The Summit Effect…Why Succession Matters

Three women sit at a conference table engaged in a discussion about succession, with one woman in a green blazer smiling and speaking while the others listen attentively.

When a CEO exits, the ripple touches every part of the organization: strategy, board composition, culture, investor confidence.

And the research is clear. Companies with a strong successor plan outperform peers on shareholder return and employee retention.

When Women Lead, Leadership Changes-The Multiplying Power Of a Female CEO

Five people sit around a glass table in a modern office, demonstrating strong leadership as they engage in a business meeting with laptops, documents, and coffee cups present.

I’ve spent decades, watching how leadership dynamics shift when the right person, male or female, takes the top seat.

The data now confirms what experience whispers: when a woman steps in as CEO, the ripple isn’t subtle…it’s seismic.

According to Altrata’s 2025 report on U.S. corporate boards, companies with a female CEO average 39% women on their boards, compared to just 33.7% in companies with male CEOs. Senior leadership teams show a similar pattern…greater balance and depth at every level.

Leadership Doesn’t Trickle Down…It Tops Out

Six professionally dressed people stand in an office, demonstrating leadership as they look attentively in one direction, with windows and city buildings visible in the background.

For decades, women have steadily increased their presence in management and professional roles. In the U.S., women now hold nearly 46% of managerial and professional jobs, up from just 29% in 1980. At first glance, that sounds like a victory.

But the higher you climb, the more the numbers stall. Recent data shows that while middle management is approaching parity, women remain far less visible at the very top-CEO seats, board chairs and executive committees. Even more troubling, some sectors are quietly slipping backwards in senior representation.

Trailblazers in Private Equity: Breaking Barriers in Finance

Four people sit at an outdoor table, engaged in a leadership discussion with notebooks and a laptop, surrounded by sunlight and greenery.

When most people think of women breaking leadership barriers, private equity isn’t usually the first industry that comes to mind. Long seen as one of the most male-dominated corners of finance, private equity has historically lacked diversity at every level.

But that’s beginning to change.

Recently, senior women like Beth Pickens and Louise Boothby have been recognized as true trailblazers…proving that even in the most exclusive financial circles, qualified women are reshaping what leadership looks like

Cybersecurity-The New Frontier Of Women’s Leadership

A woman demonstrating leadership holds a tablet as she stands before a projected screen of computer code, appearing to give a presentation.

When we talk about women in leadership, we often think of boardrooms, corner offices or political arenas. But there’s another battlefield where women are quietly stepping into positions of enormous influence…cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity isn’t just a technical discipline anymore. It’s a leadership imperative. Breaches can topple organizations, compromise national security, and destroy public trust in a matter of hours. Which makes the question of who is leading in cybersecurity one of the most pressing leadership conversations of our time.

IPO Season Isn’t Just About Markets…It’s About Representation

Four women in business attire stand in an office by a table with documents, a tablet, and IPO charts, posing for a group photo in front of large windows.

This year’s “Bro IPO Summer” headlines tell us something we can’t ignore…despite decades of progress, when companies prepare to go public, women are still being left out of the most visible leadership seats.

A recent study of tech IPOs revealed that 88% had only zero or one woman on their boards and 93% had similar gps in their executive teams. That’s not just a disappointing statistic…it’s a flashing red signal.

AI and Women in Leadership: From Concern to Capability

A woman in business attire stands by a board displaying AI-powered charts and graphs, smiling at the camera in an office setting.

Over the past few weeks, the conversation around women and artificial intelligence (AI) has shifted dramatically. First, the headlines warned us: AI could put women’s careers at risk. Then came a new perspective: Women are already leading the ethical AI conversation.

From Risk to Leadership: Women at the Center of AI’s Rapid Evolution

A woman in business attire stands in an office holding a laptop, with AI-powered tools on her screen, while other people and large windows are visible in the background.

A few short weeks ago, conversations about women in leadership and artificial intelligence (AI) carried a note of concern. Reports and trend pieces warned of AI’s risk to women’s career advancement…fears that automation, bias in algorithms and uneven access to tech upskilling could leave women behind.

From Self-Criticism to Self-Kindness: A Guide For Women Who Do It All

A woman in a pink blazer sits at a table by a window, writing in her notebook as she enjoys a quiet moment of self-reflection beside a green potted plant.

High-achieving women often hold themselves to impossibly high standards. You juggle demanding careers, personal responsibilities and societal expectations…yet somehow still feel you’re not “enough.”

One of the hardest truths to confront is what we can be our own harshest critics. If you wouldn’t speak to a colleague, a loved one or a friend the way you sometimes speak to yourself, why is it acceptable to direct that treatment inward?

You Can Be Wildly Successful On Paper…And Still Feel Like Something’s Off

A confident leader in business attire stands in the foreground, smiling, with a group of professionally dressed people blurred in the background.

“I’ve done everything I set out to do…so why doesn’t it feel the way I thought it would?”

I see it every day in my work as an executive coach for women in leadership: brilliant, accomplished women who’ve climbed every rung, hit every milestone and checked every box…yet still find themselves wondering:

“Is this how it’s supposed to feel?”

This isn’t burnout.

The Work-Life Harmony Reset: Leading Without Losing Yourself

A woman in a gray blazer sits at a desk with a laptop, eyes closed and hands in a meditation pose, embracing work-life balance in a calm, modern office setting.

If you’ve ever felt like the demands of leadership are pulling you in a hundred directions, you’re not alone. The higher you rise, the more blurred the lines become between your professional responsibilities and your personal life. And while many people talk about  “work-life balance,” I prefer a different approach…work-life harmony.

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