Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeExecutive Women Lessons in leadership: Women executives on power and purposeGetting to the top a long journeyLast updated Dec 01, 2025You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.An Verhulst-Santos, President & CEO, L’Oréal Canada. SUPPLIED Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.An important realization is taking hold in C-suites around the globe. Busi­ness acumen must be matched by social acu­men to lead successfully in today’s increasingly disruptive and complex world.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorTo drive real, lasting impact, CEOs must be confident and vulnera­ble, decisive and flexible, professional and real — all traits that a growing body of leadership re­search ascribe to women CEOs, who tend outper­form their male counter­parts when it comes to driving performance in their organizations.Why do women make such effective leaders? National Post asked each of this year’s WXN: Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 CEOs to share the three most im­portant lessons they’ve learned as leaders.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again*Responses have been edited for length An Verhulst-Santos, President & CEO, L’Oréal Canada Embrace curiosity, learning, and seize opportunities: For me, leadership has always been about the journey, not just the destination. I truly be­lieve that our careers are not about reaching a singular point but rather a continuous process of learning, adapting and growing through every single experience. Stay­ing curious, maintaining a passion for learning and having a desire to make a positive impact are essential qualities for moving forward, and I am convinced that we learn something new ev­ery single day, no matter our level within the com­pany. I have also learned that you can’t fully plan your career; it is built step by step, decision by deci­sion, so recognizing and seizing opportunities as they arise is crucial.This lesson was really instilled in me from a very young age. My par­ents encouraged me to reach for my goals and taught me the impor­tance of hard work, in­tegrity and contributing to something larger than myself. My internation­al experiences, moving between different coun­tries and cultures, were incredibly valuable in shaping this perspective. They exposed me to such diverse consumer pref­erences and cultural nu­ances, which broadened my understanding and reinforced that growth comes from every part of the journey.Change is an outstand­ing opportunity to learn and grow, to get new perspectives but also to bring your own.Empower and nur­ture talent through mentorship: I see mentorship as a cornerstone of growth, not just for individuals but for the entire orga­nization. I have been incredibly fortunate to learn from so many inspiring colleagues throughout my career, and I firmly believe that there is something valu­able to learn from every­one, regardless of their age, experience level or position. My philosophy is to ‘pay it forward’ by sharing my knowledge and experiences, and actively seeking insights from my teams.My approach to lead­ership is all about em­powering individuals to take ownership of their projects. I strive to provide them with the resources and support they need to thrive. Cel­ebrating successes, both big and small, is essential for building confidence and fostering a sense of shared purpose. I truly believe that to be a pow­erful leader one must embody a dynamic ap­proach, where leading by example becomes the most potent catalyst for change. It means being a curious learner, an empathetic mentor, and genuinely supporting and uplifting others.Lead with authen­ticity, courage, and embrace challenges The best advice I have ever received, and one I live by, is to ‘stay true to yourself.’ In the face of pressure and exter­nal expectations, it is incredibly easy to lose sight of your values and what truly motivates you. This advice has been a constant reminder for me to lead with authen­ticity, making decisions that align with my core beliefs. Confidence, for me, means being myself, regardless of what any­one else might think. I also believe in daring to push the limits and not putting barriers on yourself.My career path has certainly involved em­bracing challenges and stepping out of my com­fort zone many times. Deciding to leave Europe and lead teams in Brazil and the U.S. were signif­icant cultural shifts that profoundly nurtured my agility, open-mind­edness, and creativity. Becoming part of the L’Oréal Groupe Execu­tive Committee in Paris and leading a global di­vision was an immense challenge, but also an exceptional experience.I can say that there have been times when I feared not being up to the task. But when I experi­enced those moments, I realized that I instinc­tively invested and in­volved myself even more in my work.Overcoming self-doubt and embracing moments of vulnerability were crucial steps. Ultimate­ly, these challenges have shaped me into the leader I am today, teaching me valuable lessons about perseverance, empathy, and the importance of building strong support networks.What it means to rise boldly Redefining a leader­ship that prioritizes con­nection and trust, prov­ing that true strength comes from showing up fully and inspiring cour­age in others. Dr. Katherine Chubbs. SUPPLIEDDr. Katherine Chubbs, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Good Samaritan Society Work hard, be relent­less in the pursuit of excellence, and embrace change I am a nurse by profes­sion. Being a leader and CEO was not something I was focused on. It was more that people saw the hard work and effort I put in, encouraged me and motivated me to pur­sue leadership. Moving into executive manage­ment led me to pursue a doctorate in business because I saw as clini­cians we needed to step up and understand the business if we wanted the clinical voice to be at the decision-making table. I was motivated by taking what I could do as one nurse and trying to rep­licate that to thousands of nurses and the impact they could make.That’s what started me down the leadership path. Joining the Good Samaritan