The continuing tube strike in London today threw the Women's Leadership Network Conference into an initial state of disarray - with both speakers and delegates AWOL.
But Penny de Valk, CEO of the Institute for Leadership and Management, still took to the stage to tell delegates - rather stereotypically - that it was time to re-write the recipe books on leadership.
Valk told the women there was "no recipe" for leadership anymore and women have to embrace what makes them different.
She said: "The challenge for leaders today is there is no recipe. Copy cat leadership doesn't work we have to have our own recipe. Good leaders need followers and people won't follow leaders that aren't authentic.
"The challenge for women leaders is to make the most of their differences instead of being like someone else."
She added people want to be led by "real people" who are aware of their flaws and that to be an effective leader in the current climate you don't need to be an expert, but you need to be able to live outside your comfort zone and on the edge of your capability.
Finally she compared the differences between traditional leadership qualities and those required in today's environment, to the differences between classical music and jazz.
She said the traditional leadership style which was more structured and led by a grand conductor, like in classical music, had been thrown out the window and replaced by jazz leadership, which is more fluid and throws up plenty of surprises that can be dealt with as a team.
