Spending a day on your feet with 2,700 other women for a day of learning and inspiration from some great female thought leaders and authors is such a treat. One of my favourite engagements, The Art of Leadership for Women at the Metro Convention Centre, was bursting at the seams with people chatting, networking, and soaking up some wisdom from the stage. It was an honour to graphically capture the key insights and experience from a diverse and talented line-up of keynote speakers who shared their experience, research and insights on women and leadership.

One of the major themes that emerged across all the speakers was to honour yourself in all ways – your well-being, your voice, and your authenticity. Impactful leadership requires empathy and courage to lead others but, as Ritu Bhasin shared, it also requires leaders to do their own work to heal their wounds, so we don’t perpetuate unaddressed issues on those around us. There has been some progress over time with diversity and inclusion initiatives, but there is still a long way to go so that women can operate on an equal footing in the workplace with their male colleagues.

Here are the top 10 leadership tips I took away from my experience at 2023 The Art of Leadership for Women:

1. The comeback is always better than the setback. – Lisa LaFlamme
2. You don’t have to be the best IN the world. You can be the best FOR the world. – Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser
3. Navigating life’s challenges requires one key thing: adaptability. – Dr. Shimi Kang
4. Belonging only happens when you are embraced by your authenticity. – Ritu Bhasin
5. If it’s your passion, no one can stop you. – Lisa LaFlamme
6. Losing teaches us how to win and adapt. – Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser
7. Take more risks. Declare it and share it. – Executive Panel
8. Change how you talk to yourself to change your performance. – Fotini Iconomopoulos
9. If you’re too busy to be curious, you’re too busy to be motivated. – Dr. Shimi Kang
10. Imposter syndrome is part of who we are. Self-acceptance helps you get through it. – Lisa LaFlamme

Here are the graphic recordings from the event. The complete roster will be posted here once they are all fully digitized.

Lisa LaFlamme – Journalist and 2023 winner of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s Gordon Sinclair Award for lifetime achievement in journalism

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser – Former Canadian Olympic ice hockey champion, resident physician and assistant general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Dr. Shimi Kang* – Author of The Tech Solution: Creating Healthy Habits for Kids Growing Up in a Digital World

Ritu Bhasin* – Author of We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging

Fotini Iconomopoulos* – Author of Say Less, Get More: Unconventional Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want

Executive Panel Discussion

*Graphic recordings made at the live event will be posted once digitization is completed.