Appearances

I recently had the honor of speaking at the Voices of Women Summit in celebration of International Women’s Day. The summit set out to break a world record for the most women speaking in a single day. While the official record was not reached, something remarkable still happened: more than 221 women shared their voices, insights, and leadership in one powerful day.

I was proud to be among them.

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International Women’s Day is both a celebration and a call to action. It honors the achievements of women around the world while reminding us that meaningful progress toward equity and leadership representation is still unfolding.

 

My talk focused on the principles of Heart Led Leadership—a leadership approach grounded in humanity, environment, alignment, resilience, and trust. When leadership systems are designed with these principles in mind, organizations create the conditions where people can perform, grow, and lead without sacrificing their well-being. Events like the Voices of Women Summit remind us of the power of collective voice. When women speak, systems shift.

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You can watch the full talk here.

I recently joined The Dez Experience Podcast for a deeply personal conversation about leadership, burnout, and the experiences that shape how we lead.

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In the episode, we explored why burnout is often misunderstood as a personal weakness when, in reality, it is frequently a system design problem. I shared how the principles behind Heart Led Leadership challenge the idea that endurance is simply about working harder or being more resilient. Instead, leaders must design environments that enable people towhere people can perform sustainably. We also discussed why empathy is not just a personality trait but a strategic leadership skill—one that allows leaders to build trust, alignment, and stronger teams.

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The conversation also touched on more personal moments that shaped my leadership philosophy: a health scare that changed how I understand strength, lessons about control and responsibility from growing up with an alcoholic father, and how those experiences influenced the way I think about parenting and leadership today.

 

And, of course, we talked about the things that ground me outside of work—my love for my husband and children, and my enthusiasm for the WNBA.

It was an honest and thoughtful conversation about leadership, resilience, and designing systems that allow people to thrive.

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Listen to the full episode here.

I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Team Network Rally Point Monday, where I shared ideas from my work on Heart Led Leadership and the growing conversation around burnout in high-performing environments.

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In the session, we explored a simple but often overlooked truth: burnout is not always a personal failure. More often, it is a design flaw. Many organizations unintentionally build systems that reward constant urgency, invisible labor, and unsustainable capacity.

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The conversation focused on how leaders can begin shifting those patterns by designing for endurance instead of exhaustion. When leadership systems prioritize clarity, alignment, trust, and resilience, teams can perform at a high level without sacrificing well-being.

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It was an energizing discussion with leaders committed to building organizations where people can succeed and sustain their success over time.

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​You can watch the full talk here.

“I’m just a lawyer…”

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That’s how I jokingly introduced myself on Positive Talk Radio with Kevin McDonald yesterday.

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We laughed about it — because if you’ve ever worked in privacy, compliance, or anything regulatory, you know that’s never just anything. What I appreciated most about the conversation was how quickly it moved past titles and into something more real:

 

What does it actually mean to lead well right now?

 

We talked a lot about HEART —
Humanity. Environment. Alignment. Resilience. Trust.

And how empathy and authenticity aren’t “nice to have” qualities — they’re what make leadership sustainable.

 

Also… that maybe being a former ballerina, a lawyer, a mom, and someone who’s had to rebuild after a health scare gives you a slightly different lens on what strength looks like. (Less “push through everything,” more “build something you can actually live inside.”)

 

Grateful for conversations that feel thoughtful, a little unexpected, and very human. And I'm so grateful to Kevin and Brichelle, and the producers, editors, and staff of Positive Talk Radio, for this opportunity. 

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You can listen to episodes of the podcast here:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5yZAdanyleXGfqeyM57jj0

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-421-how-lauren-wu-redefines-leadership-without-burnout/id1592839447?i=1000756018899&uo=4

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b7227a8e-dd6f-488a-9bf4-3e1bc8390ce2

• iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/87062639

• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/positive-talk-radio-3982674

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/SYDZeBDSWwo

I’ll soon be joining the 40s Formula Podcast for a conversation about women’s health, leadership, and the personal reinvention that can emerge during midlife.

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In this episode, we’ll talk about the realities of perimenopause and how women in their 40s often navigate profound shifts in energy, identity, and priorities while continuing to lead at work and at home.​ I’ll also share my “phoenix story”—the personal and professional turning points that reshaped how I think about strength, resilience, and what it means to rise again after difficult seasons. It’s an honest conversation about health, reinvention, and the courage it takes for women to redefine themselves in the middle of life’s most demanding chapters.

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Stay tuned for the episode release.  Until then, you can listen to episodes of the podcast here.

I’ll soon be joining the Emotionally Wealthy Podcast for a deeply personal conversation about childhood conditioning, achievement, and the patterns that shape how high performers move through the world.

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In this episode, we explore who I learned to become as a child growing up in an environment shaped by abuse and secrecy, and how achievement and professional success became a form of protection and power. We also discuss how those early survival patterns followed me into adulthood, influencing marriage, motherhood, and leadership.

 

We talk openly about the health consequences of chronic stress, including the wake-up call of my pulmonary embolism, and what shifted when family, not performance, became the priority. The conversation also reflects on turning trauma into power: how those experiences influenced career choices, partnership, and the creation of family, and what it means to break generational patterns through conscious partnership, healing, and therapy.

It’s an honest discussion about resilience, reinvention, and the work of building a life defined by intention rather than survival.

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Stay tuned for the episode release. Until then, you can listen to episodes of the podcast here.

I’ll soon be joining the Girl Out of Order Podcast for a conversation about empathy, leadership, and what it means to lead with both strength and humanity.

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In this episode, we’ll explore the principles behind Heart Led Leadership and why empathy should be understood not simply as a personality trait, but as a strategic leadership skill. When leaders build cultures rooted in trust, alignment, and humanity, organizations create the conditions where people can perform, grow, and sustain success.

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We’ll also discuss how empathy reshapes the way leaders make decisions, support their teams, and build systems that value people as much as performance. I’m looking forward to this conversation and sharing more once the episode is released.

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Stay tuned for the episode launch. Until then, you can listen to episodes of the podcast here.

I’ll soon be joining the Honest Wealth Builders Podcast for a conversation about entrepreneurship, building a purpose-driven business, and the journey of turning an idea into meaningful work.

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In this episode, we’ll talk about how I built Heart Led Leadership, the lessons that come with stepping into entrepreneurship, and what it takes to grow a business rooted in both impact and integrity.

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We’ll also explore the realities behind building something of your own—navigating uncertainty, defining your voice, and creating work that aligns with your values and the life you want to build. I’m looking forward to sharing this conversation and the story behind the business.

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Stay tuned for the episode release. Until then, you can listen to episodes of the podcast here.