Women Move Mountains: Leadership Lessons in Resilience, Courage & Teamwork

Written By Laura Putnam

LinkedIn Live conversation hosted by Laura Putnam with guest Alison Levine

In my work with leaders and organizations around the world, one thing is clear: we’re craving a new kind of leadership—one that evokes trust, compassion, stability, and hope.

What do decades of climbing the world’s most extreme peaks have to do with women navigating today’s workplace? More than you might think.

In my latest LinkedIn Live, I sat down with Alison Levine—polar explorer, mountaineer, New York Times bestselling author, and someone who knows firsthand what it means to lead through adversity. And while her stories are epic, the leadership lessons she shared? Deeply relevant to today’s workplace, especially for women.

Here are a few key takeaways that align deeply with what I refer to as the future of leadership.

  1. You don’t need perfect clarity to move forward.

    As Alison said, “If you have clarity in your intent, you don’t need clarity in your environment.” Or, put another way: don’t wait for the fog to lift—lead with purpose and move anyway.

  2. You can be scared and brave at the same time.I

    It’s not about having no fear—it’s about choosing to move forward anyway. Fear can freeze you. Bravery helps you keep going.

  3. Backing up isn’t the same as backing down.

    Progress doesn’t always look like pushing forward. Sometimes stepping back is the smartest move you can make.

Episode Highlights for Today’s Leaders

[3:48] Why She Started Climbing

Alison spent years fascinated by mountains—reading, watching, observing—until one day in her 30s, she decided to stop sitting on the sidelines and start climbing. And she’s still going.

➡ If you’ve ever felt like it’s “too late” to go for the big thing, it’s not.

[5:59] A big misconception: “If we don’t summit, then it doesn’t count.”

Every part of the journey matters. As Alison said, “Mt. Everest is just a pile of rock and ice…standing on the top doesn’t change you.” Reaching the summit isn’t the end—it’s only the halfway point. Here’s why this matters: Most fatalities happen on the descent—not the climb up.

➡ As I often say in my work with leaders: Leadership isn’t about the peak moments—it’s in the day-to-day, where you have the power to make or break your team’s wellbeing.

[9:22] Leading in Uncertainty

You don’t need perfect visibility to move forward. As Alison said, “If you have clarity in your intent, you do not need absolute clarity in your environment to keep moving.”

➡ In the workplace, waiting for certainty is a trap. The best leaders lead with purpose—even when the path is unclear.

[11:54] Normalize Struggle

Alison shared a moment on a climb in Russia when her guide admitted he was struggling with a headache and tired legs. That simple honesty allowed everyone else, including Alison, to stop pretending everything was fine and share how they were really feeling.

➡ Managers, consider this: vulnerability builds trust. If you’re pretending everything’s fine, your team will too.

Women Move Mountains—But We Shouldn’t Have to Do It Alone

First Coast Worksite Wellness Conference

[19:24] Lifting Other Women Up—Literally

When Alison climbed Mt. Stanley in Uganda, she noticed a gap: only men were allowed to serve as porters and guides. So, she pushed for change—and helped train Uganda’s first female mountaineers.

➡ We need more of that in the workplace. But here’s what we’re up against:

  • For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women get that same opportunity—and for women of color, it’s just 73.

  • In 2022, for every woman promoted to director, two women directors left their companies.

  • Today, just 1 in 4 C-suite leaders is a woman, and only 1 in 20 is a woman of color.

    (Source: McKinsey & LeanIn.org, Women in the Workplace 2023)

The takeaway? Women are still fighting uphill battles for advancement, respect, and basic support.

We need better systems, but we also need each other. If you’ve made it through the door, hold it open for someone else.

[24:40] Advocate for Yourself

“If you don’t ask, you won’t get.”

That’s what Alison said—and she’s right.

Women are often praised for doing more with less, for being “team players” rather than “troublemakers.” But that conditioning is costing us.

➡ Ask for the raise. Ask for the promotion. Ask for what you need to protect your time, energy, and wellbeing. And if the answer is no? Ask why.

This isn’t about entitlement—it’s about equity. About undoing generations of being told to sit quietly, stay grateful, and not rock the boat.

Because here’s the thing: you can be scared to ask—and still ask anyway.

Final Thoughts

So, what does this mean for us?

You don’t have to summit Everest to lead like a mountaineer.

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about how we show up—in the messy middle, in the hard conversations, in the decisions no one sees.

It’s not just about performance. It’s about building workplaces where people can do great work without burning out. Where managers lead with care, not fear. And where women aren’t just making it up the mountain, but they're bringing others alongside them.

The Future of Leadership

In these uncertain times, people are craving a new kind of leader—one who fuels wellbeing, fosters excellence, and builds hope. In my keynote, The Future of Leadership, I reveal what the best leaders are doing differently to meet the moment—and future-proof their teams.

Ready to move mountains in your organization? Let’s connect.

Resources:

Laura Putnam