“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Faith has long been a cornerstone of leading, guiding individuals through challenges, shaping values, and influencing decisions. The Women Emerging podcast series, “Leading Inspired by Faith,” brought together a diverse group of women whose beliefs, spanning Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Mysticism, frame their leading.
This series, Leading Inspired by Faith, explored how deeply held beliefs, whether rooted in religion, spirituality, or cultural traditions, shape the way women lead.
Tracey Woon never set out to be a Buddhist. Yet long before she formally engaged with Buddhism, she was already living its principles: presence, balance, and self-reflection. Calling herself the Accidental Buddhist, she first discovered mindfulness not in a temple, but on the squash court, where the game demanded both precision and adaptability. That lesson stayed with her, shaping her leading in the high-stakes world of investment banking.
“Leading isn’t the tip of the iceberg; it’s everything below it,” she reflects. “People often only see the confidence, the decision-making, the strategy. But real leading is shaped by what’s beneath the surface, the self-discipline, the resilience, the ability to listen.” For Tracey, leading is not about dominance but about presence and clarity, a philosophy rooted in the Buddhist practice of non-attachment. “If you hold onto a particular outcome too tightly, you become rigid. In leading, you need to be adaptable. It’s about seeing the situation clearly and responding, not reacting.”
Her approach is also deeply relational. “The biggest mistake a leader can make is believing they have to be the smartest person in the room. If you think you know everything, you stop learning. And when you stop learning, you stop leading.” Instead, she sees leading as creating space for others to grow, a quiet strength that stands firm in values, even when no one is watching.
Beyond the tip of the iceberg, Tracey’s leading reveals something deeper: a garden of honesty and kindness that grows with each challenge, nurtured by resilience and a willingness to look inward.
For Isabel Kumwembe, leading isn’t about standing at the front, it’s about ensuring no one is left behind. Growing up with the teachings of Jesus Christ as her model, she was shaped by humility, resilience, and the belief that everyone, regardless of background, deserves a place at the table. As a Special Project Manager at ALX Africa and the founder of Amazon Women’s Football Club, she has redefined leading, turning the traditional top-down approach upside down. Her philosophy? Lead from behind, not for personal recognition, but to uplift others.
“Leading isn’t a privilege; it’s a duty,” she says. “You measure success by the growth of those you support.” Isabel believes in tough love (mentorship that challenges, not coddles). “You can’t just tell people what they want to hear. If you truly care about someone’s growth, you hold them accountable. That’s love in leading.”
Faith, to her, is a guiding force, shaping both her patience and perspective. “Sometimes leading means planting seeds you won’t see grow. You have to be okay with the fact that the impact of your leading might not be immediate.” She also acknowledges the weight of leading; the loneliness, the tough calls, the quiet burdens carried without applause. But for Isabel, leading has never been about personal gain. It’s about integrity, fairness, and responsibility to those she serves.
Inspired by Gandhi’s words, “Be the change you want to be,” Maria Eugenia Estenssoro transformed her approach to leading, weaving mysticism into her political and professional life. She initiated a radical practice at her workplace: every Friday, ranks and titles dissolved, and everyone meditated together, creating a safe bubble of energy. For Maria, leading is not about controlling the narrative but about fostering trust, embracing the unknown, and allowing space for intuition and collective wisdom.
“Love is the ultimate energy of leading,” she asserts. “But love isn’t always soft. Love can be fierce. Love means making the hard decisions, saying no, demanding excellence.” Trusting her intuition has been one of her most transformative leading lessons. “I used to think leading was all strategy, all logic. But I’ve come to understand that the best decisions often come from a deep inner knowing, a clarity that logic alone can’t provide.”
Connection, too, is at the heart of her philosophy. “You can’t lead in isolation. You need to be connected to people, to ideas, to something greater than yourself.” She believes leading carries a spiritual responsibility: it’s not just about achieving results but about how they are achieved, the energy brought into a space, the integrity upheld, and the inspiration ignited.
For Florence Muindi, leading is about stewardship. Rooted in the Christian concept of grace, she believes that true leading begins with humility, wisdom, and service. “A leader doesn’t sit on a throne; a leader walks alongside people, understands their struggles, and serves,” she says. She challenges the conventional view of leading as dominance, instead seeing it as co-working, where transformation happens not through force, but through shifting hearts and minds.
As a woman leading in male-dominated spaces, Florence has faced opposition, yet she chooses to navigate without offense. She embraces patience, just as she believes God does, learning to accept failures; both her own and others’. Her leading is a delicate balance of gentleness and strength, a testament to the idea that sometimes, the most powerful leaders are the ones who step back to create space for others to rise.
Character, for Florence, is the cornerstone of leading. “Your leading is only as strong as your character. If you lose integrity, you lose everything.” She also sees mentorship as an essential duty. “If your leading dies with you, you have failed. True leading is about creating a legacy, passing on wisdom, and ensuring the work continues beyond you.”
