Katherine Graham: Courage Over Confidence
"A mistake is simply another way of doing things."
Katherine Graham led her family’s newspaper, The Washington Post, from 1963-1991. She offers a powerful story that leadership isn't always chosen—sometimes it chooses you. The path to authentic leadership emerges not from imitating others' styles or projecting false confidence, but from integrating your unique experiences, vulnerabilities, and convictions into a voice that is distinctly your own.
A Tragic Career Launch
In 1963, Katharine Graham's life changed dramatically when her husband Phil, then publisher of The Washington Post, died by suicide. At 46, she unexpectedly inherited leadership of the newspaper her father had purchased years earlier. "I had very little idea of what the job of publisher consisted of when I was suddenly handed it," she wrote in her memoir.
"I was terrified and had grave self-doubts... I felt like a pretender."
This abrupt transition from housewife to business leader forced her to develop leadership capabilities she didn't know she possessed. "What I essentially did was to put one foot in front of the other, shut my eyes, and step off the edge. The surprise was that I landed on my feet." This experience of being thrust into leadership without preparation shaped her belief in learning through action rather than waiting until one feels "ready"—a philosophy that would later inform her most courageous publishing decisions.
"It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent."
When Graham took over the Post, it was a regional newspaper with financial challenges. Under her leadership, it became a profitable, diversified media company with a national reputation. "The most satisfying part was proving that good journalism could also be good business," she noted.
"Journalists have to learn things by doing them... it's through mistakes and practice that we improve. My only strength was to try to keep my feet on the ground and be sensible about things."
The Pentagon Papers
In 1971, Graham faced a momentous decision when her editors wanted to publish the Pentagon Papers—classified documents revealing government deception about the Vietnam War—after the Nixon administration had obtained a court order preventing The New York Times from continuing its coverage.
"News is what someone wants suppressed. Everything else is advertising."
"The decision to publish was up to me. I was terribly nervous," she later wrote. Legal advisors warned that publishing could lead to criminal charges and financial ruin for the company. During a tense meeting at her home, she famously said, "Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. Let's go. Let's publish." This pivotal moment taught her about making decisions without complete certainty. "I would have been scared whatever I decided. If we hadn't published, I would have been scared of failing the First Amendment. If we did publish, I would be scared of going to jail." There are some stories worth risking everything for. The Pentagon Papers and Watergate were those stories for us." This experience crystallized her belief that courage is a core principle required for authentic leadership.
"Fear is like a dark room where all the negatives are developed."
Growth Through Candid Feedback
Initially insecure about her leadership, Graham gradually developed a system for growth through selective feedback. "I learned to distinguish between critics who wanted me to improve and those who simply didn't believe a woman should be in charge," she wrote. She assembled a small group of trusted advisors who would give her honest feedback while supporting her development. "You need mirrors—people who will reflect back to you an accurate image of yourself, not just flattery or criticism." This deliberate approach to feedback accelerated her growth as a leader. "I found I could handle criticism much better when I sought it out rather than having it thrust upon me," she noted.
The trick is to discover that failing isn't the end—it's often just the beginning."
A Powerful Revelation
In her seventies, Graham wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography, "Personal History," which became an unexpected catalyst for her final phase of growth. "Writing about my life forced me to confront how I had allowed myself to be diminished in my marriage," she explained. "I had to face how complicit I had been in my own lack of confidence." The process of reviewing her life story allowed her to recognize patterns she hadn't previously seen—particularly how gender expectations had shaped her self-perception. "I realized I had internalized the idea that women shouldn't lead, shouldn't be ambitious." This reflective process deepened her understanding of her own journey and her broader advocacy for women in leadership.
"Only by looking back could I see how far I'd come, and how unnecessary much of my self-doubt had been. No one can really function well without some faith in yourself, which comes only from experience, from trying and succeeding at least partway. I think my biggest mistake was not valuing myself enough earlier and trusting my instincts."