# Leadership lessons from a CEO and business leader June 12, 2026 • 7 minutes ![Shannon Sharpe](/content/experience-fragments/edu/us/en/blog/byline/by-shannon-sharpe/master/_jcr_content/root/container_copy_10389/container/image_2120429180_cop.coreimg.png/1760980395132/shannon-sharpe-360x360.png) Written by[Shannon Sharpe](/blog/authors/shannon-sharpe.html) ![Jessica Roper](/content/experience-fragments/edu/us/en/blog/reviewed_by/jessica-roper/master/_jcr_content/root/container_copy_10389/container/image_2120429180_cop.coreimg.png/1710194401328/jessica-roper-headshot.png) Reviewed by[Jessica Roper](/blog/authors/jessica-roper.html), MBA ![Woman's hand places a flag atop a mountain illustrate how leadership lessons from a CEO and businesswoman can help one achieve goals](https://uop.scene7.com/is/image/phoenixedu/blog-hero-womans-hand-placing-flag-on-top-of-mountain.webp?fmt=webp-alpha&qlt=70&fit=constrain,1&wid=700) When asked how she found success, Dr. Janet Walsh (DBA, 2016) has an unexpected answer. “It’s very simple,” says the president and CEO of the international consulting firm[Birchtree Global](https://www.birchtreeglobal.com/). “Ever since I was 3 years old, all I wanted was a horse.”  ## Early leadership lessons As she grew up, Walsh learned the first of many leadership lessons: Such a huge purchase required financial success. So, she set aside dreams of becoming an archaeologist to instead study economics and Japanese. “I had spent a high school semester abroad in El Salvador and was interested in trade between Japan and Central America,” she explains. “I thought, ‘This sounds important. This will earn me enough money to buy a horse.’” Walsh’s career would evolve to her founding a global advisory company — the firm provides legal, tax, HR and strategic infrastructure for companies expanding across borders — but she began developing her leadership skills in college during an on-campus food-service job. This experience led to a postgraduation job with a food-service operation. “I ran parties of 4,000 people with no problem,” she says. “Every day in that job, I planned menus, scheduled orders and directed the staff. Those types of responsibilities were natural to me.” Establishing herself as a leader at such a young age gave her confidence. More importantly, it gave her the ability to achieve her dream — one year after she graduated from college, Walsh bought a horse. As she moved up in her career (going on to work at a bank and then in upper management HR at several international corporations), she learned another vital leadership lesson: True leadership isn’t just about authority. It takes good judgment, empathy and the ability to stay calm when chaos hits. Also, no matter where one may be on the career ladder, she brings a skill set. “When I was starting out, I looked at my managers as people who knew everything,” Walsh notes. “I eventually learned not to assume competence. Verify. Bring your own expertise and data to the table, and prove your point with evidence, not emotion. That’s how you earn respect.” It was a conversation over dinner in Shanghai that spurred Walsh on to entrepreneurship. Her companions — leaders in their respective industries — were lamenting the lack of independent global business advisory services. “It made sense to be an agnostic provider of global market entry services,” Walsh says. “I could bring the best and the brightest employees to focus on a particular company strategy, rather than the company having to adapt to what their supplier could provide.” Since that initial realization, she has grown her company into a global powerhouse, which provides boots-on-the-ground strategy in 87 countries and all 50 states. Always looking for the next opportunity, she later founded a subsidiary, Birchtree Performance HR, which focuses on increasing financial performance through human-capital analytics and AI.  ## Leaders should embrace lifelong learning “Experience and expertise were important,” Walsh says about her success. “So was continuing my education through attaining my MBA and then my DBA.” It was in pursuit of her doctorate that she turned to University of Phoenix. “It offered the degree I wanted, but[I could do it online](https://www.phoenix.edu/blog/what-to-expect-in-online-classes.html)as opposed to spending time commuting to a campus,” she says. That advantage allowed her to dedicate more time to building her company. For some, such impressive academic achievements might be the end of their intellectual pursuits. Not for Walsh, who continues to build her knowledge through in-depth research and advancing her technological know-how — all of which benefits her clients. “We look at data and potential solutions,” she says. “We’re always asking, ‘How can we be more effective and more efficient?’” Ask Walsh what she values most in other leaders, and her answer is twofold: expertise and collegiality. “I want to work with folks who bring a set of skills to the table that I don’t have and who are willing to share their knowledge,” she says. She emphasizes that being kind and a team player are just as important. “I look for people who are thoughtful and have a sense of humor,” she says. “I want to work with someone who brings cookies or doughnuts to their employees. It’s important to acknowledge people who are doing a great job and show you appreciate them.” ## How values drive core leadership lessons  Life, as the saying goes, is about compromise, and Walsh can testify business is often the same. But if you need to compromise, she says, don’t do it without knowing all the facts. “Before you make a decision, bring together the best minds you have who’ve worked through similar situations in the past. Information is the key to making the best decision you can.” There are some situations, however, where negotiation is a nonstarter. “You don’t compromise your personal or company values,” Walsh says firmly, as they are the foundation everything else rests upon. Recognizing the values of others is just as important as knowing your own, she notes. That ability is especially important when overseeing an international company whose job is to guide corporations through global expansion. “If I hear, ‘That’s not how we do it here,’ I don’t get angry,” Walsh says. “I ask why they think that way. Understanding people’s context is the first step in building relationships.” ## What challenges do business leaders face? Walsh has found intense satisfaction in her career, but she acknowledges that being a business leader comes with many challenges. For example: - **It’s lonely.