173. What Renewable Energy Expedition Taught Us About Leading – with Sasha and Kamden

START AN EXPEDITION

In this episode, Julia speaks with Sasha Vaswani and Kamden Maas, two participants of the Women Emerging Renewable Energy Expedition, about the unexpected leadership insights they took away.

Women Emerging runs group expeditions for up to 24 women who want to find their own approach to leading. They run over 7 months—explorers commit to 5 hours of exploring each month. Each group is formed around a community, geographical or sectoral. Most expeditions are online, though some groups meet at different points.

They talk about the pressure to fit in and how the expedition gave them the confidence to bring their whole selves into their work. Sasha reflects on how the pursuit of neutrality often dulls trust, and Kamden shares how she’s learning to value her uniqueness rather than suppress it. Together, they explore how trying too hard to match expectations kills both innovation and authenticity.

Through the lens of renewable energy, they redefine leadership using metaphors from their field: energy efficiency as emotional resilience, solar panels as people absorbing and transforming knowledge, and emulsion as the leader’s role in holding contradictions like authority and collaboration together.

Listen to this episode to discover why leading is like an emulsion how to lead like an emulsifier.

About the Guests

Sasha Vaswani

Sasha Vaswani is an Onshore Power Analyst at Shell, driven by a deep commitment to championing a Just Energy Transition. She is the creator of the short-form educational series #TalkingTransition, a contributor to the Energy Institute magazine, and an active supporter of their Young Professionals Network. Sasha has shared her insights at major industry events including ADIPEC and Climate Circle, and aspires to lead on the frontline of a net zero future.

Kamden Maas

Kamden J. Maas is deeply driven to leave the world better than she found it. She specializes in gas storage, a critical field spanning everything from medical oxygen to cutting-edge hydrogen. Her strong background in renewable energy, fuels her commitment to scientific advancement, further enhanced by her unique grasp of logistics—a domain she notes is essential for global operations. Kamden is also constantly addicted to learning, whether it’s expanding her expertise in her field or growing personally. When she’s not immersed in work or working out, this former collegiate athlete and engaged community leader finds joy in baking and traveling.

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.