Redefining Leadership and Empowering Women to Lead With Confidence – Interview With Sabrina Klaubert
- Feb 5, 2025
- 4 min read
Sabrina Patricia Klaubert is a visionary entrepreneur and the founder of She Rising, a Talent & Leadership Accelerator designed to fuel female advancement in organizations worldwide. A Copenhagen Business School graduate with leadership training from Harvard, Sabrina partners with HR leaders to create resilient, inclusive pathways to leadership. Through her expertise in transformational coaching and mindfulness, she shapes the next generation of female leaders who drive impact and innovation.
Sabrina Klaubert, Entrepreneur, Women’s Coach & Mentor
Your journey is so unique. What led you to create She Rising, and how did your own experiences shape its mission?
For years, I followed what I thought was the "right" career path, studying business, working in fast-paced startups, and climbing the corporate ladder. On paper, it looked like success. But in reality, I felt like I was constantly playing a role, molding myself to fit into leadership models that didn’t reflect who I was. I was often the only woman in the room, navigating environments that didn’t support authenticity, and I saw firsthand how many women around me were facing the same struggles.
That’s what drove me to create She Rising. I knew women needed access to leadership development earlier, before they reached leadership positions, before they internalized the belief that leadership wasn’t for them. She Rising is about helping organizations build a sustainable female leadership pipeline, ensuring that women have the tools, support, and confidence to lead on their own terms.
Can you share a pivotal moment that made you realize leadership for women needs to change?
One moment that stands out was when I was working in tech and had been in discussions about a promotion. It was clear I had earned it, until the company was acquired. Suddenly, I was told the promotion was off the table. A few weeks later, my male colleague, who was in the same position as me, was given the very promotion I had been promised.
That was a defining moment for me. I realized that women weren’t just facing individual challenges, we were operating within systems that weren’t designed for us. Leadership development wasn’t starting early enough. Women were either forcing themselves into outdated leadership molds or opting out altogether. Something had to change, and I knew I wanted to be part of that shift.
What’s been the hardest part of building She Rising, and how have you navigated it?
Building She Rising has been a masterclass in frustration tolerance. The B2B sales cycle is slow, organizations move at their own pace, and for every "yes," there are twenty "no’s." Navigating rejection is a big part of the process. It requires resilience, persistence, and an ability not to take things personally. There have been moments when I poured my energy into opportunities that never materialized, and that’s simply part of the game.
But beyond the external challenges, the inner work of entrepreneurship is just as demanding. Running She Rising means constantly leading myself, learning how to resource myself, managing self-doubt, and cultivating the emotional resilience to stay committed even when things feel uncertain. Entrepreneurship asks you to face your own edges: How do you hold your vision when things aren’t moving as fast as you want? How do you stay motivated without external validation? How do you trust yourself when no one is clapping yet?
For me, navigating this comes down to self-leadership, understanding how to manage my energy, set boundaries, and anchor myself in my mission. It’s about recognizing that my work is bigger than me and that even the "no’s" are part of the process of building something impactful. And, of course, understanding that making major business decisions while in the luteal phase is almost always a terrible idea.
If you could change one thing about how organizations develop female leaders, what would it be?
I would change the timing of leadership development. Right now, too many organizations only start investing in female talent once they’re already in leadership positions. By then, they’ve spent years navigating biases, questioning themselves, and often feeling like they don’t belong. It’s too late.
We need to start earlier, giving women the tools, mentorship, and leadership training before they step into these roles. Leadership is a choice, and if we want more women making that choice, they need to have an informed decision about what leadership can look like for them.
What does the future of leadership look like if we get this right?
The future of leadership is human-centered, emotionally intelligent, and inclusive. It’s a world where women no longer have to ask, Am I too emotional to be professional? because we recognize that emotional intelligence is a leadership strength. It’s a workplace where authenticity is valued, psychological safety is the norm, and leadership is no longer confined to outdated, masculine stereotypes.
When we get this right, organizations will see higher retention, better engagement, and stronger, more innovative teams, because people thrive when they can lead as their full selves.
For women who want to lead but feel like they don’t fit the mold, what would you tell them?
You don’t have to fit the mold; you get to redefine it. Leadership is not about being the loudest in the room or checking the traditional boxes. Leadership is about self-leadership first, knowing who you are, what you stand for, and leading in a way that aligns with your values.
If you ever feel like leadership isn’t for you, ask yourself: Is it because I don’t want to lead, or because I haven’t seen leadership done in a way that feels right for me?
The more individuals lead in their own way, the more we shift the entire landscape of leadership for future generations. The change starts with us.
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