**“When you’re in charge, there’s no one to hand things off to. You’re responsible even when you’re exhausted.” - **It’s humbling.**“Sometimes you make bad calls. The key is to own them quickly, learn and move forward.” - **It’s constant.**“Leadership doesn’t clock out. Whether it’s midnight emails or 6 am flights, you’re still the one people look to.” - **It’s personal.**“You don’t just manage projects. You manage emotions, fears and expectations. That takes energy.” To Walsh, however, it’s worth it. “Despite all that, seeing people grow and your business thrive is a reward.” ## Good leaders never give up “I’ve had a great opportunity to work with a number of well-known executives,” notes Walsh, who was named a[UOPX Alumni Luminary](https://www.phoenix.edu/alumni/luminaries.html)in 2025 for her accomplishments in business. This experience helped her recognize a common thread among successful leaders: perseverance.  ![Janet Walsh and her horse, Scotty, in upstate New York](https://uop.scene7.com/is/image/phoenixedu/janet-walsh-1.webp?fmt=webp-alpha&qlt=70&fit=constrain,1&wid=819) Janet Walsh walks her horse, Scotty **UOPX alumna and CEO of Birchtree Global** Perhaps the best example of this, she says, goes back to her love of horses. “Breaking a horse is a challenge,” she says. “It weighs 1,300 pounds. It’s going to do what it wants. But if you give it some carrots, it might let you pet it. You need to build up trust until it lets you ride it. It’s about perseverance.” While Walsh has established herself as a well-respected businessperson, her career also led her back to her childhood dream of being an archaeologist, all thanks to that horse she purchased. “We were riding and he stopped,” she says. “I looked down to see arrowheads. I jumped off and thought, ‘What have we discovered?’ It turned out to be an archaeological site.” Jumping into amateur archaeology, she gained membership in The Explorers Club, a multidisciplinary science society, for which she now serves as management committee chair. Recently, she learned she had been awarded the Edward C. Sweeney Medal by the organization for her contributions. “So, see?” she says with a laugh. “I owe my dedication and career to a horse.” ## How to learn leadership lessons and more at University of Phoenix  Leadership lessons are just some of the career-relevant skills developed in University of Phoenix’s[business programs](https://www.phoenix.edu/online-business-degrees.html)and[certificates](https://www.phoenix.edu/online-business-certificates.html), including the undergraduate[Certificate in Leadership and Management](https://www.phoenix.edu/online-business-certificates/leadership-management.html). [Request additional information](https://www.phoenix.edu/request/request-information)to learn more. Read more articles like this: [Why Is It So Hard to Find a Job? Career Support June 16, 2026 • 7 minutes](/blog/why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-a-job.html)[How to Develop Executive Presence Career Support December 27, 2023 • 2 minutes](/blog/how-to-develop-executive-presence.html)[Ways to Gain Work Experience Career Support August 15, 2023 • 5 minutes](/blog/ways-to-gain-work-experience-when-you-dont-have-any.html) ![Headshot of Shannon Sharpe](/content/experience-fragments/edu/us/en/blog/author_bios/shannon-sharpe/master/_jcr_content/root/container_1500021835/columns/responsivegrid0/image_2120429180_cop.coreimg.png/1760980373233/shannon-sharpe-360x360.png) ### ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shannon Sharpe is a Chicago-based content strategist and writer with more than 20 years of experience in journalism, storytelling and brand communications. She has developed content for both publications and corporations, spanning topics from design and lifestyle to healthcare and corporate communications. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Boston College and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring Chicago’s vibrant cultural scene, experimenting with new recipes and working on her first novel. ![Headshot of Jessica Roper](/content/experience-fragments/edu/us/en/blog/reviewer_bios/jessica-roper/master/_jcr_content/root/container_1500021835/columns/responsivegrid0/image_2120429180_cop.coreimg.png/1715094098935/jessica-roper-headshot.png) ### ABOUT THE REVIEWER Jessica Roper has more than 15 years of leadership experience in higher education, with expertise in student services and career development. She is passionate about helping others discover and refine their skills. She previously served as director of Career Services at University of Phoenix. ![checkmark](/content/experience-fragments/edu/us/en/blog/article-vetted-blurb/master/_jcr_content/root/container_copy/container/image_2120429180_cop.coreimg.svg/1701890876580/differentiators-check.svg) This article has been vetted by University of Phoenix's editorial advisory committee.  [Read more about our editorial process.](/blog/editorial-process.html) ```html ```