Leadership is more than charisma — it’s about clarity, resilience, and authenticity.

In this episode of Leadership Variations Unfiltered, host Amy Bladen Shatto — leadership development consultant and executive coach for women in STEM — sits down with Ana Hooker, Senior Vice President and Chief Laboratory Officer at Exact Sciences. Ana leads a global team of 2,000+ professionals while mentoring the next generation of STEM leaders.

Together, they dive deep into the leadership challenges no one talks about:

• What’s not on the résumé: the unseen human side of executive leadership
• Why imposter syndrome is real (for women and men) and how to manage it under pressure
• The role of authenticity, strategy, and kindness in building your leadership brand
• Lessons from failures, lightbulb moments, and recalibrating when your message doesn’t land
• Why resilience and self-promotion are non-negotiable for women stepping into senior roles
  
  
  

If you’re an executive, STEM professional, or aspiring woman in leadership, this conversation is filled with actionable insights to help you lead with confidence and impact.

Highlights:

00:00 – Introduction to Leadership Variations: Unfiltered Podcast

00:35 – Meet Ana Hooker, SVP & Chief Laboratory Officer at Exact Sciences

01:04 – Ana’s passion for mentoring and guiding emerging STEM leaders

02:00 – What’s Not on the Resume

03:34 – Path to Leadership

04:05 – Ana shares her experience and tools to manage self-doubt

07:00 – Authentic Leadership & Personal Brand

10:34 – Using Data Over Emotion

12:16 - Learning Through Mistakes

15:45 - Final Advice & Closing Reflections

Watch & Subscribe
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Work with Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto
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🌐 Learn more → https://www.leadershipvariations.com
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About the Host
Leadership Variations: Unfiltered is hosted by Dr. Amy Bladen Shatto, PhD, PCC, BCC — an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist with over 25 years of experience helping organizations make faster, smarter leadership decisions. She specializes in science-based assessment, executive coaching, and leadership development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.