Building Unshakeable Confidence with Linda Fisk and LeadHERship Global

THE INTERVIEW

No one grows as a leader without the support of others. Yet for women leaders navigating business, technology, and entrepreneurship, the path to building that support system looks dramatically different than it does for their male counterparts.

The Science Behind Different Networks

Research from Northwestern University has uncovered a fascinating truth about how men and women build professional networks—and it challenges many assumptions about what "networking" should look like.

Women Need Intimate Circles

"Women need a very different kind of community and network than men do," Fisk explains. "Women need a close circle of very intimate relationships where they can ask questions that are very vulnerable, very transparent."

This isn't a weakness—it's a strategic advantage. Women benefit most from confidential connections where they can be incredibly vulnerable and transparent about challenges, receiving unbiased, objective guidance in return.

Men Benefit from Large Networks

Conversely, men benefit from many large networks providing access to elusive opportunities and coveted positions. This fundamental difference in networking needs has profound implications for how leadership development programs should be structured.

The LeadHERship Global Approach

Understanding these research-backed differences, LeadHERship Global has designed a dual-system approach that provides both large networking opportunities and small, intimate settings.

Large-Scale Networking:

• Community of 10,000+ women

• Access to world-class thought leaders and experts

• Media opportunities and funding source connections

• Broad exposure to diverse perspectives

Intimate Mastermind Groups:

• Small leadership circles for deep relationships

• Confidential workshops and masterminds

• Safe space for vulnerable conversations

• Trusted advisors with no conflicting interests

This hybrid approach ensures women leaders get the best of both worlds—the opportunities that come from broad networks and the deep support that comes from trusted inner circles.

The Confidence Crisis: Why Women Underestimate Their Abilities

One of the most persistent challenges facing women in leadership isn't skill—it's confidence. The statistics are sobering:

Research shows that compared to men, women:

• Don't consider themselves ready for promotions

• Predict they will do much worse on tests than they actually perform

• Generally underestimate their considerable abilities

• Won't apply for positions unless they meet 100% of qualifications (vs. men at 60-70%)

"Self-confidence is linked to almost every single element of a happy and fulfilling life," Fisk emphasizes. This isn't just about career success—it's about overall well-being and fulfillment.

"Women often face socioeconomic or financial or cultural obstacles that men typically don't," Fisk notes. These obstacles aren't imaginary—they're structural barriers that require intentional strategies to overcome.

Building Confidence: A Strategic Process

Confidence isn't built overnight, but it can be built systematically. Fisk's approach draws on years of executive coaching and leadership development experience.

"Building your self-confidence is a process that can't be built overnight," Fisk advises. "You have to begin experimenting with the possibility of being able to tell somebody a truth that will better their circumstance."

The progression looks like this:

Phase 1: Small Conversations

• Practice having slightly difficult conversations

• Focus on sharing truth with love and best intentions

• Build the muscle of honest communication

Phase 2: Reflect on Success

• Notice when people are grateful for your honesty

• Recognize that truth-telling strengthens relationships

• Build evidence of your capability

Phase 3: Bigger Challenges

• Move to conversations with bigger risks

• Address issues with larger consequences

• Trust your developed skills and judgment

The Power of Your Personal Board of Directors

One of Fisk's most powerful concepts is the idea of being intentional about your "personal board of directors"—the people who occupy your front row.

Truth Tellers: The Ultimate Gift

"You need truth tellers," Fisk insists. "You need people that are going to tell you the truth, but in love because they have your very best intention in mind."

This is perhaps the most valuable asset a leader can cultivate: people who will have hard conversations not to be controversial or confrontational, but to ensure you take the best next steps for your growth.

Your personal board of directors should include people who:

• Tell you the truth with your best interests at heart

• Have no motivation other than seeing you succeed

• Provide objective, unbiased guidance

• Challenge your thinking constructively

• Celebrate your wins authentically

• Support you through setbacks without judgment

The Steve Jobs Principle: Always Right by Being Open to Being Wrong

An interesting leadership philosophy emerged during the conversation—what we might call "The Steve Jobs Principle."

The concept: Steve Jobs was "always right" not because he never changed his mind, but because he argued his position forcefully while remaining open to being convinced otherwise. At the end of every discussion, he would be right—because his team had convinced him of the right course of action, even if it wasn't his original position.