Society, which is a faith-based not-for-profit provider of health-care, housing services to those in greatest need was a perfect fit with ev­erything that is import­ant to me personally. I focused on helping the organization prioritize equity, diversity and in­clusion, reconciliation, addictions and mental health — those areas that are tougher to tackle and that not everybody can. The organization was poised and ready to em­brace that journey.Be generous and genuine in every encounter Whether with time, knowledge, in terms of being a teacher, a men­tor, or showing care, be generous in every way and make sure that gen­erosity happens every day. This morning I start­ed my day with a stop at Tim Hortons to get some snacks for the team at our executive meeting.When I start every day, I allow time for people to drop in, tell me what’s going on in their lives, their challenges and to offer my help, advice, a hug, if they need it. At the beginning of January every single year, I think about the area I want to work on, grow and have the most impact on this year and I put it in my cal­endar at 6 a.m. every day, so that every morning I see it and I want to make a difference in some­one’s life in that way. One year it was coach­ing; another year it was listening. I make sure I am continuously honing my leadership capability but also reconciling that with what I feel is needed through my leadership.Maintain perspective on where work falls in the realm of life When I hire someone, I know you are not just Steve; you are a hus­band, a father, a son. It’s important to maintain perspective on the piece of your life that is work in relation to everything else in your world. For ex­ample, I know that if I’m not healthy and taking care of myself, it’s hard for me to show the same generosity and take care of others. So I try to have a good perspective on what my strengths need to be, how I take care of myself, how work fits into the grand scheme of my life and supporting that kind of philosophy in others.What it means to rise boldlyAbout 10 years ago, an employee’s daughter was murdered. Her daughter was a graduate student doing her Masters degree on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The day she went missing, on her Face­book page she had post­ed: Speak the truth even when your voice shakes. I read that at a pivotal time in my journey as an Indigenous person. For me, rising boldly is about speaking the truth even when my voice shakes. Lori Grant. SUPPLIEDLori Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Klick Health Always sit at a round table I grew up in East Coast Canada on a large dairy farm in a large hard-working, humble, everyone-pitched-in type of family. But I also grew up in the same small town where Harrison and Wallace McCain established McCain Foods. My mom worked for them as a telephone operator up until her re­tirement. They created a sense of respect, humility and hard work that ex­tended across the com­pany. They took a real interest in their teams and in their people. They knew my mom, all of us by name, and what we were doing.I took a lot of lessons from that. In my office in Toronto, I have an actu­al round table. When we work together on differ­ent challenges, we come together as experts in different areas, with different experiences, different perspectives. We sit at that round ta­ble to solve challenges together and to create opportunities together. There’s a lot of love and laughter. When you sit at a round table, there is no head to the table, there is no perceived power or hierarchy. We are working together. If you can dream it at Klick, you can do it, be­cause there is a round table for you to sit at to be heard.Build a culture with intention Culture is not about the beautiful office space, the coffee, the pizza Wednesdays, that’s all gravy. Culture is who you hire, how you hire, who you promote and who you choose to no longer be on your team. In those decisions, you are set­ting the stage for what’s acceptable in your orga­nization, for the charac­teristics you’re looking for in people.As a leader, that is the single most important decision you will take. It affects everything down­stream. At Klick, we have a very intentional hiring process that makes ev­ery touch point we have with a candidate special — the first phone call, the second phone call, the email follow-up, the time between signing the contract and their start date. We want them to know we are excited about them joining our team.At Klick, the number one key principle is peo­ple first. COVID was a good example of that. Every decision we took was through the lens of keeping our people safe. Intentionality around culture is ongoing. It requires frequent open, transparent conversa­tions that allow you to take things apart, solve problems as they happen and create impact. We meet monthly to share work, successes and to learn from one another, and we have quarterly company culture meet­ings. Every month I host fireside chats with new Klicksters where they can ask me anything. There’s a lot of sharing going on at Klick.Never forget that people will always remember how you make them feel If you want a peo­ple-first culture, and you want to lead with intention, then you have to remember how you make someone feel. I got a very big lesson in that very early in my ca­reer at Klick. Someone had celebrated a work anniversary and no one acknowledged it. This person was quite upset. That impacted me deeply because I do believe that how you make people feel matters. From that day forward I have written an anniversary note to every single employee on their work anniversary. People write the most incredible notes back. It really does come full circle.What it means to rise boldly Rising with my team, supporting their growth and dreams and career aspirations. When you do that, you can go long and far. You also have a mul­titude of perspectives to draw on to inform your decisions. If you take decisions alone, that’s where you will stand.This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s Commercial Content Division, on behalf of Women’s Executive Network (WXN).This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.