Yet, she acknowledges that the greatest battle a leader faces is not external, it is internal. “The hardest battle a leader fights is not with others, it’s with themselves. If you let pride take over, you lose sight of why you’re leading in the first place.” For Florence, service is at the core of leading, and through it, she teaches us that the strongest leaders are those who lead not from above, but from beside.
Sara Gamal once dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player. When that path changed, she trusted that Allah had a plan; one that led her to make history as the first Arab and African woman to referee 3-on-3 basketball at the Olympics. Through this journey, her faith deepened, teaching her that true leading is not about waiting for destiny but about showing up with clarity, energy, and unwavering effort. “As a leader, you don’t just do what’s easy; you do what’s right. Even when no one is watching,” she says.
Rooted in Islamic principles, Sara leads with fairness, justice, and a commitment to collective success. She believes leading is not about elevating oneself but about uplifting the whole team. “If you want to be a great leader, you have to want for others what you want for yourself.” This belief shapes her approach to sports officiating through motivation, support, and positive reinforcement.
Consistency, she asserts, is the true test of leading. “It’s easy to lead when things are going well. But your real leading shows in times of crisis. That’s when your values are tested.” Resilience and faith keep her grounded. “When you believe in something greater than yourself, you don’t get shaken by setbacks. You know that every challenge is an opportunity for growth.”
The sacredness of nature gives birth to a belief so rooted that the idea of the whole planet being one community prospers. For Jackie, faith isn’t confined to religion; the sacredness that faith brings is deeply embedded in her culture, her ancestors, and the land her family has inhabited for generations. She taps into the rhythm of the earth, which inherently promotes equality as it belongs to all, and she leads by the same belief. She leads with a profound respect for oral history, tradition, and the power of community. A different way of looking at the world thus brings a different way of leading. Leading, for her, is not about standing above others it’s about standing with them. She teaches us that when leading is rooted in something bigger than oneself, it becomes a force that transcends time, carrying wisdom from the past into the future.
Jackie challenges the Western notion of leading, drawing from Indigenous perspectives where leading is a shared responsibility rather than a singular position. “Leading isn’t about the individual; it’s about the community. It’s about leading for those who came before us and those who will come after us,” she says.
For her, great leading is slow leading, measured by the depth of what is built over time. “In my culture, we understand that great leading is slow leading. It’s not about immediate impact; it’s about building something meaningful over time.” She believes a true leader remains connected to both the earth and the people they serve. “A leader who is disconnected from the land and from the people they serve is not a leader at all.”
Leading, in her eyes, is not about control but about guidance. “A good leader doesn’t give orders; a good leader asks the right questions, listens deeply, and ensures that wisdom is passed on.” Jackie’s leading is a testament to the idea that when leading is grounded in community and tradition, it ceases to be a position, it becomes a legacy.
Faith, in its many forms, is not just a personal belief but a profound force that shapes leading. From Buddhism’s mindfulness to Christianity’s stewardship, Islam’s justice, mysticism’s intuition, and Indigenous wisdom’s communal approach, each leader in this series demonstrates how faith informs their decisions, resilience, and ability to inspire others. Their stories reveal that leading is not about authority but about service, connection, and trust which is built on a foundation of unwavering principles. In the end, faith-driven leading is about more than achieving goals; it’s about creating a legacy that uplifts others and carries wisdom forward for generations to come.
Key Takeaways:
- Be Present and Mindful: Incorporate mindfulness into your day-to-day activities, like Tracey Woon. Stay engaged in the moment, whether you’re making decisions or interacting with your team. This clarity allows for more balanced and thoughtful actions.
- Empower Others to Grow: Instead of focusing solely on your own achievements, like Isabel Kumwembe suggests, create opportunities for those around you to develop. Provide them with the tools and support they need, and give honest, constructive feedback.
- Trust Your Intuition: Sometimes, as Maria Eugenia Estenssoro points out, the best decisions come from intuition, not just data or logic. Learn to recognise and trust your gut feelings in situations that require quick decisions or creativity.
- Lead with Integrity and Authenticity: Florence Muindi emphasises the importance of staying true to your values. Leading with integrity, being consistent in your actions, and showing humility helps build trust within your team and sets a strong example.
- Promote Team Success: Like Sara Gamal advocates, shift your focus from individual achievement to collective success. Encourage teamwork, share recognition, and be mindful of the needs of others, especially in challenging moments.
- Connect with Your Community: Take inspiration from Jackie’s community-driven approach. Ground your leading in shared values and traditions. Recognise the importance of long-term relationships and ensure that your actions benefit the wider community, not just immediate results.
- Build Resilience Through Challenges: Leading through setbacks, as Sara Gamal suggests, strengthens your team’s resilience. Encourage a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn, helping your team adapt and grow stronger with each challenge.
