Anna Wintour

Third, she discovered that real power comes from making yourself essential to multiple systems simultaneously.

Even if one fails, you survive.

This episode draws from Amy O'Dell's definitive biography to reveal how Anna transformed from fashion assistant to cultural kingmaker.

But more importantly, it extracts the repeatable lessons and strategies that she used, strategies that you can apply whether you're building a career, a company, or an empire.

Her greatest insight wasn't about fashion.

It was understanding how to get the best out of herself and others.

It's time to listen and learn.

This episode is for educational and information purposes only.

When Anna was two, her 10-year-old brother Gerald died in a cycling accident.

Her mother installed window bars and never spoke of him again.

The family moved forward.

No pictures, no mentions, just forward.

This is how the wind tours operated.

Her father Charles edited the evening standard with surgical precision.

Staff riders froze when he passed.

They called him Chili Charlie, though they would work themselves to exhaustion for his approval.

Anna never understood the nickname.

It had nothing to do with the person he was, she'd insist.

The same words would follow Anna her entire career.

In a household that prized academic achievement, Anna chose a different education.