Kim Meninger

In today’s environment of constant change and mounting pressure, even experienced leaders struggle to show up as the leader they aspire to be. Under stress, we fall into reactive patterns—overthinking, over-functioning, overcompensating—that quietly erode trust, stifle innovation and drain performance.

The real challenge isn’t managing external forces, it’s managing ourselves in the face of them. Leaders need strategies to close the gap between who they want to be and who they become under pressure.

In this timely keynote, leadership coach and former high-tech leader Kim Meninger introduces the LEADS framework, a practical, science-backed approach to help leaders shift from reactivity to intentionality in high-stakes moments. Through relatable stories and real-world tools, Kim empowers leaders to more consistently embody their best selves when it matters most.

As workplaces strive to achieve greater diversity, equity and inclusion, traditional gender expectations continue to present challenges for women. Women often face the double bind -- show up as likable and be seen as less competent, or show up as strong and competent and risk being seen as less likable. While the pandemic has proven that leaders who demonstrate empathy, humility and vulnerability are more effective than their command-and-control counterparts, deep-rooted gender expectations make it difficult for everyone who deviates from our traditional mental models of leadership to authentically navigate the workplace and rise to higher levels. This often leaves us feeling as though we have a "tightrope" to walk. In this session, we will identify actionable steps to more confidently and successfully navigate this tightrope in our everyday work environments.

In our fast-paced, rapidly changing world, it can be difficult to engage in self-reflection and maintain high levels of self-awareness. Thinking deeply about ourselves when we’re feeling pressure to meet our personal and professional obligations can feel like a luxury we can’t afford. But an authentic commitment to raising our self-awareness not only empowers us to maximize our performance; it can also transform our workplaces in powerful ways.

Key takeaways of this session include:

• Understanding why self-awareness is critical to inclusion and belonging and what individuals and organizations lose when we lack self-awareness.
• Gaining actionable strategies to raise your own self-awareness, connect to your core values and reframe feedback so that you can show up as your most powerful self.
• Identifying practical steps you can take to diversify your network and build meaningful connections across your organization.