Podcast Series Wrap Up: Navigating Hostile Environments
What does it take to lead in a hostile environment?
Navigating Hostile Environments, a Women Emerging podcast series, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major streaming platforms, explores the realities of women leading in diverse sectors, from newsrooms and private equity to courtrooms, deep-sea caves, politics, and war zones.
What we have uncovered is not just how to endure hostility, but how to redefine it, how to use it as fuel rather than friction. And above all, one truth emerges: hostility should never force us to abandon our strengths.
Mounia Amrani brings the Navigating Hostile Environments series to a powerful close with "don’t let the hostility bury your humanity." Her episode captures a theme that has quietly threaded through seven distinct episodes: when surrounded by hostility, the greatest danger is unconsciously mirroring it. Mounia knows this reality intimately. As a doctor working across some of Africa’s toughest conflict zones, she learned early on to follow protocols rigidly, believing structure was the key to survival. But over time, she realised that while protocols keep you alive, they are not enough. Leading in crisis demands something more and that is humanity.
She speaks beautifully about the power of hugs, a simple yet powerful act that can break through the walls built by war, fear, and suffering. In environments where decisions are rarely perfect, she reminds us that leading is not about control, it’s about making the right choices in impossible situations.
Politics is an increasingly hostile space, and women on the front line must be prepared for the forces that will try to push them out. Katrien Van Den Broeck has spent her career training women to navigate this reality, showing them what they are up against so they can lead with resilience. One of the greatest challenges, she explains, is isolation which can be physical, emotional, and even logistical. Women while leading often find themselves cut off by security measures, relentless schedules, and the pressure to always have the perfect answer.
To counter this, Katrien emphasises the importance of staying connected to the people who remind them of who they are, whether it’s keeping in touch with childhood friends, taking solitary walks through the city, or holding firm to personal values. Beyond that, she teaches them to strike a balance between high standards and the paralysis of perfectionism, to build strong teams while maintaining necessary boundaries, and to approach seemingly golden opportunities with a careful negotiation mindset. Her advice is not just for politicians, it’s for anyone navigating a hostile environment. Because hostility is everywhere, and we all need to prepare ourselves for it.
If there was a theme that emerged across multiple episodes, it was that hostile environments have a way of pushing women away from their strengths. Nora Madjar’s research into leadership and negotiation revealed this truth clearly. “Women are taught to lead in ways that create win-win outcomes, but hostility forces them into defence mode,” she said. In academia and corporate leadership, women often feel the need to be aggressive to be taken seriously, losing the very skills that set them apart i.e collaboration, adaptability, long-term vision. Nora’s work proves that these skills are the foundation of sustainable leadership, and they can be wielded just as powerfully as traditional, more combative approaches.
Hostile Environments Demand More Than Just Strength
Few industries are as competitive as private equity, where power is a calculation rather than an entitlement. Susana López has seen firsthand how trust is currency and how quickly alliances can shift. “Fear is our worst enemy, but it’s also unavoidable. The key is to act despite it, step by step, without letting it paralyse you,” she shared. In a sector where decisions move millions, she has learned that leading isn’t just about acting, it’s about knowing when not to act, when to step back and observe. Susana’s episode is a masterclass in patience, in resisting the pressure to prove oneself too quickly, and in understanding that in hostile environments, the strongest leaders are often the ones who know how to wait for the right moment.
Jamie Mittelman introduces another battleground, sports. “Historically, women athletes have been left out. Less than 15% of media coverage goes to them. So, they’ve been forced into a scarcity mindset, battling for the one available seat at the table,” she explained. But Jamie refuses to accept that scarcity. Through Flame Bearers, she is amplifying the voices of women athletes who have been overlooked for too long. “In a hostile environment, don’t mirror the hostility and flip it on its head. Be the opposite, and you’ll draw people to you.” In a world that pits women against each other for limited opportunities, she is proving that collaboration, visibility, and shared success can break the cycle of exclusion.
For some, hostile environments are metaphorical. For Jill Heinerth, they are literal. As a deep-sea cave diver, she faces danger with every expedition. “Fear is not the enemy; it’s my friend. It sharpens my focus and reminds me of the respect I must have for the risks I take,” she said. But Jill also spoke about something deeper and that is the need for trust. In high-risk environments, every team member must be heard, every concern must be acknowledged. She introduced the concept of a charter of communication, where every individual in a high-stakes team is given the space to speak, regardless of rank or experience.
Autumn Phillips described the newsroom as an environment where scepticism is ingrained. “By definition, being the editor of a newspaper means you're in a toxic environment whenever you walk into a newsroom. You're not just handed respect; you must earn it every day,” she said. Facing the ‘glass cliff’, she had to redefine leading on her own terms. Instead of adopting the aggression she encountered, she built trust, stayed present, and led through action rather than authority. She showed that leading in hostile spaces is not about being the loudest voice, but the most consistent one.
The series started with Aaminah Qadir, a human rights lawyer battling systemic resistance in the courtrooms. “They call me ‘baby’ in court,” she told us, “Not as a term of endearment, but to belittle me.” But Aaminah refuses to be diminished. Through humour, composure, and sheer persistence, she has carved out a space where she cannot be ignored. Her work with She-her is not just about fighting legal battles; it is about rewriting the very systems that have long excluded women. Her episode is a testament to the fact that claiming space is not an act of defiance, but an act of necessity.
Hostility should never take the humanity out of us; the conversation doesn’t end here.
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