Master class: Lessons in leadership recap

by Saiqa Anne Qureshi, Staff Writer, FWSF MarCom Committee

On Tuesday the 13th of May, New York Life Insurance hosted Financial Women of San Francisco for the “Master Class: Lessons in Leadership,” facilitated by Ramya Durga Krishnaganth, Founder & Managing Partner, Uvid Consulting; with a panel featuring Julianne Averill, Managing Director, Danforth Advisors, Ashley Fieglein Johnson, President and CFO, Planet, and Kristina Hentschel, CFO & COO, Bay Grove. 

These successful women joined attendees to discuss a wide range of topics including their own leadership journey, their career path and the non-linear nature of it, how to work through transformation and embrace that uncertainty to learn and grow, how to boost confidence in others, and what others saw in them that you didn’t see in themselves. 

The wide-ranging discussion elicited so many pieces of guidance and leadership. They are grouped thematically by doing work that is valued, being ready for the next step and knowing what works for you. 

Do work that is valued 

• Drive meaning and impact from the numbers, that is the real value add. 
• See opportunities to fill voids and skillset that are needed.
• Have people come to you not just for your work, but for your judgement. 
• Elevate your productivity by harnessing tools and systems to reduce nonvalue add work. 
• Use an outside lens to see what others inside don’t see, and provide that impact.
• Real transformation comes from asking better questions.

Be ready for the next step

• Embrace new experiences from work, the crazy times that are throwing things at you left and right are the ones you learn from. 
• Highlight your accomplishments and don’t downplay the impact of your work. 
• Step up when you have self-doubt and allow others to see in you what you do not yet see in yourself.
• Listen to others when they tell you that you can step up and allow others to see other “hats” on you, that might be a fit as you transition roles. 

Know what works for you

• Know what habits set you up for success and embrace those. 
• Know what brings you joy, what speaks to you, and know that what works for you will be different than what it is for others. 
• Lean into your strengths.
• Who you work with matters, as you spend a lot of time at work. 

The event closed with a rapid-fire discussion of the most underrated leadership qualities and the panel highlights active listening, making others feel heard and connecting to others. Always know, that there will be a moment that will tell you that you need to move on. It may not speak to you with grand words, and could be a more subtle experience, but if the highlight of your day is putting eyeliner on in the morning, and the day will not get better, that is truly the sign.

From Connections Newsletter (Past Event Highlights): June 2025

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