Belinda Clemmensen
Founder & CEO
Huntsville, Ontario, Canada
My Role
As the founder of The Women's Leadership Intensive and author of "Women, Leadership & Saving the World, Why Everything Gets Better When Women Lead" my primary role is to design, develop and facilitate leadership development programs by women, for women so we can fulfill our mission at WLI which is to inspire, empower, support and equip women to lead the change the world needs.
My days are spent researching, developing leadership development programs and tools for women, consulting and training on gender equity in the workplace, speaking on topics of gender equity and coaching women leaders to lead as themselves.
What I love most about my role
The best part of my role is when I can work directly with amazing women leaders who are challenging the status quo, working hard to lead with values, and basically out there changing their organizations and communities for the better. To be able to support these women is a privilege.
How I define success
My role now is really about getting behind other women leaders and supporting them to truly lead as themselves. Most workplaces will expect women to show up and lead as per the status quo, which in most cases requires an uncomfortable adaptation to male models of leadership and work. When I can help women empower themselves to use their voices to speak for positive change, inclusive innovation, more equitable workplaces, a seat at the leadership tables, that is success for me and for WLI.
The best piece of business advice I ever received was
Any new business will take 3-5 years to really gain momentum. That timeline is helpful because many entrepreneurs, myself included, are not very patient! To be able to see the growth of a business as a natural journey and allow it to grow and evolve has been so helpful for me as a reframe.
What would I tell my younger self
Question everything. As women we're living in a world that wasn't built by or for us. So why should I adhere to all the rules set out for me and my gender when I didn't have a voice to create or agree to those rules? All the social constructs around us are just constructs (mostly constructs built by wealthy, white men). As such, we can question those constructs and create new ones that are more equitable and better for everyone.
What 2B Bolder mean to me
It means recognizing where I have a voice, where I have access or privilege, and using that voice to question, to challenge the status quo, to speak up for equity and justice.
Years of Experience
coming up on 30 years in the business!
I recommend you focus on developing these 3 skills to succeed in a role like mine
My gift is the ability to fully present with people, and to see and appreciate them and their potential.
Authenticity and transparency. What you see is what you get.
Lifelong learner. I know darn well I don't know everything and I honestly learn something every day that changes my perspective and thinking.