This requires two things:

1. The confidence to argue your position strongly

2. The humility to recognize that changing positions makes you stronger, not weaker

"Changing a position doesn't make me less of a person," as discussed in the interview. "It actually makes me stronger."

Real-World Application: Building Confidence Through Process Mastery

The principles of confidence and leadership come to life through real examples. Consider the journey shared during the interview—moving from certified arborist to successful tech sales leader.

The key insight: You don't need to know everything to be confident. You need to know your process.

Strategic confidence building includes:

• Understanding what you ARE accountable for

• Clearly knowing what you're NOT accountable for

• Mastering your specific domain

• Trusting teammates to handle their domains

• Asking great questions instead of pretending to have all answers

The Equality Principle in Sales and Consulting

In sales and consulting contexts, confidence manifests as equality:

• Your time is just as valuable as a C-suite executive's time

• You're the authority on your process—they've never been through it before

• You have the right to say "no" just as they do

• You lead the process even when speaking with founders and executives

This isn't arrogance—it's appropriate professional confidence grounded in genuine expertise.

The Technology Pivot: Confidence in Action

Fisk's personal story demonstrates confidence principles in action. After investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue operations technology that wasn't working, she faced a critical decision.

The challenge:

• Major financial investment already made

• Technology not delivering promised results

• Sales cycle not shortening as expected

• Sales team not benefiting from the tools

The confident response:

• Confronted reality directly

• Made difficult decision to pivot to Salesforce

• Prioritized long-term success over short-term discomfort

• Leveraged truth tellers to validate decision

"Being able to confront that reality and move to a platform like Salesforce that really is integrated with all other technologies and your tech stack, being able to have that really hard conversation and then being able to pivot and make the right decision is so important," Fisk explains.

This story illustrates a crucial point: Confidence gives you the skills and coping methods to handle setbacks and failures. It doesn't mean you won't fail, but you know you can handle challenges without being crippled by them.

Community as Competitive Advantage

In an increasingly complex business environment, the notion of "lone wolf" leadership is not just outdated—it's actively harmful to success.

The Salesforce Ohana Model

The Salesforce ecosystem provides a powerful example of collaborative community in action. Through Slack channels, user groups, and online forums, professionals freely share knowledge and help each other succeed.

Key characteristics:

• People genuinely want your success

• Asking for help is normalized and encouraged

• Expertise is shared freely without gatekeeping

• Competition exists, but collaboration dominates

Beyond "Me Against the World"

"There's a ton of enablement out there," as noted in the interview. "And I think, you know, kind of our own psychology, we have to get out of our own way sometimes and say like, you know what, I actually can have a community that backs me."

This psychological shift—from competitive isolation to collaborative abundance—may be the single most important mindset change for emerging leaders.

Choosing Your Leadership Community

With the importance of community established, the question becomes: how do you choose the right one?

Criteria for Effective Leadership Communities

Alignment with Your Purpose: Choose communities that support your unique path and definition of success, not generic "success" metrics.

Access to Relevant Expertise: Look for members who have faced and overcome challenges you're currently facing or anticipate facing.

Confidential Environment: Ensure the community offers safe spaces for vulnerable conversations without fear of professional repercussions.

No Conflicts of Interest: The best advice comes from people who benefit only from your success, not from selling you products or services.

Diverse Perspectives: Seek communities with members from various industries, backgrounds, and experience levels.

The C-suite Network: Community for All Leaders

While LeadHERship Global serves exclusively women, its partner organization—the C-suite Network—opens doors for male leaders as well.

Shared Core Principles:

• Celebrating each other's successes

• Becoming lifetime learners

• Dedicating yourself to mission, vision, and passion

• Acting with courage in difficult situations

• Cultivating authentic relationships

• Accelerating member success

The organization serves entrepreneurs, C-suite executives in enterprise organizations, leaders of nonprofits and for-profits, and organizations of all sizes seeking strategic connections.

Leadership as Character, Not Title

One of the most democratizing concepts discussed is that leadership is a character trait, not a title.

Early Career Leadership

You don't need years of experience or an executive title to be a leader. Leadership manifests through:

• Speaking up when something is wrong

• Sharing knowledge and insights generously

• Making decisions and taking ownership

• Jumping in to solve problems

• Compelling yourself to action

The 60-70% Rule

Job postings increasingly include language like: "If you don't meet 100% of these requirements, don't worry—just apply anyway."

