The first women to head Phoenix's police and fire departments shared their insights on leadership last month at the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce’s Professional Women’s Alliance luncheon.

The luncheon featured Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams and Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner.

“People can lose their lives,” Kalkbrenner told luncheon attendees. “I am blunt when I have to be because in this business there is zero room for error.”

Williams told the audience that she relies on her team and likes to lead by consensus.

“I am a consensus-based decision maker,” Williams said during her presentation. “I want to include the ones who will be impacted the most by the decisions my department makes.”

Each month, the chamber welcomes a female community leader at its Professional Women’s Alliance luncheons, where they share their thoughts on leadership, careers, community involvement and women’s issues.

“When you get comfortable doing something, it’s time to make a change,” Kalkbrenner said during her presentation, and she encouraged others to challenge themselves.

“I challenge everyone to say one positive affirmation about themselves each day,” Williams told the crowd. “There is too much negativity in the world, so we need more positivity.”

Both speakers touched on their journeys to leadership positions in the nation’s fifth largest city.

For more information on the chamber’s Professional Women’s Alliance, visit the alliance's page on the chamber's website.