Drinking from a Different Well:: How Women’s Stories Change What Power Means in Action

Drinking from a Different Well: How Women’s Stories Change What Power Means in Action is dedicated to young activist Greta Thunberg — and encourages older women to aid our younger cohort in reversing the damage competitive narratives pose to our collective survival. Author Annette Simmons stresses the importance of perceptual agility, gender awareness, empathy, and self-validation in making space for women’s narratives in decision-making.
The book looks at the genius of women’s narratives about power, and tracks how men often misunderstand female contexts. It maps out a cohesive way to blend male and female power in the workplace, and to redefine success in a way that protects people, profits, and the planet.

Building effective power structures depends on accommodating both competitive and collaborative narratives — both are vital to decision-making. When women’s narratives are part of the conversation, conflict suddenly becomes a creative resource instead of a power struggle. Drinking from a Different Well guides readers in how to investigate the core assumptions needed to shift business, government, and even family cultures from an exclusive mindset of win-lose to one of collaborative narratives. Learning how to toggle back and forth between both mindsets not only honors multiple perspectives, it endows decisions with a sense of fairness for all involved.

Packed with investigations into women’s narratives, the book delves into the role of instincts, perceptions, judgment, and ownership, and looks at the paradox of gendered points of view, the differences in the female and male view of power, and the critical importance of avoiding power struggles. Business and global affairs are filled with modern-day Cassandras — but Drinking from a Different Well provides a powerful strategy for blending perspectives to best solve today’s challenges. The book’s reader's guide and discussion questions make this an invaluable text for leadership study groups.

Annette Simmons, M.ED, is the CEO of Group Process Consulting and author of five books. She has been featured on CNBC’s Power Lunch, NPR’s Market Watch, numerous talk radio programs, and quoted in Fortune, Working Woman, Harvard Business Review, The Chicago Tribune, and Washington Post. She is valued for her expertise in social psychology and leadership development.


“Drinking From a Different Well offers useful blueprints for any rebel seeking to redefine power so top jobs can offer the kind of power women really want: the power to do the right thing.” –Francesca Gino, Harvard Business School Professor and author of Rebel Talent: Why it Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life

“It’s time to change ‘business as usual.’ Simmons brings women’s studies into the business classroom. If you loved Carol Gilligan’s In a Different Voice, you’ll love Simmons’ Drinking from a Different Well.” –Amy Waterman, YourBrilliance.com

“Annette Simmons offers a thought-provoking exploration of how power is expressed depending on what underlying beliefs, values, and attitudes shape the stories we tell about power –Kendall Haven, author of Story Proof and Story Smart

“Annette’s book reclaims the importance including many voices, rather than those of just a few.” –Natalia Alvarez, Ph.D., Communication & Story Strategy Consultant

“Drinking from a Different Well is an in-depth guidebook to identifying, nurturing and honoring the type of people we can trust to implement decisions in the public interest. –April Lorenzen, Chief Data Scientist at ZETAlytics