A Leadership Expert Shares Her Philosophy & Tips

On Leadership Philosophy & Strategy… 

After two decades spent advising senior leaders since I was in my early 20s, I started to notice a pattern. It was clear to me that the difference between good businesses and outstanding ones came down to two things – mindset and trust. My mentor at the time said, “You need to teach your business philosophy – test it out with a Masterclass.” So, I did. That became The Simplified Model. 

The Simplified Model didn’t begin as a business idea. It began as questions that I posed to leaders; What would happen if you slowed down? What if you broke from the conventional model and chose clarity and quality instead? I had seen that the leaders who last, the ones who shape industries and change how we think, don’t just survive chaos – they move through it with calm and curiosity. 

Today The Simplified Model exists to help founders and leaders rethink the way they build. To step back from the noise and ask better questions, not just ‘what are we doing?’ but ‘why are we doing it this way?’ Not in the conventional ‘find your why’ but the deeper, personal why.  

On Good Leadership Qualities & The Evolution Of Business… 

Some leadership qualities remain remarkably timeless: character, confidence, curiosity and trust. The best leaders I’ve worked with have been kind without being soft, sharp without being closed, and deeply confident without tipping into ego. They’re grounded by trust – trust in themselves, in timing, and, most importantly, in something greater. 

Early in my career, I was flown from Ottawa to Beirut to consult with a couture designer. His atelier felt like another world, yet the moment that stayed with me wasn’t the beauty; it was seeing the founder, frozen in his chair, cheek resting on his hand, paralysed by fear. Incredible opportunities were knocking, but all he could hear were the shadowy what ifs. At the same time, the entrepreneur who had introduced us was building a tech company that would revolutionise digital advertising and eventually sell for millions. He wasn’t fearless, no one truly is, but he was brave. Always learning, willing to leap, willing to push through fear. His mindset was his superpower. That early experience revealed something that has held true across two decades of working with leaders worldwide, from luxury legacy houses to tech scaleups: a leader’s mindset sets the tone for everything. 

As leadership evolves, two additional traits are becoming non-negotiable: the ability to think independently, and the discipline to slow down. In a world increasingly overwhelmed by noise, the leaders who pause, reflect and resist the pressure to constantly perform are the ones who endure, and create. You can’t innovate if you’re always reacting. You can’t lead with clarity if you’re always chasing.  

On Women In Leadership… 

Many of the challenges women face today are not exclusive to women. They are human challenges. I see them time and again, across titles, industries and geographies. Insecurity, doubt, the pressure to stay relevant – they don’t discriminate. What does feel unique for women is how often external expectations are layered on top of these challenges. There’s pressure to be strong but not too assertive. Warm but not too emotional. Successful but still available to everyone. 

But when I sit down with founders, executives, or investors – regardless of gender – the same themes surface: insecurity, intrusive thoughts, fear of not being enough. So, while the context may differ, the inner experience often looks the same. And that’s where I choose to meet people – not through the lens of gender, but through the clarity of what’s actually going on beneath the surface. Most of what holds us back isn’t visible from the outside. It’s the thoughts we never question. The beliefs we mistake for truth. 

On Asserting Authority In Male-Dominated Industries… 

I don’t advise anyone to focus on asserting authority. That framing already puts you on the defensive, as if you’re stepping into a room where you have something to prove. The best leaders I’ve worked with across industries, genders, and cultures don’t lead by force. They lead by presence, clarity, and intention. The narrative that women must constantly assert themselves just to be heard can be exhausting. And honestly, it’s not always necessary. In my own experience, I never gave too much space in my mind to the idea that gender would hold me back. I focused on building my skill set, sharpening my perspective, and offering real value. 

The more women internalise the idea that they’re at a disadvantage, the more it becomes the lens through which they view everything and that mindset, more than reality itself, becomes the limitation. That’s not to say discrimination doesn’t exist, it does. But it also exists for men – if it’s not gender, it may be something else – race, background, accent, age. If your mindset is tuned to find limitations, you’ll always find a reason to hold yourself back. 

On Dealing With Imposter Syndrome… 

When I think about imposter syndrome, it seems to describe a feeling of doubt, insecurity or a sense that you don’t belong where you are. But when you really break that down, it doesn’t compute. If you are in a role, a room or a position, it’s because you were meant to be there. Otherwise, you simply wouldn’t be. Thoughts that tell you otherwise – that make you question your place – are often just the mind trying to protect you, or noise from past experiences. But when you zoom out and look at it with a clear lens, imposter syndrome is an illusion. There’s nothing real or factual proving it true. Just like our thoughts aren’t always accurate, neither are the emotions that pass through us – especially the ones that feed self-doubt. 

My advice to anyone navigating this (regardless of gender) is this: remember that out of 8 billion people on the planet, you are the one standing where you are. That alone says something. You don’t end up in meaningful positions by accident.  

On Modern Leadership & Inclusivity… 

Inclusive cultures are built by leaders who embody inclusivity – not just preach it. It starts with the way they show up. When a leader is open, curious, and grounded in understanding, meeting each team member with respect and presence, regardless of gender, race, age, or background, that way of being naturally cascades through the team and the wider culture of the organisation. 

Today’s workplaces are more global than ever. Leaders often find themselves managing multicultural teams, many of whom they may never meet in person. This can feel daunting at first. But the truth is, you don’t need to be an expert in every culture. What matters is that you meet people as humans. At the most basic level, every team member – no matter where they come from - wants to feel trust, appreciation and that they are seen. If you’re a leader travelling into new markets or working with people from different backgrounds, pairing that with a little research or effort to understand their ways of working can take you a long way. 

