2013 Most Influential Women Honoree: Lela Panagides

Lela Panagides left home to live overseas at age 17, and it’s been onward and upward ever since.

The experience of self-reliance as a teenager combined with a certain threshold for taking risks taught Panagides organizational skills and introduced her to personal development.

“At a young age, I was often chosen to lead teams for various endeavors and I took those responsibilities seriously,” says Panagides, CEO and founder of consulting firm Leap Into Leadership LLC.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, Panagides earned an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. While in graduate school, she was chosen as a William Davidson Institute Fellow through the University of Michigan, an opportunity that took Panagides to Poland, where she worked with the country’s first mobile phone company to develop its first customer satisfaction survey.

“Living and working in Eastern Europe during such a time of dramatic cultural, social and economic change provided the turning point in my career,” she says. “During that time, many state-owned enterprises were being privatized and, as a result, hundreds of workers were being laid off for the first time in their lives. With so much potential, yet, unrecognized and undeveloped talent, I decided to pursue a career in human resources.”

Panagides has worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young LLP, Tyco Fire & Security and Microsoft in positions that emphasized leadership, management development, coaching and strategic planning. Her work often took her overseas.

“My track record as a professional has been one of increased responsibility and promotion to higher levels of leadership in any organization where I have worked, while always seeking to participate in the development of those who worked under my guidance,” Panagides says.

Founding Leap Into Leadership in 2011, after 20 years in the corporate world, Panagides has been invited to speak worldwide, including for such local groups as Missouri State University, Drury University and the Association of Women in Communication.

“In the community, I have taken on leadership roles to give back my talents and experience to nonprofit organizations that promote social justice and empowerment for young girls and women. I do not hesitate to get involved, particularly when I can be of service,” Panagides says.

She especially seeks opportunities to mentor minority and female professionals, as well as at-risk teenage girls.