Give to Gain: When Power Is Shared, It Becomes Real

International Women’s Day invites us to reflect not just on where we are, but on how we move forward. This year’s theme, Give to Gain, is a powerful reminder that progress is not a solo effort. It is collective.

One of the clearest examples of this idea comes from popular culture. In the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy faces a familiar problem. She is strong, capable and resilient, but she is also exhausted from carrying the responsibility alone. The world’s fate rests on one set of shoulders, and it is not sustainable.

So, she does something revolutionary.

Instead of holding onto power, Buffy shares it. Every potential Slayer is given the same strength, choice and agency she once carried alone. In that moment, power stops being symbolic. It becomes real, because it is distributed.

Bringing that idea into the real world

In today’s workplace, many women still feel like they have to be “the exception”. The one who pushes through, proves herself repeatedly and quietly carries the load. Representation can feel like a solitary achievement rather than a shared responsibility.

But real change does not happen when one woman succeeds, it happens when that success creates room for others.

When we translate Buffy’s moment into real life, it looks like sharing hard‑won knowledge instead of gatekeeping it, advocating for others as well as ourselves, mentoring and sponsoring, and recognising potential before someone feels “ready”.

This is what Give to Gain looks like in practice. It is the conscious choice to lift as you climb, not because you have to, but because you know progress lasts when it is shared.

Why this matters now

The modern workplace talks a lot about empowerment, but empowerment is not a title or a programme. It is an action. It shows up in everyday decisions about who gets encouraged to speak, who gets visibility and who is trusted with opportunity.

When women give time, support and belief to other women, the impact multiplies. Confidence grows. Capability is recognised sooner. Leadership stops looking like a narrow path and starts to look like a network.

Just as in Buffy’s world, sharing power does not dilute it. It strengthens the whole system.

What we gain when we give

The idea that there is limited space at the table is one of the most persistent myths women are taught to believe. In reality, when one woman creates space, the table gets bigger. By giving, we gain stronger teams, more sustainable leadership, and cultures where success is not exceptional but expected.

This International Women’s Day

As we took part in this year’s International Women’s Day LinkedIn takeover, Give to Gain challenges us to think beyond individual achievement. To ask who we can support, who we can encourage and who we can share our power with. Because when power is shared, it becomes real and when women lift other women, everyone moves forward.