WIL Power 5 Interview

Karen Berna, WIL National Mentorship Program Chair

What are you most passionate about in your work and why?

I’m most passionate about helping high-functioning women stop carrying everything alone at work and in relationships. I’ve seen so many brilliant women succeed professionally while quietly burning out relationally: overfunctioning, overthinking, over-responsible, and under-supported.

My work is about turning that pattern into power: building Relational Intelligence, so women can lead with clarity, create healthy standards, and actually receive support without guilt. When a woman stops managing everyone’s emotions, stops trying to “earn” safety, and starts communicating cleanly, her career becomes more strategic, her relationships become more peaceful, and her nervous system finally gets a break. That’s the transformation I care about: competence with calm, strength with softness, and leadership that doesn’t cost you your life force.

Who is your greatest role model in your career, and what qualities do you admire most about them?

My greatest role model has been a leader I worked for early in my corporate career. N\ot because they were flashy, but because they were consistent. They had three qualities that shaped how I lead today:

1. Emotional steadiness under pressure: they didn’t leak stress into the room.

2. Clean standards:  expectations were explicit, feedback was direct, and accountability was fair.

3. Respectful power: They didn’t need intimidation to be taken seriously; they led through clarity, structure, and trust.

   
   

That style taught me something simple but rare: you can be both kind and formidable. And you can build high performance without sacrificing people’s wellbeing, especially when psychological safety is treated as a performance strategy, not a “soft” extra.

How do you support or advocate for women’s wellness and balance in your workplace or team?

I advocate for women’s wellness by treating it as an operational priority, not a pep talk. Concretely, I focus on:

• Clarity over chaos: clear roles, clean priorities, and “what good looks like,” so women aren’t forced to compensate with overwork.

• Boundaries that are actually enforced: realistic timelines, fewer last-minute escalations, and a culture where saying “no” to non-essentials is safe.

• Psychological safety + respectful candour: people can raise risks early, ask questions, and disagree without punishment, which reduces stress and improves outcomes. 

• Burnout prevention through systems: workload visibility, recovery time after intense cycles, and normalization of support (not silent suffering). This aligns with evidence-based guidance on mental health at work, focusing on organizational interventions, not just individual resilience. 

  
  

In short: I help women stop “coping” and start working inside structures that protect their health.

Tell us about a major challenge you faced and overcame professionally – how did you navigate it?

One of my biggest challenges was leading through a high-stakes period of change while maintaining trust: shifting priorities, competing stakeholders, and the pressure to deliver fast without burning out the team.

How I navigated it was simple, but not at all easy:

• I got brutally clear on scope and tradeoffs: what we would do, what we wouldn’t do, and why.

• I communicated early and often: especially when information was imperfect, because silence creates fear and rumours.

• I protected the team’s energy by pushing back on unnecessary work, renegotiating timelines where possible, and prioritizing what actually moved outcomes.

• I stayed relationally steady: no emotional dumping downward, no panic leadership.

  
  

The result wasn’t just delivery; it was a stronger team culture. That experience is a big reason I do the work I do now: performance without dysfunction is possible, but it requires relational intelligence and leadership maturity, not just talent.

What advice would you give to new or emerging leaders who are building their careers?

Three things… And I’ll say them plainly:

1. Build real competence, not just confidence. Get excellent at something measurable. Credibility is earned in results, not branding.

2. Don’t confuse being “nice” with being good. Clear expectations and honest feedback are a form of care; avoidance is not.

3. Learn relational intelligence early. Your career won’t rise or fall on your IQ. It will rise or fall on how you handle conflict, boundaries, and accountability.

   
   

And one practical habit: practice “clean communication.” Make requests instead of hints, set conditions instead of resentment, and address issues before they calcify into contempt or stonewalling, patterns we know are corrosive in relationships and teams.

Thank you so much for volunteering and making a positive difference, we greatly appreciate your dedication and valuable contributions.

Founded in 2001, the Women in Leadership Foundation (WIL) advances women in leadership and empowers the next generation building diverse workplaces that inspire lasting change across Canada. 

WIL is empowering women and youth through Mentorship Programs (Women’s Leadership, Indigenous Group Mentorship, Youth Mentorship & Leadership Development Series), Regional Events and Chapters across Canada and national events and retreats, connecting leaders across North America.

The Transforming Workplace Opportunities Initiative is part of WIL’s broader mission to advance women’s leadership and break barriers for BIPOC communities. We invite employers to become a Transforming Workplace Opportunities Advocate and sign the Transforming the Workplace Pledge. By signing the pledge, your organization commits to fostering an inclusive workplace, where all employees are valued and respected and have equal opportunities for recruitment, growth, and success.  

Be part of the change and sign the pledge today.