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Good Enough to Go for Greatness - an Interview with Kim Dorsett, Chief Human Resources Officer for Capital Impact Partners

confidence continuous learning essentialism greatness Apr 16, 2025

In the latest Fearless Female Leadership interview, I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Kim Dorsett, Chief Human Resources Officer for Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance, both part of the Momentus Capital branded family of organizations. Kim and I spoke about what it really means to believe you're good enough to go for greatness. This episode was a powerful reminder that mindset, boundaries, and bold action are the cornerstones of breakthrough leadership.

Kim’s leadership journey is grounded in the lessons she learned from her mother, who always expected excellence and taught her to strive five times harder. That relentless commitment to personal growth has carried Kim from early career milestones to her current executive seat. With a nod to her children for encouraging her to share her story, Kim spoke openly about how structure, discipline, and saying no have been critical to her success.

She highlighted the importance of essentialism—focusing only on what truly matters—and of building a network that reflects a diversity of thought and experience. Perhaps most powerfully, Kim urged women to stop competing with each other and start uplifting one another, reminding us there is more than one seat at the table.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever looked at a list of job qualifications and hesitated—Kim's message is clear: You don’t have to check every box to go for greatness.

Key takeaways from the interview:

0:01:18 – Kim credits her mother with instilling a mindset of excellence and perseverance from an early age.
0:02:40 – Discipline and essentialism have helped her avoid burnout and stay focused on what truly matters.
0:03:52 – Saying no and setting boundaries are crucial leadership skills—especially for women.
0:04:31 – You don’t have to meet 100% of job requirements to be qualified. Let others be the judge—just try.
0:05:26 – Women must stop competing with each other and instead build supportive networks.
0:06:07 – Confidence is built through action—even when it feels uncomfortable.
0:06:59 – Kim embraces the confidence-competence loop: the more you try, the more you grow.
0:07:30 – Failure is just feedback. Every experience, win or setback, teaches something valuable.
0:07:48 – Build a diverse network that challenges your thinking—not just people who agree with you.
0:08:53 – Lifelong learning is part of leadership. Kim recently completed a certificate at Wharton to continue evolving.

If you’re interested in being featured on the Fearless Female Leadership podcast, or you’re a leader looking to gain clarity on “what’s next,” how to build more cohesive and high-performing teams, and lead with greater confidence and influence, let’s have a confidential conversation.

Cheering you on always!
– Sheryl