Leading From Within: Advancing as Women by Navigating Power, Expectations, and Influence in Male-Dominated Industries
Women pursuing leadership roles in male-dominated industries often receive advice focused on disruption: challenge the system, break the mold, demand change. While aspirational, that guidance frequently overlooks the reality many women face. Power structures already exist, change is slow, and success often requires working within imperfect systems.
This session offers a pragmatic, experience-driven perspective on leading as a woman where norms, networks, and decision-making authority were not designed with you in mind. Drawing on executive leadership across trade associations and complex, traditionally male-led sectors, this session will explore how embracing the status quo, without internalizing its inequities, can become a strategic advantage. Participants will examine how exceeding expectations, mastering organizational dynamics, and leveraging influence subtly but effectively can accelerate career advancement and leadership impact.
Rather than framing adaptation as surrender, this session reframes it as intentional strategy – understanding power, managing up, communicating with precision, and delivering undeniable value while quietly reshaping perceptions and opportunities from within. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on how to grow, lead, and inspire change realistically without waiting for ideal conditions while building resilient, sustainable careers and opening doors for the women who follow.
At the end of the session, participants will be able to:
• Analyze existing power structures and apply practical strategies to work within them, exceed expectations, and build credibility without sacrificing authenticity.
• Develop approaches for influencing decisions and advocating for change, using communication, negotiation, and relationship-building techniques.
• Cultivate a growth mindset that helps them succeed in leadership positions.
Speaker
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Doll, WhitneyChief Executive OfficerWhitney A. Doll is the Chief Executive Officer of The Monitoring Association, the trade association representing the professional monitoring industry. Previously, she was Executive Vice President of Customer Engagement for the International Code Council, a building safety related membership association. She also worked in various communications and fundraising roles at CNA Corporation, a research and analysis firm; Community of Hope, a nonprofit providing healthcare and housing services; and Catholics for Choice, an organization advocating for women’s rights and religious freedom. Doll earned her M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, a M.A. in International Politics from American University, and a B.A. in International Politics from the Pennsylvania State University.