Betsy Myers

Betsy Myers is a former White House COO under President Obama and senior advisor on women’s issues under President Clinton. She speaks on women’s leadership, executive presence, and navigating power, drawing from her experience at the highest levels of government. Betsy’s insights on authentic leadership and creating inclusive cultures help organizations develop diverse leadership pipelines.

Founding Director, Center for Women & Business at Bentley University

Betsy established and led the Center for Women & Business, focusing on leadership education and research on promoting and retaining women in corporate environments. She previously served as Executive Director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, where she developed programs on personal leadership and partnered with The Hoffman Institute to deliver transformational leadership training.

White House & Presidential Campaign Leadership

As Chief Operating Officer for Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign, Betsy built a $100 million organization and chaired Women for Obama, leading national voter outreach efforts. In the Clinton Administration, she served as Deputy Assistant to the President and launched the White House Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach. She also held senior positions at the U.S. Small Business Administration, championing women entrepreneurs and implementing welfare-to-work initiatives.

Author & Thought Leader

Betsy is the author of Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You. She has been featured in major media outlets and speaks internationally on women’s leadership, authentic leadership, executive presence, and organizational transformation. She serves on the Council of National Advisors of Springboard Enterprises, supporting high-growth women-led businesses.

Betsy holds an M.P.A. from Harvard Kennedy School, where she was a Public Service Fellow.

Leadership Creates a Feeling

Research and statistics indicate that as many as one in two American workers feel disconnected in their workplace. This accounts for $350 billion of lost productivity each year. At the same time, American companies spend millions a year on leadership development programs. Leadership speaker Betsy Myers challenges us by asking, “Are we teaching the right practices to our future leaders?” Her newest book describes an often counterintuitive view of leadership. When people “feel” valued, supported, appreciated, included, and understood, they are inspired to do their best work. The job of any leader is to bring out the productive feelings of their people. Myers describes seven principles that serve as a road map for any leader who aspires to bring out the best in their people. This is not just the right thing to do, but is a proven strategy to profitability and success.

Authentic Leadership & the Leader in You

The leader in each of us is realized the moment we say, “This is the real me.” What is the pearl that each of us is adding to the world and how do we identify that special quality? During the past 50 years, leadership scholars have conducted more than 1,000 studies to determine definitive styles, characteristics, or personality traits of the ideal leader. None have produced a clear profile or consistent skills, traits, or styles that led to success; rather, leadership emerged from our life stories. Authenticity is an understanding of our personal story and what gives us meaning in our lives. We trust leaders who are authentic and not trying to be someone else. In this session, leadership speaker Betsy Myers will take listeners through the journey of authentic leadership, what it looks like for each of us, and how we can help others around us live their most authentic life.

Women & Leadership

In this provocative presentation, keynote speaker Betsy Myers discusses important research and thinking around women in leadership. She explores the history of the movement for equality and shares insights gleaned from her work with Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and Bella Abzug. Tracing her own career path from the financial services industry to her roles in the Clinton Administration, the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership, and the Obama Presidential Campaign, Myers brings perspective from her experiences as a successful female leader. She helps audiences understand what it will take to continue closing the confidence gap, how to confront the balance question (“Is it really possible?”), the different leadership styles of men and women, and leadership necessary for the next generation of women.