Five Transformative Leadership Lessons from SHRM’s Women in Leadership Institute

The LHH team recently had the privilege of attending SHRM’s Women in Leadership Institute in Orlando—a truly transformative experience that went far beyond a typical conference. This event provided an invaluable learning opportunity for women leaders who are striving to advance their careers and make immediate, measurable impacts on the teams they lead.

Our leaders were able to engage with 25+ years of data-driven insights and connect with a rich community of thought leaders and like-minded women. From tailored leadership assessments to dynamic keynotes and small-group discussions, the event was a blend of personal development and scalable strategies.

In hopes of creating a ripple effect of leadership excellence and innovation throughout organizations, we want to share some of the key insights we learned during our time there. From actionable strategies to leadership philosophies, the event offered a wealth of knowledge for advancing professional growth and redefining leadership — here's a recap of five key lessons and themes that emerged.

1. Building Connections: Networking as a Career Asset

“Who are the 15 people who will be important for your career development over the next 2-3 years? Make a plan for how you’ll get to know them.” —Herminia Ibarra

Herminia Ibarra, the Charles Handy professor of organizational behavior at London Business School, emphasized the transformative power of networking and unlocking the relationships that will help women advance in their careers. According to Ibarra, working to expand trusted relationships and nurturing sponsors can greatly impact one’s career trajectory.

However, she also stressed the importance of taking the time to design meaningful interactions over superficial connections in the interest of getting ahead. In other words, be intentional with your core relationships! Some of her advice included:

• Expand and strengthen your network of meaningful connections. Identify individuals and colleagues who have the potential to play a critical role in your career development, and then work towards creating authentic relationships with them.
• Nurture your sponsors. According to Ibarra, it’s crucial not to let these connections slip through the cracks or die off over time. Shower your sponsors with attention and be intentional about ensuring these relationships are mutually beneficial and impactful.
• Practice demonstrating appreciation and openness to differing viewpoints. Create space for different viewpoints and demonstrate openness and appreciation for all that your sponsors do for your career advancement. This will foster richer conversations and greater outcomes.

Key Takeaway: Intentional networking is the foundation of strong leadership and career success. Building an authentic network comprised of meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships can open doors to new opportunities and limitless growth.

2. The Bold Competency: Redefining Leadership with Ally Love

Ally Love is the CEO and founder of Love Squad—a community built to empower women through motivational and educational conversations. Among many of her other accomplishments and attributes, Ally is an entrepreneur, host, motivational speaker, ambassador, fitness instructor, and leader.

Ally’s core belief surrounds the idea of “bold competency” as a means to effectively advance your career. Her message is one that champions authenticity and ambition as key elements of leadership. She encouraged attendees to embrace boldness by:

• Embracing your ambition: Ambition is an excellent tool for advancing your career—recognize it as a strength, not a liability. Ambition provides you with the conviction needed to navigate setbacks with confidence.
• Focusing on positivity and setting the tone with your energy: The boss sets the tone for the entire workplace, so approach meetings and interactions with the same enthusiasm and positivity you want to inspire in others.
• Optimizing your day in accordance with your productivity levels: Identify when you’re most productive—morning, afternoon, or evening—and plan your key tasks and meetings during those peak hours to maximize your effectiveness.

Key Takeaway: Adopt a willingness to be bold in the workplace. To Love, this means redefining leadership in a way that allows you to embrace everyday joy, empathy, inclusion, and authenticity.

3. Challenging Conventional Leadership Methods with JoAnn Bass

JoAnn Bass, who was honored as this year’s “Legend in Leadership,” has risen through the military ranks to become the first woman ever to become the highest senior enlisted leader in any military service. She is a remarkable role model to thousands of people nationwide and continues to use her influence to develop leaders and foster a leadership style that challenges conventions and breaks barriers.

In her session, JoAnn stressed the importance of leading with purpose and clarity. Drawing from her extensive experience, she shared that professional growth and effective leadership are grounded in a few essential principles:

• Continuous learning at every stage of one’s career: No matter your age or where you are in your career, there’s always room for growth. Don’t underestimate the value this can bring to you as a leader.
• Taking unapologetic care of oneself to avoid burnout: Always take time for yourself and your personal commitments unapologetically. Honoring your needs as a human being is essential for your well-being and effectiveness as a leader.
• Staying anchored in your purpose: Remembering your “why” can help you avoid burnout and stay grounded in your mission.

Key Takeaway: Revisit your “why” during challenging times. As a leader, having a clear purpose fuels resilience in the face of adversity and inspires perseverance when things inevitably don’t go as planned.

4. Driving Influence and Impact with Kat Cole

Kat Cole is the CEO of global health and wellness company AG1 and has been a young global leader of the World Economic Forum, a member of the United Nations Global Entrepreneurs Council, and was named to Fortune’s annual 40 Under 40 list.

Kat’s keynote session focused on how leaders can drive meaningful change through relational influence rather than authority. As a leader, it’s all about delivering your “ask” in a way that inspires others to listen and act. Below are Cole’s 3 steps to leading organizational change.

1. Face challenges head-on. Acknowledge the realities of your situation and use some perspective to inspire action. Show examples of teams accomplishing more with fewer resources to reframe challenges and motivate.
2. Engage the willing. Identify and collaborate with “productive rebels” in the organization—those eager to drive change. Be present in the problem-solving process and invite your team to share the challenges, which will create trust and shared ownership of the solutions.
3. Empower others to lead change. Leverage the influence of your “productive rebels” to advocate for and implement change for the entire team.

Key Takeaway: Influential leadership stems from strong relational abilities—those that encompass trust and collaboration rather than fear and governance.

5. Collective Reflections: Expanding the Leadership Paradigm

Carla Harris, senior client advisor at Morgan Stanley, and Maggie Cook, self-made businesswoman and the founder of Maggie’s Salsas LLC, both gave similar insights into leading through warmth, inspiration, and transparency. To these women, effective leadership encompasses two key principles: authenticity—knowing who you are, and clarity—knowing who you want to be as a leader.

Some of the key insights from their sessions:

• Embrace failure as a learning tool. Fear has no place on your path to success. Every failure brings with it an invaluable gift—experience. Remember that no successful leader has reached their position without a myriad of setbacks along the way.
• Define and evolve success: Clearly articulate what success looks like for your team. As your organization grows, adjust your vision to align with evolving goals and challenges.
• Delegate wisely. Just because you can handle something doesn’t mean that you should. Trust your team to handle their responsibilities so you can focus on strategic priorities.
• Start each day with a purpose. According to Cook, every morning, we have the opportunity to make a choice: “We either let life control us, or we take control of our life.” To begin every morning with a positive and intentional mindset is to take control of your power as a leader and an individual.
• Cultivate confidence through clarity. A clear vision not only inspires confidence in yourself but also motivates others to follow your lead.
• Celebrate effort and results. Find joy in the process of working toward your vision! Take time to celebrate every small milestone and success along the way.

The central theme to emerge from this year's SHRM Women in Leadership Institute was clear: the transformational power of intentional and authentic leadership cannot be overlooked. This encompasses clarity of vision, boldness in action, and the relational influence necessary to inspire real change within your organization. Across all speakers and sessions, leaders were encouraged to embrace their unique strengths and prioritize lifelong learning as a way to advance their careers and never stop growing.

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