Words of Wisdom from Women in Leadership 2025 (Part 1)
In 2025, a clear theme emerged from the leaders we had the privilege of profiling: meaningful leadership grows from the relationships we build, the self-awareness we cultivate, and the courage we bring to each new chapter. Across industries and backgrounds, these women shared the habits and mindsets that have shaped their journeys, including building personal boards of advisors, embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth, strengthening EQ, and remembering to look beyond the demands of a single role to the broader arc of a career.
Words of Wisdom 2025 brings their insights together in this first installment, with Part 2 coming in future weeks. As we reflect on their stories, we will also explore how coaching can help leaders deepen these practices and accelerate their development. We are grateful for the candor and generosity each woman offered. Their voices continue to illuminate what intentional, authentic leadership looks like and the possibilities that open when we stay curious and committed to our own evolution.
On why networking matters
“In each stage of my career I’ve heeded the advice to build my personal board. It’s thinking about who are the five or six people to go to for very critical decisions? Why are they on your board? Why do they keep a seat on your board, or do you rotate them? They can be a mix of mentors, sponsors, or just people whose opinions you trust.”
On leadership styles evolving
“As I moved higher in my career, I recognized the value of awareness and empathy, understanding different perspectives, styles, and what motivates the current workforce as it’s different from when I was a young professional.”
Today, her leadership prioritizes open communication and constructive feedback. “I have been focused on rebalancing my ‘get things done’ upbringing with understanding how people receive and digest information, and how they can grow.”
Daniela Shapiro: Senior Managing Director, HASI
On embracing change
“I’m not someone who loves change,” confesses Burger. “But one of the best pieces of advice I got—and now share—is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Challenges can be scary because inevitably they involve change, but it leads to growth. It’s about taking calculated risks and being okay with change when you know it can lead to something better.”
Julie Burger: Co-Head of Public Finance, Wells Fargo
On finding strength in uniqueness through executive coaching
“I focused on how I could be more structured, more powerful, more impactful—so that my French accent became a strength. The firm provided me with a coach who helped me work on my communication and presentation style, which really made a difference. I also found having an external perspective, someone who listens and helps you understand how others hear you, to be invaluable.”
On the value of EQ in navigating client relationships
“Working with clients across industries and influencing multiple stakeholders requires emotional intelligence. Every corporation has a different culture, every CFO has a different way they like to be engaged. Understanding that and adapting your approach is critical.”
Alex Douklias: Vice Chair, Corporate Banking, Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking
On building teams with diverse viewpoints and approaches
Marsland recalls a former manager who exclusively hired people with identical approaches. “You end up with a team that lacks diversity in thinking. I don’t think that’s great for business.”
“I want different perspectives, different strengths. One person might be great at presentations; another might excel in negotiations. As long as the job gets done, I don’t need everyone to work the same way.”
Jennifer Marsland: Head of Sales, North America, World Travel Protection
On not losing sight of the bigger picture
“It’s important to remember that your career and your job are two different things. Whether you are happy in your current job or not, you always want to think about your broader career trajectory outside of the present position…Keep up with LinkedIn and go to networking events. Don’t get so heads-down focused on being successful in your current job that you don’t also build connections outside in industry and peer groups.”
Christine McIntyre: Chief Financial Officer, Raftelis
On the impact of a coaching mindset
“My training as a coach has impacted me in foundational ways. That includes not letting fear drive decision making, because in coaching you learn how to look at the worst-case scenario and explore questions like, ‘how bad can it really be? What if that happens? What can you do about it?’ That mindset has impacted my ability to adapt and flex and pivot.”
Natalie Runyon: Content Strategist for ESG, Human Rights Crimes and AI in Courts, Thomson Reuters
On navigating a crossroads when confidence falters
“Firstly, ask this. What was the best moment in the last 12 to 24 months of your life? Often we are so focused on the summit, we don’t look back to see how much ground we’ve covered. So I ask people to find the best moment – personal and professional – and double-click into that moment to ask what you did to make that moment a reality. It did not happen by luck or chance. It was your strengths and talents that made it happen.”
Lisa Sun, Gravitas Founder & CEO & Best-Selling Author
How Coaching Can Accelerate This Wisdom
What ties all these insights together is the active work of becoming. Growth requires intention, perspective, and the willingness to look honestly at how we show up. That is where executive coaching becomes a powerful accelerator. Research consistently shows that coaching strengthens emotional intelligence, improves decision-making, and helps leaders translate insight into sustained behavioral change.
A coach helps you do exactly what these leaders describe: examine how you communicate, challenge unhelpful assumptions, reconnect with your strengths, and navigate uncertainty with more confidence. Coaching provides the structured space that busy professionals rarely give themselves, especially at this time of year, when reflection and recalibration naturally come into focus.
As we close out 2025 and prepare to step into 2026, consider how you want to lead in the year ahead. If this collection sparked recognition or reminded you of the leader you aim to be, take it as an invitation to act. Seek out an executive coach who can help you deepen these practices, expand your impact, and enter the new year with clarity, purpose, and intention.
Book your session today and start 2026 with intentional growth.
