14 Favorite Resources for Women in Leadership Roles

There are a variety of resources available today to assist women in leadership roles and those who aspire to lead in business and their communities. Many of these efforts are led by women familiar with the common challenges women leaders can face amid an intensely changing global business and technological environment. Learn why women remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles. 

This guide features a collection of resources, including conferences and forums, podcasts and books, and lifelong educational learning opportunities that are geared to help women continue to support women as leaders throughout their lifetimes.

Executive Women’s Forums

Forums for women executives offer opportunities to connect with and support peer women leaders in a variety of industries on topics that are pertinent to women leaders.

1. EWF International Executive Women’s Forums™

Executive Women’s Forums (EWF) International’s mission is to create more vibrant economies and improve company performance by increasing the number of women in business leadership and ownership. EWF’s Peer Advisory Forums for Women Executives connect accomplished women executives in a supportive, confidential, non-compete environment.

2. Women Lead Change™

Women Connect is a community of women company leaders dedicated to improving women’s leadership competencies. Regional Women Connect groups hold monthly member meetings and quarterly workshops, some of which are open to the public.

3. The Forum of Executive Women™

The Forum of Executive Women’s mission is to connect and leverage the influence of professional women to expand the impact and power of women in the workplace and beyond.

4. Key Women’s Leadership Forum™

Key Women’s Leadership Forum connects women in leadership roles for the purpose of inspiring care for the mind, career, body, and spirit. The focus is on pressing issues affecting women leaders, leveraging influence, and aligning careers with purpose.

Women in Leadership Podcasts

Podcasts by women for women in leadership offer an opportunity to grow your leadership skills on your own time from any location. Following is a short list of inspirational podcasts for women leaders to get you started.

5. “Women in Leadership Podcast” - Amazon Music

Brand and Communication Strategist Annemarie Cross interviews influential women leaders and leadership experts from around the globe on thought leadership, entrepreneurship, life skills, and more.

Sample episodes:

• E170: “Difference Between Time Management and Energy Management”
• E04: “When ‘Just Start’ Seems too Hard”
• E162: “How to Lead Like a Boss Without Being Difficult”

6. “She Leads Podcast: Leadership Empowerment for Women of Color” - Feedspot

Nicole Walker launched this leadership podcast focused on women of color in leadership after working in the corporate world and after three previous entrepreneurial projects. Believing that women of color deserve recognition and need to celebrate each other, Walker’s podcast guests shed light on personal and professional insights and stories.

 Sample episodes:

• S10 E3: “Writing Levels the Playing Field With Loren Childress”
• S9 E9: “Continue to Evolve With Cassandra Smith”
• S9 E7: “Trust Yourself With Latrice Sampson Richards”

7. “Women Taking the Lead With Jodi Flynn” - Available on Multiple Channels

Geared towards women who want to make an impact, Jodi Flynn offers on-air coaching and interviews for ambitious women to overcome self-doubt and lead with integrity, confidence and a sense of humor. Flynn is an executive leadership coach, pocaster, author, speaker, and workshop facilitator.

Sample episodes:

• “[Coaching] Constructively Dealing With Unconscious Bias”
• “100% Jodi: How to Show Your Team Your Appreciation . . . Especially it it Doesn’t Come Naturally to You”
• “100% Jodi: Infuse Your Leadership With Bold Requests”

Books on Leadership for Women

Following is a selection of books written by women to inspire and help women develop their leadership and life skills.

8. “Level UP: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back” - Audible audiobook, 2022

by Stacey Y. Abrams, Lara Hodgson, Heather Cabot

Abrams, a renowned politician and activist, and Hodgson founded Insomnia Consulting, an infrastructure advisory firm. Together, they’ve overcome obstacles faced by many business owners: how to grow sustainably, hire thoughtfully, and keep up with industry Goliaths.

The authors share their inspirational and relatable personal stories, originating from hard knocks they’ve experienced in business. This book provides readers confidence and the know-how and savvy to overcome obstacles that can hold businesses back.

9. “Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversation. Whole Hearts.” - Random House, 2018

A No. 1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller

by Brené Brown, PhD, MSW

Four-time No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Brown uses stories, research and examples to detail how to lead with bravery and become a more daring leader. A leader, she writes, isn’t about title, status, and ability to wield power. Rather, a leader is someone who takes responsibility for recognizing potential that ideas and people have. A leader also has courage in developing potential.

10. “Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons” - MIT Press, 2021

by Julia Gillard, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, et al.

