Chapter News 

October 24, 2025

Jennifer Ulrich

AMPLIFY: How Women Are Redefining Leadership in the Age of AI

At the 17th Annual Women & Leadership Conference, one message rang clear: women are not waiting for the future — we are building it. Across every session, each story carried the same undercurrent of courage, clarity, and conviction. Whether leading AI transformation, guiding teams through change, or embracing self-love as a foundation for leadership, women are showing that our strength lies not just in innovation, but in authenticity.

The Pre-Game Show

The conference began on a high note Wednesday evening as Betty set the tone with an engaging session on Transformational Leadership. Guiding us through the Four I’s — Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualized Consideration — she invited us on a journey of self-discovery and reflection. Through powerful real-world examples, Betty illustrated how each dimension of leadership shows up in action and challenged us to consider: What kind of leader am I today, and what kind do I aspire to be?

The session came alive as she presented a realistic leadership scenario, sparking energetic discussion and thoughtful dialogue throughout the room.

Leading with Purpose in the Age of AI

Thursday morning Amanda opened with a challenge — and a celebration. She reminded us that women are not just participants in the AI revolution; we are poised to lead it. “Women are known for their ethical leadership,” she said, “and that positions us perfectly for this moment.”

Citing a recent study by the Global AI Leadership Institute (2023), AI projects led by women demonstrate a 15% higher success rate in achieving strategic objectives and a 20% increase in team satisfaction. Amanda emphasized that our collaborative, adaptive, and ethically grounded leadership styles are exactly what AI transformation demands. But she was also honest about the obstacles: “Digital transformation histories are creating barriers to AI success.” The technology solutions being implemented and leveraged in organizations currently often overpromise and underdeliver — weighed down by data debt, low adoption, and talent gaps.

Her adaptation of the S.O.A.R. framework offered a path forward.

• Sustain – Your People: Unlock curiosity in our teams — because transformation thrives on curiosity.
• Optimize – Your Data: Focus on clean, reliable data — even using AI itself to improve it.
• Advance – Your Automation: Start small with automation and scale strategically.
• Reinforce – Your Value: Build trust, strengthen relationships, and demonstrate value through action.

Her message was clear: AI success begins with a solid foundation — one led by leaders who blend strategy, ethics, and empathy.

One of Amanda’s messages that stuck with me was how the future of AI success comes down to people, not just platforms. Change management and data quality are essential, but so is preparing our teams in new ways. Upskilling won’t look like it used to — we’ll need to double down on soft skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and relationship management to help our teams thrive.

Leveling Up to Lead Authentically

Caroline took the audience on an inner journey. Her session, Level Up: The Hidden Transitions That Transform Good Managers into Leaders, asked a simple but powerful question: Where are you going?

She encouraged the audience to define a 10-year vision — a “north star” to guide decisions and fuel motivation. “When your 10-year vision is clear, your next one year becomes clear,” she said. Leadership starts not with action, but with direction. I could not agree more, a clear vision statement – both personally and professionally in your business – is crucial to achieving your goals.

Her second shift — show up authentically — challenged traditional leadership norms. “The workplace was built by men, for men,” she said, inviting women (and men) to integrate both masculine and feminine energies. Too often, women ignore intuition — that quiet gut feeling that’s usually right. True leadership requires balance: drive and intuition, strategy and empathy.

Her third insight was a reminder that leadership is not about doing more, but about being more. “Show up as if you’re already at the next level,” she urged. The energy you bring shapes the opportunities that come your way.

The Power of Self-Love in Leadership

Shakira’s session, Self-Love Is the Best Love, was both vulnerable and powerful. During her own journey of self-reflection, she realized that self-love is not selfish — it’s essential. Shakira’s session, Self-Love Is the Best Love, was both vulnerable and powerful. During her own journey of self-reflection, she realized that self-love is not selfish — it’s essential.  “Authentic leadership begins with self-love. When we cultivate inner confidence, compassion, and clarity, we elevate not only our frequency — but the frequency and impact of everyone we lead.” 

Without self-love, leaders risk becoming unauthentic, overwhelmed, and disconnected. Shakira called attention to the fact that society grooms us for self-hate – this hit hard for me personally. Entertainment, education, politics, money, fashion, culture, and power feed endless competition, judgment and status anxiety. When you have self-love, you can learn to let go and recognize that none of that matters.

Shakira encouraged women to make self-love a daily practice — forgiving ourselves, celebrating imperfection, and recognizing our inherent worth.

Her message invited the audience to return to their inner truth — to lead from love rather than fear. The room pulsed with quiet recognition, a collective remembering that when we honor who we are, we lead from wholeness.

Amplifying What Matters

Mukesh brought focus and reflection with his talk, Clarity, Resonance, and Quiet Power: Amplify What Matters. Echo What Endures. His message: not everything deserves amplification. In a world overflowing with noise, true power lies in clarity and intention.

“Resonance,” he said, “is the afterglow of leadership — what lingers after you’ve left the room.” Leadership isn’t about volume; true impact emerges from clarity, the signal that cuts through the noise.

Of course this was followed by a group karaoke session – yes, that’s right, more than 70 people singing along to Rachel Platten’s Fight Song. Moments like those are what make the Women & Leadership conference stand out from so many others.

Mukesh built seamlessly on Amanda’s insights into agentic AI, captivating the audience with a glimpse into where artificial intelligence is headed in the next three, five, and ten years. His vision of the future was both awe-inspiring and deeply human — a reminder of how rapidly our world is transforming. Like many in the room, I was genuinely amazed by the possibilities we may witness in our own lifetimes — and even more so by what our children will experience.

Among his many takeaways, one message resonated most: “Figure out what you can’t do and go do it. Your mindset is the only thing holding you back.”

Leading with Intention and Mentorship

Betty and Silver closed with a heartfelt conversation on Leading with Intention. The right decisions, they reminded us, are not always the easy ones. Silver shared her approach to empowering her team through open dialogue — asking what people want to work on, not just what they must and reminding them of how good teams can be great ones when they lean on each other.

Betty reflected on the power of mentorship: Each One, Teach One. Her mentors taught her how to communicate, sell, and lead — lessons she now pays forward by coaching others. Betty shared insights from her coaching experience, “we are in a different time, now instead of going through the motions, leaders are improving themselves to be better leaders.”

Silver pointed out that we often receive indirect mentorship – hearing someone speak at an event for example – “We are all mentors,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t even realize it.”

Amplify — and Echo

As the day came to a close, one theme united every voice: women are leading differently — and the world needs that difference. We lead with empathy and ethics. We listen deeply. We take risks grounded in purpose.

Leadership today isn’t about being the loudest in the room. It’s about amplifying what matters — curiosity, courage, connection — and letting our actions echo far beyond the moment.

Because when we all lead with intention, authenticity, and self-love, the impact doesn’t fade. It amplifies.