Leadership Expert Helping Women and Organizations Build Performance and Possibilities

Step Into Your Future with You as the Lead

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The Mirrored Door

Break Through the Hidden Barrier that Locks Successful Women in Place

Drawing on research, stories from her own career, and those of her students and the mid-late career women she has coached, Professor Ellen Taaffe explains why the five perils of success—being prepared to perfection, eager to please, trying to fit the mold, pushing too hard, and patiently performing and expecting rewards to follow—get us to a certain level, and then may prevent our taking the next step in our careers as expectations rise. She offers a new, empowering framework for navigating workplace challenges with more awareness and expertise.

How Might You Take the Lead?

Choose progress over perfection. Identify and negotiate for what you want. Have the difficult conversations. Recognize your readiness. Let go of being liked. Draw boundaries with ease. Know your value. Raise your hand, voice, and influence.

Let’s Get to Work.

Coaching

As an executive coach, I work directly with a limited number of high-achieving professionals. Most frequently, I work with women aspiring for greater impact with their leadership and careers. I have worked with Board Directors, mid-career leaders, and MBA students and recent graduates striving for the next level. Most are stepping into situations with higher stakes, added opportunity and bigger challenges. They are building their influence, finding their voice, and/or figuring out what is next.

Speaking

I speak on a variety of topics including advancing women, building inclusion, leadership development, managing self-doubt, navigating career change, and giving and gaining from feedback. I am known for my warmth, wit, and wisdom amidst a humble, thoughtful delivery. I share insights grounded in research along with stories from decades of real-world experience to inspire and equip audiences to build their leadership, influence, and better workplace culture.

Insights

Watch, listen, read, and explore my TEDx talk, podcasts, interviews, and articles. Enjoy!

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Ready To Work With Ellen?

What People Are Saying

Ellen Taaffe is a dynamic, engaging, and powerful speaker who challenges women to elevate their thinking, pursue ambitious goals, and ignore traditional boundaries. What is most remarkable about Ellen is her ability to relate to and reach women in all stages of their careers. Consistently positive feedback from our members includes both gratitude for her helpful and practical advice and recognition of her honesty and authenticity.

I had the privilege to hear Ellen speak on women leadership and she literally changed the course of my career. Ellen engaged the audience in a relatable manner as she factually explained challenges and opportunities women face in the workforce and in the board room. She provided concrete examples that inspired me to challenge myself and seek a corporate board position, which I now hold. I am honored that she will be speaking to my firm (twice) as we are embarked in our DE&I journey.

It was a wonderful talk, full of some great insights. Very inspirational too! I walked away feeling very motivated to find that job where I can feel as much of a sense of purpose as Ellen! Thank you for bringing that conversation out into the world for women! I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it!

I appreciated Ellen Taaffe’s wisdom and her counsel for us as women leaders on how to be successful. She touched on a number of issues I face, as a working woman, and made a few clear recommendations that I needed to hear. She was inspirational and relatable too.

I really thought Ellen had some great things to share and it was so interesting to hear her perspectives and lessons. She feels so real and relatable. Some of my favorites (that I wrote down) were: stand for something and have a point of view; listen to your intuition; to build authentic leadership: know yourself, be yourself, surround yourself.

I wanted to thank you for sharing your advice, experience, and guidance related to balancing the perceptions of women in the workplace. Your insights were thought-provoking, and your advice was both strategic and tactical. I look forward to applying them in my career going forward!

Ellen inspires… with her warmth, wit, and wisdom.

Meet Ellen

Ellen Taaffe is a clinical professor of leadership at the Kellogg School of Management, where she also runs the Women’s Leadership Program. She is a former Fortune 50 brand executive and is now a board director, executive coach, and TEDx speaker. Ellen helps and inspires companies, teams, and leaders to build the future they desire. She is a passionate advocate for advancing women’s careers, inclusive cultures, and human-centered leadership and governance.

Ellen believes that when we play to our strengths and are guided by our values and vision, we can truly create the companies, cultures, and careers that we want.