The importance of authentic leaders was the major takeaway from Lessons in Leadership: Featuring Women of Washington, an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Russell Reynolds Associates.
Hosted by Elizabeth Baker Keffer, Executive Vice President and Chief Relationship Officer at the U.S. Chamber, and Stephanie Tomasso, Managing Director and Hub Leader at Russell Reynolds Associates, the event focused on personal brand building, networking, and refining your leadership style.
Positioning Yourself for Success
The panelists encouraged women to master their current position rather than focus on their next job jump by sharing stories in which their personal expertise helped them scale the corporate ladder.
“I didn't really think about positioning myself, I just focused on succeeding in the role that I was in,” said Stacey Bernards, Senior Vice President of Global Government Relations at Honeywell International Inc. “When you're a superstar in the role that you are in, doors will open; if you focus too much on positioning yourself, you're probably not doing all that you can to shine in the place that you are.”
The panelists found the most important attributes in a leader to be smart, strong, resilient, and compassionate, among other traits. Overall, it was most meaningful when colleagues suggested they “wanted to be like me,” Brittany Masalosalo, Chief Public Policy Officer of HP, explained.
“With that came the new responsibility of upping my game, because now I knew that people were watching, and I took it as a call to action to always be authentic, always be myself, and make sure I'm giving people permission to do the same,” says Masalosalo.
The Lessons in Leadership: Featuring Women of Washington was held at the U.S. Chamber in July 2025.
Giving Back with Board Service
Attendees also heard about the panelists’ experiences serving on the boards of various organizations. Both Harbert and Marlene Colucci, CEO of The Business Council, have experience in service on boards for non-profit and for-profit companies.
“For me, it was about not only embracing the true value of authentic advocacy, but rewarding people that are interested in a career, and providing them mentors,” said Karen Harbert, President and CEO of American Gas Association. “Being willing to give back, being willing to give your expertise, I think it's important.”
Building Your Brand
The speakers also encouraged women when networking to brand themselves to their fullest potential. They highlighted the tendency for women to focus on their families or personal lives, but recommended they instead focus on making sure to advertise their accomplishments.
“We too often lose sight of what we have learned,” Tomasso said. “We miss the chance to think about our personal stories, our brand, and whether we've been proactively thinking about positioning ourselves, leaning on our mentors and champions and how we strive for the next step.”
In closing the event, the panelists reminded attendees to balance authenticity and assimilation when joining an organization, and to not stay at any job for too long, making sure to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way.
About the author
Roger Hart
Roger Hart is an intern on the Communications team at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
