Layla
Shaikley
CPO at Wise Systems
"Climbing the broken rung: How to fast-track your way to leadership when the numbers are against you"
"Climbing the broken rung: How to fast-track your way to leadership when the numbers are against you"
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Session: Climbing the broken rung: How to fast-track your way to leadership when the numbers are against you
There have been more U.S. presidents named John than women presidents in total. In 2020, more business books were published by men named John than by all women combined. Until 2023, there were more Fortune 500 CEOs named John than there were female CEOs altogether.I have nothing against men named John, but these patterns reflect the broader reality of executive leadership. While women make up 50% of the entry-level workforce, only 29% hold C-suite positions—and just 7% of those women are women of color (McKinsey).
In a world where leadership opportunities remain unequally distributed, Climbing the Broken Rung offers a roadmap for ambitious professionals who want to accelerate their path to the top despite systemic barriers. Drawing on real-world examples, research, and her personal journey, Layla Shaikley dives deep into the concept of the “broken rung”—the critical first step to management that is often elusive for people outside of executive leadership.
This talk breaks down proven strategies for overcoming these obstacles: from building influential networks and advocating for yourself, to mastering the art of visibility in organizations and positioning yourself as a leader from day one. Layla provides actionable insights on leveraging both hard and soft skills to stand out, secure promotions, and drive impact at any level.
By empowering attendees to challenge conventional expectations and shape their own paths to leadership, Layla’s talk inspires confidence and equips her audience with the tools needed to fast-track success—even when the numbers aren’t on their side.
Key Takeaways
- Leadership is not management, management is not leadership: The different is strategic and tactical
- Tasks are not goals: How to tie your leaders’ strategic goals to your work
- Fake it til you make it: The difference between junior and senior employees is based on communication and ownership tactics
- Is it low performance, or are your goals unclear? How to leapfrog from a complainer to a problem solver
Bio
Layla Shaikley is Co-Founder of Wise Systems and leads the product organization. Layla and her co-founders have raised $72m to date, to build a delivery automation platform for the last mile. Her team leads a company north of 100 people to bring transportation operations into the 21st century through powerful data-driven technology. Outside of her company, Layla has built a digital community of 230,000 across social media platforms to openly share learnings throughout her journey. As her TikTok bio states: “because people with mentors grow 3.5x faster, bestie.” Layla is an MIT and NASA alum. Layla is also an Iraqi-American, a Muslim, and a mom of 3 with a social media following over 230,000