“I have come to realise that a core ingredient of women’s power and even just independence is kissing.”
The email arrived just before lunch. Guests were gathering to offer their advice about themes for the next Financial Times Women at the Top summit. The distinguished sender could not attend, but she wanted to share her thoughts about the agenda.
Kissing. It was a surprise, but not a shock. The idea of addressing a conference session to the vexed and shifting question of how to greet the people we meet through work had an edgy topicality. The handshake and the kiss — as practised most weirdly on fellow leaders by Donald Trump — are powerplays. They merit analysis.