Across politics, business, and global governance, we are witnessing a profound crisis of leadership. Institutions built on domination, hierarchy, and zero-sum thinking are struggling to respond to the complexity of our time—from political polarization to climate disruption to the erosion of democratic norms.

At the same time, a powerful and often underrecognized transformation is underway.

Around the world, women are bringing forward new approaches to power—approaches that emphasize collaboration alongside strength, long-term thinking alongside short-term wins, and relational intelligence alongside strategic clarity.

In this compelling keynote, negotiation and conflict-resolution expert Susan W. Coleman explores why the next era of leadership may depend on integrating forms of power that have historically been undervalued—and why women are uniquely positioned to help lead this shift.

Drawing on decades of work in negotiation, diplomacy, and systems change, Coleman shows how women’s leadership is not simply about representation. It is about transforming how power operates—moving from models based primarily on control and competition toward approaches that combine firmness, fairness, and collaborative strength.

The future of leadership, she argues, will not be less powerful—it will be power exercised differently.

The question is no longer whether women belong in leadership.
The question is whether the future of our institutions depends on it.