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Leading the Court - Canada's First Female Chief Justice

Making decisions can be the toughest part of a leader’s job. Judges up the ante; their decisions can literally mean the difference between life or death.

Beverley McLachlin was the Chief Justice of Canada’s Supreme Court. In this episode, she reflects on her leadership journey – from a farm in rural Alberta to the top court in the land. That journey has powerful perspectives on the decision-making process for leaders of all stripes: from law-firm partners to CEOs.

It’s inspiring, too! Beverley overcame deeply entrenched sexism and other barriers, but forged on with a clear vision.

Beverley McLachlin was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 2000 to 2017. She is the first woman to hold that position, and the longest-serving Chief Justice in Canadian history. In 2018, McLachlin became a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest honour within the Order. She is also the #1 bestselling author of two novels, Full Disclosureand Denial, and a memoir, Truth Be Told, which won the prestigious Writers’ Trust Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and the Ottawa Book Award for Nonfiction.