Janice Elsley: The Legacy-Maker Behind the Movement to Humanise Leadership

Janice Elsley is a trailblazing leadership & change expert, acclaimed international author, and the visionary founder of Harissa Business Partners—a consultancy transforming how leaders show up in the modern world. With more than 20 years of executive experience across HR, C-suite, and board-level roles, Janice has seen first-hand the cost of outdated leadership: burnout, broken cultures, and untapped human potential.

In 2019, after successfully leading a cultural transformation that reduced staff turnover from 43% to 8%, Janice was ousted from her executive role by leaders threatened by her impact. But what could have been a breaking point became her turning point.

Instead of returning to broken systems, Janice forged a new path one rooted in neuroscience, social and emotional intelligence, and human-first leadership. She founded Harissa Business Partners to help leaders break free from fear-based models and lead with authenticity, empathy, and sustainable impact.

Today, Janice is a global force in redefining leadership. Her programs, including Leading Edge Women, First 100 Days of Leadership and The leadership Edge - Mastering Success, have reached thousands across corporate, government, private and NFP sectors. Her work equips CEOs, business owners, and leaders emerging leaders with the tools to lead high-performing teams without sacrificing well-being.

She is also the author of Leadership Legacy: 7 Strategies Every CEO, Business Owner or Leader Needs to Know to Attract and Retain Top Talent, a book already changing the way leaders think about performance, culture, and people. Her Legacy Leaders podcast further amplifies stories of courageous leadership and authentic transformation.

Janice’s influence is more than a ripple—it’s a wave. She is not only building better leaders, but helping them stay, thrive, and create workplaces where people matter. Her mission is bold, her message is clear: leadership can be powerful and human.

In a world that desperately needs more conscious leadership, Janice Elsley is lighting the way.