When I was based in Hong Kong, I was tasked with leading negotiations with our agents in South Korea. I was told they could be quite firm in their approach, so I wanted to be well-prepared. In my research, I discovered that South Korean business culture often places great emphasis on age, with the most senior – usually the eldest – being regarded with deep respect and seen as the ultimate authority. Within days of meeting the team, I was told that the director was touched by the fact that I had made the effort to understand and respect their culture, rather than dismiss it as a foreigner. That gesture opened the door for deeper trust and I ended up leading the negotiations myself.  

On Finding Work-Life Balance… 

Slow down. Clear the noise and ask yourself: “What does success look like to me?” Not society’s version. Not your industry’s. Yours. 

A few years ago, a well-known journalist based in Milan came into one of our workshops. She had built a career many would aspire to, writing for a respected title, a trusted name in her field, and a family who was proud of her accomplishments. But when asked to define success in her own words, she paused. Something felt off. Six months later, I received a letter. She told me she had left her high-profile job at the magazine and taken a role at a quiet bookstore on the outskirts of the city. She now spent her days having long conversations about books with curious customers. “This,” she wrote, “feels like real success.” 

When we’re aligned with what we truly want, where we want to be and how we want to live, we naturally handle more of life’s complexities with grace. And even if we’re not there yet, knowing we’re working toward it can feel just as empowering. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula. But when you quiet the noise, your own rhythm reveals itself.  

On Practical Leadership Approaches… 

Build in a weekly check-in with yourself. Too many leaders are ruled by their calendar, meetings and phones buzzing – they are swept up in the momentum of it all, like they don’t have a say in it. But they do. And you must. Once a week, take a moment to ask: Where am I allocating my time and focus? When deliverables are delivered, what really changes? That simple reflection will keep you aligned with what creates real value and meaningful progress, even in small steps. Leaders lead, and this includes leading their own lives and time. 

From there, develop a daily practice of silence. Our clients and community at The Simplified Model are devoted to our golden ratio, 7:3:3. That’s seven minutes of silence, three minutes of thankfulness and three minutes of visualisation. What matters is consistency. This quiet space, over time, becomes a daily anchor to yourself. It deepens awareness. It clears mental noise. And it creates a kind of inner spaciousness that changes how you show up. Then evolve to pair this silence with writing. Sit down with a pen and let your thoughts flow. Don’t edit. Just write. This habit will help you process more clearly, make better decisions, and understand yourself more deeply. 

Finally, it almost goes without saying but nourishing your body matters just as much. Eat well. Move your body. Even gentle movement makes a difference. When your body feels good, your thoughts are clearer, and your energy steadier. 

On Common Leadership Mistakes… 

One of the most common oversights, whether you’re newly appointed or trying to reset direction, is believing you need to arrive with all the answers. Especially in a new role, many leaders feel the pressure to prove themselves right away. So, they enter with solutions already in mind, drawing conclusions from the outside looking in. But what they often overlook is the most powerful position they could begin from. To lead change, you first need to create space for it and that begins with deep listening. Only then can you begin to simplify the complexity in a way that reveals where real value lives and where momentum is possible. 

The first days, even weeks, in a new leadership role are for discovering what actually moves the company. Where time, energy, and focus are going. What people care about. What legacy systems are in place and why. Organisations are complex ecosystems. And unless you truly understand what you’re dealing with, you won’t know what to keep, what to shift, and what to let go of. 

On The Future of Leadership… 

As technology continues to advance at a pace we’ve never seen before, the human lifestyle remains, at its core, quite unchanged. We still wake up, work, rest, spend time with loved ones, seek joy – and repeat. What has changed is the overwhelming noise we now live in. And within that noise, leadership is entering an era where it will be nearly impossible to lead effectively without a spiritual centre. 

We often think we’re just stressed or overwhelmed but many of us have lost our inner anchor. In a world of constant technological evolution, what we need most are the very qualities AI can’t replicate – our intuition, creativity and inspiration. 

Just as human behaviour hasn't changed much, neither have our mindsets. For centuries, scarcity has dominated the way we think – pushing us to operate from fear, competition and limitation. And even though that mindset got us here, it’s no longer working. Because we now have leaders who are constantly overwhelmed, pressured, doubtful, and burned out. The shift that’s needed is a mindset shift, from scarcity to abundance. To me, the future of leadership isn’t about becoming more technical, robotic, or data driven. It’s about becoming more human. It’s about leaders who remember that they can think, decide, and create from within. Who use AI to enhance their wisdom, not replace it, who have the courage to pause, go inward, and lead from a deeper place.  

On Advice For Leaders Today… 

Trust yourself. If you weren’t meant to be in this role, you wouldn’t be here. Every leader, no matter how seasoned or senior, experiences moments of doubt, insecurity or second-guessing. Don’t let those thoughts weigh you down. Focus on what you are, not what you’re not. You don’t need to be perfect, you need to be present, open and willing to grow. Take in advice and feedback but remember: leadership isn’t about pleasing everyone. It’s about making the right call, and sometimes that means trusting your instincts even when others see it differently. You’re allowed to know best. And if you don’t know something? Say so. Ask the question. Get the clarity. That’s not weakness, that’s wisdom.  

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