The Power of Women Leaders in AI Transformation: A Call to Action

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is transforming industries, reshaping workflows, and redefining leadership. While AI promises innovation and efficiency, it also brings challenges that require ethical, inclusive, and purpose-driven leadership to navigate. 

Women leaders are emerging as pivotal to this transformation, driving responsible AI adoption, fostering creativity, and ensuring technology serves a greater purpose. At this critical moment, women have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to step forward and shape AI’s future. 

I recently had the incredible opportunity to join the She Leads AI: Leading Change at Critical Moments event as a panelist. The event brought together powerful voices and experiences that showcased the courage, leadership, and perseverance women bring to this unprecedented moment in AI. If you’re a woman looking to blaze your own trail in AI or technology, seeking empowerment, or if you’re anyone looking for the inspiration to take a bold step forward, this event delivered the perfect level of motivation and momentum. Read on for my key takeaways and insights from this incredible event. 

Why Women Leaders Matter in AI Transformation 

AI is more than a technological shift; it’s a societal transformation on par with the internet or the industrial revolution – even the invention of fire!   It requires leaders who are empathetic, strategic, and collaborative—traits women consistently demonstrate in leadership roles. 

When panelists were asked, “Why women?”—why women are so essential to this movement and this moment—I shared one of my favorite studies. A 2019 McKinsey report identified five critical leadership traits for future success: inspiration, participative decision-making, setting expectations and rewards, people development, and role modeling. Women were found to demonstrate these traits more consistently than men.  These traits are exactly what organizations need to lead transformation today—leadership that prioritizes people first. 

Trust Yourself: There Are No Experts—Just Leaders 

Generative AI is new to everyone. No one has mastered it all yet, and this fact is freeing. At this moment, there’s no space for “imposter syndrome”—something that women experience more often than men (Psychology Today). AI is evolving too quickly, and the stakes are too high. 

We cannot let this moment pass without stepping up. This is a unique moment where everyone is learning, and there’s no time to hold back due to imposter syndrome. AI’s impact is being defined in real time, and your leadership, perspective, and voice are essential to ensuring it is shaped for the better. 

Jennifer Ives, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence & Modernizing Government at the Partnership for Public Service, perfectly captured the urgency: 

“Women are falling behind in the world of AI, five to nine times faster than men are adopting it. This cannot happen.” “Everything is up for grabs at the moment. Do not assume someone else knows more than you. Have a voice. Do not say, ‘That’s for someone else.’” 

Stories That Inspire: Women Leading Change 

At the event, I had the privilege of hearing stories from women leaders who are transforming workflows and leading teams through AI-driven change. Their advice was simple but powerful: 

• Start small: Identify a single process where AI can make an impact. Ann McCrackin, Founder of AI-Enabled Attorney LLC and Adjunct Law Professor at UNH Franklin Pierce Law Center, reminded us:  “Don’t forget about the simple day-to-day tasks and the way AI tools can help you. It doesn’t have to be about the big, flashy AI tools—start where you are and build from there.” 

• Build momentum with small wins: Use early successes to build momentum. Paige Lord, Founder & CEO of Just AI Media, reinforced this:  “Great technological and human breakthroughs often begin with really small, courageous, seemingly insignificant acts of imagination.” 

• Support others along the way: Empower your peers to step into leadership roles. Reflecting on my own experience, I shared that my own spark was supported and encouraged by many other women in the space.  That encouraged set me off on my path and ignited everything for me.   

The power of mentorship and collaboration is transformative. When we lift each other up, we lift the entire team and organization. 

Why Now Is the Moment  

AI’s role in business and society is being defined right now. The transformation is happening now. Women have a unique opportunity to guide its trajectory and ensure it solves problems rather than perpetuates them.  

As Melissa Brown, People Strategist and Thought Leader at Holland & Hart LLC,  said: 

• “We are not witnessing change; we have the opportunity to be a part of it.” 
• Louisa Fernanda Molano, founder of HERlocity, captured this sense of urgency: 
• “It is not an accident that you were born for this moment in time. You were made for this.” 

The organizations that thrive in this new era will embrace purpose-driven leadership that prioritizes inclusion, ethics, and creativity. 

Leading the Way Forward 

How we choose to lead in this moment will determine whether it benefits our businesses, teams, and society as a whole. The insights and inspiration shared at She Leads AI reinforced a simple truth: leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about showing up, learning, and moving forward with purpose and courage. 

At Mod Op, we have a tremendous opportunity to help our clients navigate this AI era with confidence, creativity, and responsibility. Whether you’re driving campaigns, building strategies, or solving challenges for your teams, your voice, your ideas, and your leadership matter—and they are needed now more than ever. 

AI may be redefining the future, but it’s leaders like you who will determine what that future looks like. Let’s lead the way forward together. 

If you’re ready to take action, join the conversation, and explore how AI can deliver results for your clients and teams, Mod Op is here to support you every step of the way.  Together, we can make this transformative moment one that drives impact, innovation, and opportunity for all.