of the Palisades and other fires around Los Angeles.
ICYMI: Stories From The Week
For years, female CEOs appointed to lead struggling companies have been described as being perched on a "glass cliff." The term describes a phenomenon where women are more likely to be appointed to leadership roles in times of crisis, setting them up for failure. Yet, new research that could alter the way society views female leaders finds that women are no more likely than men to be appointed chief executives at struggling companies.

Speaking of CEO appointments… Chief founders Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan announced this week that they are transitioning from their operational roles as CEO and Chief Brand Officer to strategic positions on the board. Alison Moore, most recently the CEO of Comic Relief US, will replace Childers as CEO.

And in other “new leadership” news, Forbes senior contributor Erin Spencer Sairam has a look at the women in the freshman class of the 119th Congress and which rookie representatives could become political heavyweights in the future.

Surbhi Sarna sold her last startup, nVision Medical, for $275 million. Now she’s leaving a partner role at Y Combinator to launch Collate, a startup aiming to automate the tedious parts of running a life sciences business.

Julia Stiles has remained an on-screen force for years (you know her from 10 Things I Hate About You, Save the Last Dance and the Jason Bourne film, to name a few), but recently, the actor has stepped into an entirely new role: directing. Stiles recently spoke to Forbes entertainment contributor Jeff Conway about how she was able to turn her longtime directing aspirations into a directorial debut.
CHECKLIST
 1. Work through the grief that comes with selling a business. Finding a buyer for your business can be a financial coup, but a lesser spoken part of the acquisition process is the grief that can come when you let go of something you’ve spent so much time building. Here’s what to know about navigating these emotions.
 2. Set courageous goals. Don’t limit yourself to what you think you’re supposed to want. In 2025, give yourself permission to dream… really big.
 3. Prove your value without being the loudest voice in the room. There's an assumption in many workplaces that visibility equals value. The louder you speak in meetings or the longer you stay at the office, the more you’re seen as “valuable.” But the truth is, the constant need to be "on" may take a toll on you without actually contributing to your long-term success.
Quiz
Former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week for questioning as part of her confirmation process for U.S. attorney general in the Trump Administration. If Bondi is confirmed by the Senate, she’ll be the third woman to hold the position in U.S. history. Who was the first?
A.Loretta Lynch
B.Sandra Day O’Connor
C.Kamala Harris
D.Janet Reno
Check if you got it right here.
Beyond the Newsroom
Join us in Abu Dhabi March 5-8 for the 2025 Forbes 30/50 Summit and our celebration of International Women’s Day. Past Summit voices include Hillary Clinton, Shania Twain, Gloria Steinem, Tyra Banks, Huda Kattan and many more. Register today!
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