Carla Harris took the stage on Monday morning at #GAC2025, delivering an inspiring keynote based on her book, Lead to Win: How to Be a Powerful, Impactful, Influential Leader in Any Environment. She outlined the 8 keys to leading with authenticity and strategic influence:
- Authenticity: Harris reminded us that leadership begins with showing up as your authentic self. "Your authenticity is your distinct competitive advantage," she stated. Yet, authenticity does not mean revealing every part of yourself at all times—it means knowing what aspects of yourself to bring forward in different situations to be effective and genuine.
- Building trust: "Trust will be at a premium," Harris emphasized. Leadership is not a solo act; it’s built on the foundation of trust, which is earned through consistent delivery. She urged leaders to think about the people they trust in their daily lives—whether it's a barber, a babysitter, or a favorite restaurant—and apply the same principles in leadership: show up, deliver, and be of service before seeking to sell.
- Clarity: A leader’s role is to create clarity. Harris challenged leaders not to let the fear of mistakes prevent them from defining success. Without clear direction, teams flounder. True leadership demands the courage to articulate a vision and stand by it.
- Creating other leaders: "Just because you can doesn’t mean you should," Harris advised, underscoring that the skills that make a leader successful initially won’t necessarily help them ascend. Great leaders don’t just execute—they empower others to lead.
- Diversity: Harris was direct about the need for intentionality in diversity. “Have all voices represented at your leadership table,” she urged. Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum—it thrives when diverse perspectives collide to produce groundbreaking ideas.
- Innovation: Innovation requires risk, and risk involves failure. Harris emphasized that leaders must create environments where failure is seen as a stepping stone, not a setback. "Teams must know that you value the try," she noted, encouraging a mindset of continuous iteration—try, fail, iterate, innovate.
- Inclusion: Harris reinforced the importance of making space for all voices at the table. "Everybody values being heard," she said, stressing that true inclusion isn’t just about diversity—it’s about ensuring that people feel seen, valued, and heard. A leader’s job is to solicit perspectives, integrate diverse insights, and create a culture where everyone has a fingerprint on a successful blueprint.
- Voice: Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from Harris’ keynote was the importance of voice. "You must be willing to call a thing a thing—no matter how bad a thing might be," she said. Leaders who shy away from difficult truths erode trust. Fear has no place in leadership, Harris reminded us, because failure always brings a gift: experience.
Courage is key
Harris' final message was that it takes courage to lead and to be intentional about these 8 keys every day. She also left one final piece of advice for young professionals: Own your power. You were chosen to come into your organization because you have what it takes.
