172. Leadership Insights I Wish I Had Known at the Start – Saki Chen

In this final episode of the Leadership Insights I Wish I Had Known at the Start series, Julia speaks with Saki Chen who is a lawyer, pilot, and the first woman from China to fly around the world in a small single-engine plane. 

Saki reflects on what she learned about leading while navigating a complex and high-risk expedition with a small, intimate crew, many of whom were older and more experienced than her. She speaks about the importance of being bold enough to dream big, even when the odds (and the funding) aren’t in your favor and how that boldness can inspire others to believe in your vision, too. 

She also shares how she handled self-doubt, the power of clarity when leading more experienced people, the need to own your mistakes, and why it’s vital to stay focused on what success really means. 

Listen to this episode to hear how leading doesn’t always come with a title sometimes, it’s about taking responsibility, earning trust, and finding your way through, even when you’re not entirely sure you can.

About the Guest

Saki Chen

Saki Chen is an attorney licensed to practice in both New York and China, and a certified FAA private pilot with ratings for fixed wing land and sea, instrument flying, high performance, and complex aircraft. She serves as the China Governor for The Ninety-Nines, Inc., the international organisation of women pilots. In 2016, Saki flew around the world in a small single-engine aircraft, an extraordinary journey that combined precision, perseverance, and a pioneering spirit. 

About the Host

Julia Middleton

Julia Middleton is the host of the Women Emerging podcast and a best-selling author of “If that’s leading, I’m in” as well as two previous books: “Leading beyond Authority” and “Cultural Intelligence”. She is deeply committed to helping people from all backgrounds to find their own approach to leading.

In 2020, Julia launched Women Emerging and in 2022 she lead an expedition of 24 women to find ‘an approach to leading that resonates with women’. She now leads expeditions with women all over the world based on 4Es methodology, discovered in the first expedition.

Prior to that, Julia was founder and, for over thirty years, Chief Executive of Common Purpose, which grew to become one of the biggest leadership development organisations in the world.
Julia is also an Ambassador for the Aurora Prize based in Armenia, on the boards of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy in the Arab World and Equality Now, which operates globally, and on the Advisory Councils of Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brazil and Synapse in Pakistan.

Born in London and brought up in New York, Julia was educated at French Lycées and graduated from the London School of Economics. She is married, with five children and lots of grandchildren.

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More from this series

20. Answering the unsettling questions about leadership 33. The myth of the Meritocracy