Lizzie Reed first discovered the essence of leadership on the grassy expanse of a soccer field, where every pass and every misstep became an exercise in guiding others and responding under pressure. Conversely, Alisa Wood cultivated her profound sense of endurance under the bright, often unforgiving, lights of a ballet stage, where discipline, artistry, and resilience intersected. Today, these early and seemingly unrelated formative lessons continue to shape their approach to high-stakes decision-making as two of the most prominent female executives on Wall Street.
Reed now oversees Goldman Sachs’ U.S. equity syndicate, the influential team responsible for pricing a majority of the world’s initial public offerings in recent years. In parallel, Wood has established herself as a distinguished partner at KKR, one of the largest and most renowned private equity firms globally. Serving as co-chief executive officer of KKR Private Equity Conglomerate, she presides over one of the firm’s flagship strategies within an asset manager valued at nearly $700 billion. Their journeys reveal that mastery of resilience on the field and stage provided them with lifelong tools for thriving within the relentless pace of global finance.
In a recent dialogue with Business Insider, both women reflected on how their experiences in sports and performance arts instilled in them lasting skills for navigating careers defined by intensity and high expectations. Wood, for example, described how prior to her academic studies in political science at Columbia University, she trained for a career in professional ballet. The rigorous pursuit demanded continuous perseverance in the face of rejection. She vividly recalled the harsh realities of auditioning, where she was told no repeatedly, often being informed that she was insufficient, that her best was not yet enough. Yet rather than allowing discouragement to diminish her determination, she reframed each setback as a powerful challenge. For her, the more arduous the obstacle, the greater the eventual satisfaction of success.
That mindset became pivotal when Wood turned her ambitions toward Wall Street. Taking the bold step of submitting a blind résumé and an unsolicited pitch book to KKR, she encountered an initial rejection from co-founder Henry Kravis himself. Yet fortune changed when another senior partner took interest, granting her the crucial meeting that became the gateway to her longstanding career at the firm. Beyond resilience, ballet instilled in Wood an understanding of the importance of rigorous preparation: success on stage depended entirely on practice so complete that by performance time, every movement was second nature—purely instinctual, like muscle memory. This philosophy seamlessly translated into finance, where mental readiness and technical mastery are indispensable.
Wood admitted that her initial aspirations were different. She once imagined a career in government service, dedicated to improving society. Yet the practical weight of substantial student loans compelled her to reconsider. Investment banking, with its comparatively lucrative earning potential, became her new focus, and she relied on her deeply ingrained resilience to navigate each unexpected pivot. Her story illustrates how an early ability to endure rejection and respond to pressure was not merely helpful but absolutely decisive in shaping her present success.
For Lizzie Reed, resilience was learned on Notre Dame’s soccer fields, where she embraced both the victories and the frustrations that inevitably came with the sport. She explained that she always envisioned herself as a leader, even as she confronted mistakes in real time. Every missed pass, stolen ball, or failed shot became less a failure and more a lesson: an opportunity to adapt, recalibrate, and continue forward. This ability to recover without being paralyzed by self-doubt became a defining strategy throughout her career in investment banking.
Reed’s ambition was evident even before her career began in earnest. During her 2006 internship at Goldman Sachs, she once filled out a form stating that her career objective was to reach the rank of managing director. Almost immediately, however, she recognized that the role was too modest an aspiration for her determined spirit. Crossing out the title, she wrote in a more audacious objective: “partner.” Sixteen years later, in 2022, she achieved precisely that, earning entry into the bank’s highest echelon of leadership just below executive management. To her, resilience is not about avoiding pain but accelerating recovery. The sting of setbacks never disappears, she observed, but with time she has learned to shorten the period between failure and renewed momentum.
Reflecting on her trajectory, Reed shared the advice she might give her younger self: to be more present, to savor the journey rather than over-analyze every step. At the start of one’s career in particular, she argued, it is easy to dwell on uncertainties or perceived shortcomings. Instead, she encouraged embracing the reassurance that each individual has earned their place through hard work and merit. In her eyes, reminding oneself of that truth provides a deeper sense of confidence, allowing professionals to seize opportunities and lead with authenticity.
Together, the stories of Reed and Wood demonstrate the profound and enduring value of resilience, not as an abstract concept but as a lived experience forged in disciplines outside finance. Whether on a soccer pitch or a ballet stage, they cultivated the fortitude to withstand rejection, embrace challenges, and persevere under pressure—qualities that now inform their ability to lead within some of the world’s most competitive financial institutions. Their journeys underscore a universal truth: the skills that enable people to thrive in boardrooms are often inherited from unexpected, unconventional arenas of life.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-soccer-ballet-helped-goldman-and-kkr-execs-thrive-finance-2025-8
