START HERE GO ANYWHERE was the theme of the World Leadership Conference in Seattle in May. Seattle is the base for global innovators like Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks, making the conference theme particularly apt. It is also the first city to elect a female Mayor (1926) and home of the Space Needle and “The Age of Space” World Trade Fair (1962).
Personally, having been a member of IWFA for less than a year, it was a great introduction to all that is wonderful about this leadership network. The rooms were full of positivity, friendly faces and members keen to connect (which is helpful when you arrive knowing no one). It was lovely to meet Kate Nuttall who also represented Australia, and to reconnect with some ex-colleagues from the US and Europe (who I didn’t know were also members). It was an eye opener for me on how global and interconnected this organisation is.
Arriving in the US could not have been more pleasant and friendly, “welcome to the USA!” was the greeting on arrival. I was intrigued to visit the US amid discussions aimed at rolling back DEI and climate programs but was buoyed by a strong grass roots movement to resist these changes. I hold out more hope based on my visit and discussions that this is a temporary blip in both women’s empowerment and climate change movements.
Now back to the Conference. Seattle turned on four wonderful sunny days of 25C (not the drizzling rainy weather for which it is famous). I started my involvement representing IWFA’s President, Cathy Doyle, and Australian members at the President’s Council Meeting. It was great to hear about some of the initiatives being worked on at a global level (including the new forums being launched in South Korea, Peru, Kuwait and Brazil), and the ongoing Leadership Fellows series (which has been conducted at Harvard and shortly moving to Cambridge University). The Cornerstone Conference will also be revamped in 2027 to provide more opportunities for members around the world to participate through regional cultural immersions, IWF @ Sea, Wellness retreats and Global Cocktail Cafes.
There were two highlights for me this day. Firstly, it was the “I Wish I Knew” panel, where some current and former Forum presidents provided some candid insights and creative approaches to leadership. Secondly, it was the Ethical Leadership Workshop facilitated by Dr Maryam Kouchaki from Kellog School of Management, Northwestern University. During her session there was a candid discussion about the challenges of leadership in a world where we are seeing polarisation on issues of Sustainability, DEI and Stakeholder Capitalism. We referenced the claw back of various hard-fought rights in the current world to the sentiments expressed by Martin Luther King (MLK) in his 16 April 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail” where MLK felt people have a duty to follow just laws and a duty to break unjust ones. I encourage you all to read this letter and where you see references to the Church, read Corporate America …. One of his quotes resonated with me: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”
Dr Kouchaki ended by asking us all to think about our core values, and the need to be courageous when it is in service of these values.
The opening reception for the Conference was held at Chihuly Garden & Glass. The venue was stunning. I think the photos convey how fabulous this location was to meet some great women and network. We were also shown how some of this fabulous glass was made, all nestled under the umbrella of the Space Needle.
How do I succinctly sum up two plus days of the Conference? It’s a hard call to highlight just a few sessions. I heard these conferences can be a bit US centric, but this was not my experience. Yes, there was some focus on the US, but the speakers were drawn from all over the world, with some notable speakers from Japan, Nigeria, South Africa and Hong Kong. Many of the US speakers had lived around the world and their perspective was truly global.
Plenary: A Simple, Decent Place to Live – explored the global housing crisis with 3 billion people needing adequate and affordable housing by 2030. Housing solutions across Norway, Hong Kong, Nigeria and the US were highlighted, showing that embracing intergenerational family homes, green and modular construction, and public private sector co-ordination can provide much needed solutions for this global problem.
Plenary: The Nexus of AI and Sustainability – the world has 11,800 data centres with electricity consumption projected in 2026 to reach 1,000 terawatts (roughly Japan’s electricity consumption). There was an interesting discussion on how we might be able to use AI to solve its own sustainability problems and the climate crisis, and how to manage AI in the workforce.
“The skill for AI is knowing when to trust the machine and when to question its responses. You need leaders who can do “horizon scanning”, and lead with vigilance and not assumptions. The best leaders to manage AI, are those leaders who have spent years decoding hidden signs just to get into the room … (i.e. women and other minorities!)” Jacky Wright, McKinsey
Plenary: Risk Redefined – Strategies for a Complex World – This was a relevant discussion on how leaders can effectively prepare for and evaluate emerging risks to safeguard their organisations across geopolitical shifts, supply chain disruptions, extreme weather events and cyber risks. The 2025 Global Risks Report from the World Economic Forum was highlighted, and this identifies state-based conflict and misinformation as the top short-term risks. Some companies run blue teams and red teams in their board rooms to gamify what could go wrong e.g. with a proposed acquisition, a merger, or if Taiwan were invaded. If we are feeling confident and complacent we should not be …
“President Xi has asked his armed forces to be ready by 2027. I would ask you to ensure your supply chains are ready by 2026,“ Major General Barbara Faulkenberry, US Air Force.
We were provided some simple risk management advice:
- Conduct constant scenario planning – best case and worse case.
- Review your supply chain vulnerabilities – plan for a variety of worst-case scenarios.
- Tariffs – clarify what can’t wait to be ordered and pause on everything else.
How to keep yourself centred in a risky world?
- Connect with your own personal values.
- Limit negative media consumption and be selective on your media consumption.
- Lean on your network who can help you to refocus.
- Learn to “tap out” and disconnect.