This reflects growing recognition that:

• Perfect qualification matches are rare

• Potential and leadership matter more than resume checkboxes

• Organizations benefit from diverse experiences

• Learning agility trumps existing knowledge

Fortune favors the brave. Taking bold steps with confidence allows you to shape your own destiny and create the future you want to see.

The Relationship Foundation

At its core, all of this comes down to relationships.

"Relationships are such a powerful part of who we are," Fisk emphasizes. "They can help us feel as though we belong, like we have something to contribute to the world. They can strengthen us. They give us reasons to affect change, and more importantly, perhaps, to actually be changed."

Building Transformative Relationships

To develop the relationships that accelerate success:

• Be bold enough to reach out to people you admire

• Share your knowledge generously without expecting immediate return

• Be open to building connections even when the value isn't obvious

• Invest in others' success as much as your own

• Show vulnerability appropriately to deepen trust

Practical Next Steps for Leaders

Whether you're early in your career or a seasoned executive, these actionable strategies can accelerate your leadership development:

Immediate Actions

Audit Your Personal Board:

• List the 5-10 people who currently influence your decisions most

• Assess whether they're truth tellers with your best interests at heart

• Identify gaps in expertise, perspective, or support

• Make a plan to add or strengthen relationships strategically

Join a Leadership Community:

• Research communities aligned with your industry and goals

• Attend events or meetings as a guest before committing

• Evaluate the confidentiality and trust level

• Look for both large networking and intimate circle opportunities

Practice Small Truth-Telling:

• Identify one person who would benefit from your honest feedback

• Plan how to deliver that feedback with love and best intentions

• Follow through and observe the response

• Reflect on what you learned and how it felt

Medium-Term Development

Build Process Confidence:

• Document your areas of expertise and responsibility

• Clarify what you're NOT accountable for

• Develop clear answers to common questions in your domain

• Practice saying "I don't know, but I'll find out" confidently

Expand Your Network Strategically:

• Set a goal for number of meaningful new connections per quarter

• Prioritize quality over quantity in relationship building

• Follow up consistently with people you meet

• Offer value before asking for help

Invest in Continuous Learning:

• Dedicate time weekly to learning in your field

• Attend workshops, webinars, or conferences regularly

• Read widely both within and outside your industry

• Share what you learn with your community

Long-Term Strategy

Define Your Success Metrics:

• Clarify what success means to you personally

• Separate others' expectations from your authentic goals

• Create measurable milestones toward your definition of success

• Review and adjust quarterly as you grow

Build Your Leadership Platform:

• Share your expertise through writing, speaking, or teaching

• Position yourself as a thought leader in your niche

• Contribute to your community generously

• Build reputation through consistent value delivery

Pay It Forward:

• Mentor emerging leaders in your field

• Share opportunities freely with your network

• Celebrate others' successes publicly

• Create pathways for others that didn't exist for you

The LeadHERship Global Impact

Through creating both large networking opportunities and intimate leadership circles, LeadHERship Global is transforming how women leaders develop and succeed.

The impact framework is clear:

• Women gain personal and professional breakthroughs

• Leaders achieve greater leverage and freedom in careers and businesses

• Members access world-class thought leaders and experts

• Connections lead to media exposure and funding opportunities

• Collaborative relationships facilitate excellent outcomes

The Ripple Effect

When women leaders succeed, the impact extends far beyond their individual careers:

• Families benefit from increased economic opportunity and role modeling

• Organizations improve through diverse leadership perspectives

• Industries evolve as women bring new approaches to old problems

• Future generations gain from pathways created and barriers removed

Conclusion: The Confidence to Lead Boldly

Linda Fisk's work with LeadHERship Global demonstrates a fundamental truth about modern leadership: success is not a solo journey. The most effective leaders—regardless of gender—build intentional support systems, cultivate genuine confidence, and commit to lifting others as they rise.

For women leaders navigating the unique challenges of balancing vulnerability with authority, building confidence while fighting imposter syndrome, and developing intimate networks in a world that often rewards superficial connections—communities like LeadHERship Global provide the foundation for transformative growth.

The path forward requires:

• Courage to be vulnerable and ask for help

• Confidence built systematically through small wins

• Community chosen intentionally for alignment and trust

• Commitment to truth-telling and authentic relationships

• Compassion for yourself and others on the journey

Whether you're a woman seeking the support of LeadHERship Global or a leader of any gender looking for your people through the C-suite Network, the message is clear: No one succeeds alone. The question isn't whether you need support—it's whether you'll be intentional about building it.