The Women Leaders in Buddhism Speaker Series
We warmly invite you to join us for Women Leaders in Buddhism: Empowering Women in the Dharma, a free interactive series offered to our full community by The Lenz Foundation. During 2026, we are presenting talks aligned to the four seasons.
Our next meeting – SUMMER –takes place on June 29, 2026, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT.
On Thursday, April 30 our gathering explored the theme of SPRING – New Beginnings, Continued Growth.
In alignment with the season of Spring, this session honored the practices of renewal and growing past obstacles.
Featured Guest: Judy Lief
We were honored to welcome Judy Lief, an inspired teacher, activist, author and leader in sharing Buddhist teachings with numerous communities.
She shared insights drawn from over 35 years as a dharma teacher and community leader and reflected on lessons learned along the path of leadership– practice, tenacity, support for cancer survivors, death and dying, and diverse forms of service.
Teacher Judy Lief reflected personally and candidly on her decades-long journey as a Buddhist teacher and leader within the Shambhala tradition. Rather than presenting abstract leadership theories, she described how leadership emerged unexpectedly through experience, vulnerability, and perseverance. Lief emphasized that authentic teaching is not about authority, credentials, or polished performance, but about presence, receptivity, and genuine care for others. She spoke about the importance of preparing deeply and then “letting go” in order to connect authentically with students and communities.
Throughout the talk, she shared stories of being pushed into intimidating leadership roles — including teaching before she felt ready and becoming a dean at Naropa University in a heavily patriarchal environment — and explained how fear, self-doubt, and disruption became essential parts of her growth rather than obstacles to overcome. She also stressed the importance of mentoring younger leaders, especially women, encouraging them to trust their own voices and step forward even when they feel uncertain.
A major theme of the discussion became the tension between spiritual challenge and potential harm within Buddhist communities. During the Q&A, participants raised thoughtful questions about patriarchal power structures, teacher authority, and the history of abuse and boundary violations within spiritual organizations. Lief acknowledged both the profound benefits and real harms that have existed within such communities, emphasizing the need to honestly recognize mistakes while also preserving meaningful spiritual transmission and growth. The conversation explored how communities can create environments that are both challenging and safe — places where people are encouraged to grow without enabling abuse or silencing survivors. Facilitator Susan Skjei then guided participants through contemplative leadership reflections centered on emergence, renewal, vision, and commitment, encouraging attendees to examine what qualities, boundaries, and intentions they wished to cultivate in their own leadership during the “springtime” phase of their work and lives.
Balancing Leadership and Spirituality
Diane shared her experiences as a female leader in Buddhism, discussing the challenges and opportunities of balancing receptive and active qualities in leadership. She emphasized the importance of integrating both masculine and feminine aspects, as well as developing emotional maturity and communication skills. Diane also addressed power dynamics in leadership, suggesting that understanding and teaching about power is crucial for spiritual growth. She concluded by highlighting the fundamental purpose of Dharma teachers to share and support the recognition of our commonality and the importance of working with differences in Sangha relationships.
Teacher Pay Equity and Leadership
A participant raised concerns about pay equity among teachers, noting significant gender disparities in compensation. Diane acknowledged these issues and discussed the need for organizations to review and address compensation fairly, while also emphasizing the importance of balancing spiritual and material aspects of leadership. Diane shared her personal choice to maintain a separate day job to avoid potential ethical dilemmas related to student support of her livelihood. The conversation highlighted the complexity of addressing pay equity in spiritual and educational contexts, with Diane suggesting that creativity and different approaches to compensation could be considered.
Buddhist Leadership and Conflict Resolution
Diane shared her experiences and insights on leadership, conflict resolution, and systemic change within Buddhist institutions. She emphasized the importance of embodiment and consciousness in managing differences and conflicts, advocating for practices that help individuals stay present and learn from disagreements. Diane also discussed her involvement in systemic initiatives, such as addressing race bias in the Utah Judiciary, highlighting the natural progression from personal to institutional and systemic change. Participants asked questions about inspiring collaboration, resolving conflicts, and addressing systemic issues, with Diane providing guidance on fostering a culture of appreciation and encouraging individuals to embrace differences.
Women Leaders in Buddhism:
Empowering Women in the Dharma Series:
2025 Program Presentations
Based on outstanding reports from the 2024 – 2025 Women Leaders in Buddhism grant theme, The Lenz Foundation hosted online meetings where women in Buddhism shared information about projects and built on the momentum of leadership.
In these films, exemplars gave five-minute presentations describing programs that demonstrate the unique insights and bold visions of American Buddhist women.
Everyone who attended shared programs and voices during the breakout rooms and group summaries.
To learn more about the Women Leaders in Buddhism programs, visit: Women in Buddhism Grants