“He went from a very humble place in his career to a fairly senior role, and always believed that everybody was equal, and he insisted that we behave that way,” Sarah Barnett recently said of the values her father instilled in her while growing up in London.

Barnett, who boasts an impressive career as a television broadcasting executive, worked her way up from an entry-level position at the BBC to the leadership role she holds today as president of SundanceTV.

In her recent interview with The New York Times, Barnett said there are many factors that make a successful leader, such as embracing diversity as her father taught her. But another very important factor in leadership success is giving yourself permission to fail.

“As long as we’re heading in the right direction, and with the right momentum, then it’s OK to not always be perfect as a leader,” she said. “In fact, if you strive for perfection, I think you’ll end up, paradoxically, being less of a good leader.”

Barnett also emphasizes that strong leaders trust their reactions in given situations. They stay open and curious; they understand that the differences in the people around them are highly valuable and they embrace ambiguity.

“I actually am not required to be the expert in anything,” she said. “My job is to synthesize.”

Many of these leadership sentiments ring true for lawyers. At our Global Women’s Leadership Summit, speakers and attendees will discuss these leadership traits and skills and how to best apply them to the practice of law.