With women leaders accounting for only 10% of national leaders globally, therein lies unequal access to power. Author Gillard explores gender bias, asking why more women are not in leadership roles. She explores these issues and more with influential women, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Theresa May, Jacinda Ardern, Christine Lagarde, and Michelle Bachelet.

11. “We Are the Leaders We’ve Been Waiting For: Women and Leadership Development in College” - Stylus Publishing, 2020

by Julie E. Owens with forewords by Heather D. Shea and Kristen A. Renn

Owens addresses the ways higher education can best prepare undergraduates for the demands of modern leadership. The book discusses the changing context of experiences of today’s women students whose life goals may go beyond rising to the top of corporations and include entrepreneurial goals, policy and politics, and social activism and innovation.

The book is a result of the author’s many collaborative conversations with undergraduate and graduate women students. Each chapter concludes with a short chapter review, words from college students and questions for critical reflection.

Women in Leadership Conferences

Women’s leadership conferences offer an opportunity for women to network with peer women leaders and experts who hail from a variety of industries. Following is a short selection among many conferences that are dedicated to inspiring women in leadership roles. While some of these events may have passed for the current year, consider bookmarking them for future conferences and other events they may host throughout the year.

12. ICON - eWomenNetwork International Conference

The annual conference is geared toward women who are business owners, entrepreneurs, speakers, thought leaders, exhibitors, and supporters of the women’s success movement.

eWomenNetwork has more than a half-million women connected through 118 chapters across North America, the UK and Australia. EWomenNetwork’s mission is to “help one million women entrepreneurs each achieve one million dollars in annual revenue.”

13. Women’s Leadership Conference

WLC hosts annual conferences and micro events, some in hybrid online formats.  The group works to encourage more representation of women in leadership roles in business and communities. WLC focuses on personal inspiration and practical applications that help promote equitable representation of women as leaders.

14. Linkage’s Women in Leadership Institute™

The conference is designed to empower women through community and insights. In recent years, Linkage has offered this conference an in-person and an online event. The event seeks to change the face of leadership by impacting organizational effectiveness and equity in talent for tangible and sustainable business outcomes for business people, culture, and businesses. Linkage also offers online events throughout the year.

Executive Education, Degrees, and Lifelong Learning Programs

Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University offers programs for individuals at all stages of their careers and education levels. Whether you want to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree, future-proof your executive skills or you’re an aspiring leader, Thunderbird has a program to help you find your path.

Executive Education Programs

Thunderbird School of Global Management

Thunderbird School of Global Management is home of the world’s No. 1 ranked Master’s in Management degree. Thunderbird empowers global professionals to shape the changing landscapes that impact their enterprises by expanding and updating future-ready skills and by connecting them to a diverse network of global experts.

Programs include:

• Executive Education certificates for individuals
• Custom programs for organizations

Degree Programs

Thunderbird offers practical, real-world learning experiences to develop principled, agile executives, managers and entrepreneurs. Programs include:

• Bachelor’s degrees
• Accelerated master’s degrees
• Master’s degrees
• Executive master’s degrees

Lifelong Learning for Women

Lifelong learning is the key to continued success for women. Executive Education programs can be an important part of your lifelong learning strategy, no matter what stage you’re at in your career or education. Check out these opportunities below.

100 Million Learners - Through the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative, Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University offers online, global education from these world-class accredited institutions in 40 different languages to learners across the globe, at absolutely no cost to the learner.

Women and young women will account for 70% of the 100 million learners that the Francis and Dionne Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative will reach globally.

The Global Initiative furthers Thunderbird’s mission to empower and influence global leaders and managers who maximize the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to advance equitable and sustainable prosperity worldwide. The Global Initiative offers three pathways to learners depending on their current education levels:

• Foundational courses: For learners at any level.
• Intermediate courses: For advanced high school learners to current undergraduate learners.

Advanced courses: For advanced undergraduate learners and above.

Other Thunderbird and ASU Lifelong Learning Programs

• Cross-Cultural Communication - Cross-cultural communication is a key skill for global business success and developing a Global Mindset
• Entrepreneurship - Thunderbird’s Entrepreneurship programs leverage the School’s business education expertise and its global networks to teach women in emerging and underserved markets how to start and grow small businesses.
• K-12 Programs - Find the support needed to supplement your child’s learning or homeschool with ASU for You. Find university-curated online lessons, worksheets, educational games, virtual field trips and more.
• Upskilling and Reskilling - These programs are designed to empower girls and women at all stages of life.

Discover Your Path To Future Success

Explore your options for developing your global leadership and management skills with Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.