Have you ever wondered what makes someone step up and say, "I can lead this team"? I recently had the chance to chat with Karen Horting, the Executive Director and CEO of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and let me tell you - her story has some powerful takeaways for all of us trying to find our leadership voice.

Karen Horting at the 2025 CESSE CEO Meeting

When Someone Sees Your Potential

Karen's leadership journey didn't start with a grand announcement. Like many of us, she was working hard in a male-dominated field (the paint industry, in her case) when she faced a familiar roadblock. Despite her company paying for her MBA and seemingly grooming her for leadership, when opportunities arose... nothing happened.

Sound familiar?

It wasn't until she switched to her first nonprofit role that someone finally recognized what she brought to the table. Her boss noticed something special: "Karen, you know what I love about you is that you see something that needs to be done, and you get it done."

That simple recognition changed everything for Karen. Rather than micromanaging, her boss gave her space to take initiative while he traveled internationally. The result? Promotions, global responsibilities, and a powerful leadership lesson she still applies today: reward the initiative-takers on your team. Look for those entrepreneurial spirits who don't wait to be told what to do.

Taking the Leap (Even When Terrified)

Let's talk about that scary moment when opportunity knocks. For Karen, it was asking, at just 25 years old, for a promotion to her company’s Baltimore location. The response? "Give me two hours." Two hours later, she had the job and two weeks to move!

"Oh my god, what have I done?" she remembers thinking that night. "I don't know how to run a distribution center. I've never worked in manufacturing."

But here's the mindset that's carried her through her entire career: "If it doesn't work out, I'll figure it out."

That's it. No complicated formula: just trust in yourself to navigate whatever comes your way. When I asked Karen about teaching this kind of confidence to others, she admitted it's not something easily taught - it's something you develop by doing.

Seeing What Others Miss

Ever noticed how some people just seem to spot opportunities and problems that others miss? I was curious about this visionary quality in Karen.

For her, it started at home. As an only child, she was constantly told, "Well, you need to figure it out." Whether it was car troubles or household problems, the message was clear: identify the issue, analyze it, and handle it.

Her problem-solving approach is refreshingly practical: identify what needs fixing, weigh the risks, and take action. When I asked about her confidence to just jump in and fix things, she laughed and said, "I'd rather ask for forgiveness than permission."

This approach paid off brilliantly when she improved metrics at work by doing something surprisingly simple; she asked frontline workers for their ideas. These employees, some who'd "been there longer than I'd been alive," had valuable insights that nobody had bothered to ask for before.

Why We Need More Women Leaders

Karen doesn't just talk about leadership.  She's passionate about it.  Karen has dedicated her life to getting more women into leadership roles. And not just because it's fair.

"Organizations who have women in leadership are more successful, they're more innovative, they're more profitable," she told me. "The data shows that."

She pointed out a fact we often overlook: women bring different leadership qualities to the table. Where "macho leadership" often involves one person needing to have all the answers, women tend to be "much more collaborative and willing to listen to ideas from their teams."

When leading her own teams, Karen makes it a point to remind everyone that "whether a person has been here 10 years or 10 days, they may have a great idea."

The Mentorship Game-Changer

I asked Karen about mentoring, and her face lit up. While she's had incredible male mentors throughout her career, she believes mentoring is an opportunity everyone can and benefits from embracing.

"Who doesn't love talking about themselves?" she joked. There's something powerful about sharing your journey - mistakes and all - with someone still finding their way.

One of her most valuable personal insights came surprisingly late: "Last year was the first time I realized I didn't need to act on every piece of feedback I got." Imagine the freedom in that! She wishes she could tell every 25-year-old that feedback is something you can weigh and evaluate, not just automatically implement.

Talking Yourself Through Tough Times

We all face overwhelming challenges. For Karen, the past year has been particularly tough with personal and professional hurdles. How does she stay resilient?

"I do the weird pep talk to myself," she admitted. Breaking enormous tasks into one-day-at-a-time chunks helps her manage overwhelming projects. "All right, we're going to take this one day at a time. You can do it."

She also swears by a simple practice: 15 minutes of walking without music or distractions. Just fresh air, deep breaths, and space to think. This small reset has helped her make critical decisions, especially during the pandemic when leadership decisions had to be made quickly with limited information.

The Freedom of Clarity vs. Certainty

Perhaps my favorite insight from our conversation was Karen's distinction between clarity and certainty. "You're never going to be 100% sure of something," she explained. "You'll never make a decision if you're waiting for that certainty."

Instead, she aims for clarity - understanding why a particular decision makes sense without demanding absolute certainty about the outcome.

This approach perfectly captures Karen's leadership style after 12 years as CEO: See what needs improvement. Trust yourself to handle whatever happens. Take action before you have all the information. And keep moving forward - one day at a time.

What's your approach to leadership challenges? Do Karen's insights resonate with your experience? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Register for ACCESSE25

Join us at ACCESSE25 for the session "Leadership that Inspires Great Teamwork, Organizational Culture, and Membership Experience," which will offer attendees a powerful look at how emotional intelligence can transform the way teams work and members engage. You'll hear from: Karen Horting, CAE (Society of Women Engineers) and Anne Collier (Arudia).

Register Now