Session Five: Public Service and Running for Office

Main ideas, concepts, and lessons

Purpose and message

• Steve Jardine argues that women’s leadership in government, business, law, education, and other fields is overdue.
• He suggests that when women take their “rightful place,” the world will improve.
• He frames “Girls for Girls”-style programs as timely and crucial for the next generation of women (roughly ages 15–25) entering public life.

Why public service matters (campaign management course)

• Jardine teaches that politics isn’t as hard as people think, and that its reputation is often partly undeserved.
• Core belief: Government is the most powerful human institution for creating change, more than any other entity.
• Government’s direct impact is emphasized through:
  • Regulation
  • Education
  • Healthcare (where applicable)
  • Business regulation/opportunity
  • Taxation/spending
• Illustrative story: A student compares entering politics to becoming the next Bill Gates. Jardine counters:
  • The odds of being the “next Bill Gates” are low.
  • Even at extreme wealth, the scale of impact is limited compared to government’s power—he frames it as the U.S. government spending about $100 billion in roughly three days.

What his campaign management training aims to do

• Demystify politics so more capable people enter public leadership.
• Provide practical, modern techniques for running high-level elections.
• Incorporate evolving realities, especially social media.
• Focus on universal methods applicable in the U.S. and internationally.

Why communication skills matter (media training / communications course)

• Jardine argues communications is a universal language and can be taught.
• He references research-backed ideas, including:
  • The human face can express many emotions (he cites recognition of 21 emotions).
  • When facial emotion is combined with voice and gestures, people are perceived as more believable, credible, and likable.
• He describes communication as built on “the three legs”:
  • Face
  • Voice
  • Hands/gestures
• Training targets real-world situations where many struggle:
  • Interviews
  • Debates
  • Speeches
• Many people avoid communication because they assume it’s one-way and difficult; Jardine’s approach emphasizes connecting with the audience.

How his framework applies specifically to women

• Jardine argues women face a different and tougher standard.
  • Example given: representation in the U.S. Senate is far below population parity.
• He argues women should bypass biases rather than try to become “someone else” to fit expectations.

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Methodologies / instruction-style points (as presented)

A) Campaign management course (what it teaches, conceptually)

• Teach how to run a state-of-the-art political campaign (U.S. and international use).
• Cover key campaign components:
  • Voter contact
  • Voter persuasion
  • Messaging
  • Staff setup/organization
• Emphasize that techniques must be constantly upgraded because politics and tools evolve—especially with social media.
• Purpose: demystify politics so strong candidates move into public leadership.

B) Media training / communication course (the “how-to” framework)

• Teach how to connect using emotion and multi-channel nonverbal cues:
  • Bring passion/emotion into presentations.
  • Ensure facial expression, voice, and hand gestures work together.
• Use the “three legs of communications”:
  • Face: convey emotion and engagement.
  • Voice: use delivery (tone, emphasis, rhythm, repetition/variation) to stay connected to the audience.
  • Hands/gestures: gesture placement matters; he suggests gestures should stay within a “human communication zone” (he states between chin and bellybutton).
• Performance goals:
  • Increase audience interest
  • Improve perceptions of credibility and likability
  • Make communication believable by aligning emotion (face/hands) with delivery
• Key training principle for women:
  • Don’t change personality to match expectations.
  • Be confident in who you are and be well-versed in the topic.
  • “Confidence is the new toughness,” replacing the idea that one must “act tough” to fit in.

C) Reducing bias impacts for women candidates (practical guidance)

• Be yourself
  • Avoid trying to become “someone else” to satisfy stereotypes.
• Appearance bias management
  • Women face heightened scrutiny around clothing/hair/jewelry/makeup.
  • Jardine’s principle:
    • Let communication—face/voice/hands—arrive first.
    • Avoid heavy or distracting appearance elements (e.g., overly bright clothing unless culturally appropriate).
    • Avoid “too much” jewelry/makeup/perfume.
    • Aim for clothing that does not “arrive before you do.”
• Handle sexism directly
  • If patronized or treated as incapable due to gender:
    • Respond immediately
    • Call it out
    • Make clear it has no place in society
    • Re-center the conversation on issues and competence

D) What the talk claims about audience connection (evidence cited)

• Jardine describes a study about what people connect with most during communication, with approximate findings:
  • ~55%: body language (hands/face/emotional expression)
  • ~38%: voice
  • <10% (about 7%): words alone
• Implication:
  • Communication is driven more by delivery, emotion, and nonverbal cues than by phrasing alone—especially important when training women not to over-focus on words to sound “tough enough.”

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Speakers / sources featured (identified in the subtitles)

Speaker

• Steve Jardine — Professor at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

Named real-world entities/people

• Bill Gates
• Melinda Gates
• Bill and Melinda Gates (and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as implied by giving away fortune)

Organizations / institutions mentioned

• Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University)
• IESE Business School
• Strathmore Business School
• U.S. Senate (used as an example for representation)
• UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) (mentioned for a communication study)

Studies / research mentioned (general; no specific titles)

• A study (as of 2014) about facial emotion expression, citing 21 emotions
• An Australia study about daily outfit recognition standards for men vs. women
• A UCLA communication study about what audiences connect with most