Pivot to Purpose: Kathleen Turner Defines A Career of Risk and Service at Power Up
Kathleen Turner (L to R), Emily Dickens and Angilee Shah discuss career pivots at Take the Lead’s Power Up event.
Kathleen Turner did this on purpose. There’s a reason you can’t limit her to memory for just one role.
“If you look over my history of film, my stage history, every role I have done is done in direct contrast to another,” Turner said to a rapt audience at Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference on Women’s Equality Day in Washington, D.C.
“I have found over the years it is difficult to put my body of work together, as there is no one role for me to ever be known by,” said Turner, the iconic actress who has been engaging audiences for more than 46 years. Speaking on the careers panel at the “Together We Lead” themed conference, Golden Globe winner Turner spoke of her intentional career agility, longevity, and powerful choices.
From her first major film role in 1981 starring in “Body Heat,” to her recent leading stage roles in “Red Hot Patriot: The KickAss Wit of Molly Ivins,” and the very recent “A Little Night Music,” Turner has proven her everlasting talent for career success in many forms.
“Stage is where my heart is,” said Turner, who partnered with Gloria Feldt, Take The Lead co-founder and president, in writing her 2017 memoir: Send Yourself Roses: My Life, Loves and Leading Roles.
Read more in Take the Lead on Kathleen Turner
The winner of the Wear The Shirt Award at the 2023 Power Up Conference, Turner presented the Wear The Shirt Power Tool Award to Dena Patton, entrepreneur, co-founder, and program creator of Girls Rule Foundation, at the 2024 Power Up event.
Read more about Wear The Shirt Award
Turner is a lifelong philanthropist, activist, and volunteer for causes, which includes serving as chair of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Celebrity board, and as a board member of People for the American Way, Amnesty International, and Meals on Wheels. Turner, who was diagnosed 30 years ago with rheumatoid arthritis, is transparent about the need for fair access to healthcare treatment.
“That service is part of my job,” Turner said. “I can’t just be an actor or just be an advocate.”
“#Volunteer service is part of my job. I can’t just be an #actor or just be an #advocate. — @RealKTurner #femalephilanthropist #actorsforchange”
As a globally lauded and recognized celebrity, Turner said, “The other side of the fame coin is when what you say becomes too important.” She added, “What I choose to say in public, I am responsible for, and have to use it well.”
Speaking openly about her health concerns, Turner said she recently turned 70 and also suffered a leg fracture. She added, “However, there was a wonderful role where there was a character in a wheelchair.”
Adding to her busy life, Turner is now a full professor at Pace University’s Sands College of Performing Arts in New York. “I love teaching. I love to instill traditions, values, the importance and responsibility of success,” Turner said.
“I love #teaching. I love to instill traditions, values, the importance and #responsibility of #success. — @RealKTurner on teaching at @PaceUniversity”
Listen to Kathleen Turner with Gloria Feldt on leadership lessons
“If you are a talented communicator and have the power to change ideas, then the stories you choose to tell are essential,” Turner said.
““If you are a talented #communicator and have the power to #changeideas, then the stories you choose to tell are essential” — @RealKTurner #storytellers #storiesforchange”
“Risk is everything,” she added. “I don’t take a job I know I can do. For me, every job is a risk to the point of failure.”
Also on the panel was Angilee Shah, winner of the Carpe The Chaos award, as CEO and editor in chief of Charlottesville Tomorrow. “One of the biggest sources of chaos right now is information,” said Shah, a graduate of Take The Lead’s 50 Women Can Change The World in Journalism cohort, and a co-creator of the Women Do News Wikipedia initiative.
Listen to Angilee Shah and Gloria Feldt on women in journalism
Shah told the audience that she began her journalism career in international news, and “As a kid of immigrants, I thought the purpose of my career was to power up through the ranks of the journalism industry.” Then her career goals shifted.
“My goal was not to have the byline my parents recognized,” Shah said. “My goal was to do work to help people be seen.”
“My goal was not to have the byline my parents recognized and to do work to help people be seen. — @angshah on her career goals. #womeninjournalism @CvilleTomorrow”
Emily Dickens, Chief of Staff and Head of Government Relations at SHRM, and a former Carpe the Chaos award winner, noted that making personal choices that align with your own goals can lead to career pivots that are fulfilling and satisfying.
“Stepping out of careers to do other things, your choices can help you career-wise,” Dickens said.
“Stepping out of careers to do other things, your choices can help you career-wise. — @SHRMEmily #careershift #risktaking #careerpivot”
Speaking about her legacy of service, philanthropy, and volunteerism, Turner said, “I never saw them as separate. I was brought up to believe in service.”
Dickens added, “You want to do good to do good.”
Shah agreed and offered, “When I was worrying a lot less about credentials, it opens up a whole new world.” In her role as CEO of Charlottsville Tomorrow, she said, “I want to edit, produce, report great stories. I now see the perspective of news at the systems level. That is a system that says we have agency in what type of news we consume and produce.”
“I want to edit, produce, report great stories. I now see news at the systematic level. A system that says we have #agency in what type of news we #consume and #produce. — @angshah @CvilleTomorrow”
Commenting on legacy and the motivation for creating a mission and purpose for your life and profession, Davis said, “My life motivation was to make sure my parents are proud of me. I let my work speak for me.”
Read more about Kathleen Turner in Take The Lead
As for her motivation leading a local startup community journalism venture, Shah said, “We need systems that bring up everybody.” That is accomplished with “strategies, collaboration, gratitude, and courage.”
Turner agreed and said, “I want to leave a legacy of people having the guts to do what they think is right. You want to go knowing you did the very best you could do that day.”
“I want to leave a #legacy of people having the guts to do what they think is #right. You want to go knowing you did the very best you could do that day. — @RealKTurner #wordstoliveby”
Shah nodded and said, “And remind yourself that what you do is enough.”
Leadership Takeaway of The Week:
“If you are a talented communicator and have the power to change ideas, then the stories you choose to tell are essential.”
Kathleen Turner, award-winning actor, author and volunteer
