Best and Worst Leadership Speakers

In the Area of Women’s Leadership and Empowerment

Leadership speakers serve the crucial role of inspiring, developing, and motivating leaders. They leverage their experience and expertise to engage audiences through storytelling, practical frameworks, and interactive discussions. They distill complex leadership concepts into simple and actionable takeaways. Effective speakers connect with audiences by customizing their messaging to the industry, audience, and customer.

The core functions of leadership speakers include:

Inspiring through compelling personal narratives
Providing practical tools and models for improvement
Energizing audiences around opportunities
Mentoring on critical leadership capabilities
Promoting new mindsets, perspectives, and behaviors
Creating engaging, thought-provoking experiences
Using relevant examples and case studies
Discussing trends shaping the future of leadership
Establishing credibility and trustworthiness

Selection and Ranking of Speakers

Speakers are ranked according to the cumulative score that each speaker earned based on the following criteria:

Ability to engage and inspire audiences across all demographics
Ability to tailor the engagement to meet the specific needs of the client and audience
Ability to provide practical tools, and models for improvement, and actionable information which are able to be applied easily, immediately, and effectively by audience members
Likelihood of being invited back to speak to same audience
Cost effectiveness

Best Speakers in Women’s Leadership

Every speaker listed here will deliver a powerful, meaningful, and enduring event for your organization.

#1

A Top Pick

Arianna Huffington

Los Angeles, CA

9.9

Outstanding

Co-Founder, Huffington Post
CEO, Thrive Global
Syndicated columnist
Known for advocacy for women’s empowerment through her role as CEO of Thrive Global and her book, Thrive that focuses on well-being, work-life balance and redefining success.
Author of 15 books and named to Time magazine’s list of the worlds 100 most influential people.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $100,000+

#2

A Top Pick

Claire Shipman and Katy Kay

Washington DC

9.8

Outstanding

Shipman is a former senior correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America
Kay is a US Special Correspondent for BBC Studios
Both are known for co-authoring 6 books that include recently released, The Power Code and The Confidence Code. Their work promotes women’s empowerment through confidence building actions. As veteran journalists, they advocate for gender equality in the media.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $50,000+

#3

A Top Pick

Sheryl Sandberg

Menlo Park CA

9.7

Excellent

Founder of leanin.org
Former COO of Meta (FaceBook)
Known for women’s empowerment, gender equality, and leadership in the workplace.
Author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, which explores gender bias and provides practical advice for women to achieve success in their careers.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $100,000+

#4

A Top Pick

Padmasree Warrior

Silicon Valley CA

9.6

Excellent

Founder and CEO of startup, Fable, a curated reading platform focused on mental wellness
Former CEO NIO US
Former CTO Cisco Systems
Known for women’s empowerment and advancement in STEM fields and the need for diversity and inclusion.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $50,000+

#5

A Top Pick

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Princeton NJ

9.5

Excellent

CEO of New America Foundation
Former dean at Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs
Former State Department official
Known for her influential article “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All” and her ongoing advocacy for policies and cultural changes that support the integration of women’s career advancement and work-life balance.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $50,000+

#6

A Top Pick

Tara Mohr

San Francisco CA

9.4

Excellent

Poet
Certified Coach
Creator and teacher, Playing Big, a global leadership program for women
Known for her work as a women’s leadership expert focusing on empowering women through inner transformation to find their voice, overcome self-doubt, and step into their full potential.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $50,000+

#7

A Top Pick

Lois Frankel

Coral Springs FL

9.3

Excellent

Founder and CEO Corporate Coaching International (CCI)
Known for her expertise in career advancement and leadership development for women as showcased in her bestselling books Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office and Stop Sabotaging Your Career.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $40,000+

#8

A Top Pick

Bozoma Saint John

Los Angeles CA

9.2

Excellent

Former CMO, Netflix
Former CMO, Endeavor
Former Chief Brand Officer, Uber
Known as an influential millennial promoting diversity, inclusion, and women’s empowerment in the tech industry along with her skills in marketing and brand development.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $50,000+

#9

A Top Pick

Melinda Gates

Seattle WA

9.1

Excellent

Philanthropist
Co-Founder of Gates Foundation
Former multimedia product developer at Microsoft
Known for her commitment to women’s empowerment through her philanthropic efforts and advocacy for gender equality in healthcare, education and economic opportunities globally.
Estimated Speaking Fees: $100,000+

Worst Speakers in Women's Leadership

Out of consideration to speakers who have previously been listed here, but who might have improved their presentations, we have made the decision to omit this section. We encourage all who seek leadership speakers to conduct their own due diligence in order to avoid engaging an unimpressive speaker.