For decades, leadership advice for women has often followed the same message: adapt, fit in, and play by the existing rules. Tina Yerkes believes the problem isn’t women—it is the system itself.
Featured on Humans of Fuzia, a global thought-leadership platform where founders, entrepreneurs, coaches, innovators, executives, women leaders, and changemakers share ideas that advance leadership, entrepreneurship, coaching, business growth, and socially conscious innovation, Yerkes is challenging conventional leadership development by helping women succeed authentically while advocating for structural change in the workplace.
After spending more than thirty years progressing from research scientist to CEO within the nonprofit sector, Tina chose to dedicate the next chapter of her career entirely to supporting women leaders. Her work combines one-on-one mentoring, leadership workshops, and organizational consulting, all grounded in a simple philosophy: women should never have to change who they are simply to succeed inside systems that were not originally designed with them in mind.
That philosophy also inspired her forthcoming book, Change the System, Not the Women, which examines how workplace structures continue to create barriers to women’s advancement. While systemic change takes time, Tina focuses on helping women navigate today’s realities by developing personalized leadership strategies that align with each individual’s strengths instead of forcing them into outdated leadership stereotypes.
Building a coaching business, however, comes with its own challenges.
As a solopreneur, Tina intentionally prioritizes highly personalized coaching relationships over rapid expansion. She openly acknowledges that this approach naturally limits scalability, but believes the depth of transformation her clients experience far outweighs the benefits of pursuing volume alone. At the same time, she continues to invest in automating webinars, improving digital systems, and expanding educational offerings to increase efficiency without sacrificing the quality of individual support.
Beyond coaching, Tina is becoming an increasingly influential voice in the conversation around women in leadership. Drawing from decades of executive experience, she emphasizes the importance of mentorship, encouraging experienced professionals to actively reach back and create opportunities for the next generation of women leaders. She believes one of the greatest gaps in professional development has been the absence of accessible mentors who can help women confidently navigate workplace challenges.
Looking ahead, Tina remains cautiously optimistic. While she observes that workplace conditions for women have become more challenging in many parts of the world, she also believes this moment calls for stronger communities, greater advocacy, and more intentional leadership development to ensure women continue to rise despite systemic obstacles.
Execution Tip
Instead of asking “How can I fit into this workplace?”, ask “How can I lead authentically while understanding the rules of the system?” Sustainable leadership comes from building strategies around your strengths—not abandoning them.
Tina Yerkes’ entrepreneurial journey demonstrates that real leadership development is not about changing individuals to fit broken systems. It is about empowering people to lead with confidence while working toward workplaces that value equity, authenticity, and opportunity for everyone. Stories like hers reflect why Humans of Fuzia continues to spotlight leaders who are creating meaningful change through courageous leadership and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