Luncheon: AI and Big Audacious Goals – Kate Johnson, President and CEO of Lumen discussed how you can deploy AI to reach goals and transform organisations to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Lumen has been transformed from a legacy Telco to using its fibre network to become critical infrastructure for the AI economy connecting data centres across the US who use AI. Adopt a mindset of “if you don’t use it, you lose it!” Transformational efforts first started at Lumen as a beta customer for Microsoft and connecting its data centres. “Adopt a learning mindset, bring questions as AI can answer all your questions!”.
Behind the Scenes tours – There was so much variety to choose from. I attended Seattle Chocolates (just rebranded Maeve) chocolate factory. It was a fascinating journey into how chocolate is grown, sourced, shipped and made. We also had a deep dive on how they are coping with the increase in the price of cocoa liquor (over 200% in the last two years) and the immediate monetary effect of tariffs on their recent imports from Peru and Indonesia, impacting the viability of this female-owned and run business.
Dine Arounds – I am learning these are always a highlight, and the evening was filled with deep discussions (including about current politics) and much mirth and merriment. What was also lovely about the meal was that we had trainees from a cooking school attend to various homes hosting dine arounds in Seattle to cook and serve the food. So, we all enjoyed the same food which was locally sourced and beautifully presented.
Now onto Day 2 of the main Conference, and hope you are still with me! Lots of great plenaries and breakout sessions. We started the day by exploring the latest findings in the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer and the global report on the Crisis of Confidence. One statistic which stood out for me was the rising fear of discrimination with an increase of 10% from 2024.
When you leave a conference and know the name of a presenter and the name of their session you know it made an impression. For me this was the next session, The Civility Crisis – Understanding the Roots and Rise of Uncivil Behaviour. Arthur C. Brooks teaches a course on “Leadership and Happiness” in the Harvard MBA course. It is always oversubscribed by three times the number of attendees and I could see why. His presentation had a standing ovation. Brooks explored why incivility is becoming the new norm in modern society, and how uncivil behaviour is becoming more commonplace. Instances like the rapid spread of misinformation, pervasive culture of cancelling, and complex issues being reduced to polarised extremes, are eroding trust and making it difficult to engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue. Brooks took time to explore how we can rebuild civil discourse and create spaces where disagreement doesn’t lead to hostility, with a roadmap to happiness and gratification. Brooks explained that the Limbic System in our brains (part which controls emotions) has a Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex, developed over thousands of years of tribal living. This part of the brain makes us fear going against the majority, as social exclusion once meant death! In summary we need to break this genetic habit and learn how to practice warm heartedness and speak up in the face of contempt. When your brain says resentment is appropriate you should feel gratitude. “You should be missionaries of love in the world of polarisation. You must leave this conference with courage and purpose”. I hope you have got some of the gist of this wonderful session and help to start a revolution of warm heartedness!
Dr Bernice King (yes MLK’s daughter) joined us to speak about her father and her life experiences. It was a great segue from the previous session as she spoke about the “real challenge isn’t loving one’s neighbours; its loving one’s adversaries”. Dr King said we are genetically wired to react to our emotions and receiving meanness makes you want to respond in anger. It takes training to overcome this and to respond with kindness. We must learn how to relinquish our need to be right, and it all starts with understanding the opposing view. Dr King illustrated this with a story of a young Black woman working in the world of hip hop in Mississippi who wanted to remove the confederate flag and emblem from the state flag. A Caucasian guy contacted her saying he was concerned for her physical safety. She invited this guy into her home to hear his views and understand why he valued this flag, she also explained why she feared it and what it represented to Black Americans. They started to exchange views, and a seed for change was planted. The gentleman decided to take the flag down from his garden and soon others followed with the understanding he shared. The Confederate emblem was removed from the state flag in June 2020.
The Closing Lunch was presented by Walmart: When Boys and Men have problems, Girls and Women have Problems Too. Did you know that in the US only one in five social workers and psychologists are male and this ratio is deteriorating? The message in this session was that diversity needs to flow both ways. We need to recognise gender gaps from a male perspective to help make boys and men better allies. Like a rising tide we all rise together. Suicide rates for men are increasing at a faster rate than for women, and so something profound is going on regarding male mental health. “A world of floundering boys and men is very unlikely to be a world of successful girls and women” said Melinda French Gates. International Men’s Day will be held on 19 November 2025. It is focused on raising awareness about men’s health and well-being, highlighting discrimination against men, and positive masculinity. The aim is to foster open conversations about men’s issues and encourage inclusive supportive communities for all genders. Ask the men in your life how they are doing and are they ok?
The final evening Gala was kicked off by a presentation on what awaits us in Cape Town, South Africa for the Cornerstone Conference on 5-7 November 2025, and for the Cornerstone Conference in London 13-15 May 2026. The Gala continued with the Hall of Fame and celebrating wonderful achievements of some members for the Hall of Fame Award, Leading Light Awards and Women Who Make A Difference Awards. Nine Women from the UK, Canada, Sweden, South Africa, Colombia and the US were awarded with recognition of their contributions, philanthropy and achievements across a variety of fields. The ceremony was followed by an evening of dining and dancing into the wee hours of the morning!
I conclude by saying everyone I met there loves Australia, and so well done to all my Aussie sisters who have attended previous events, you have made a big impression!
