In her first few months as general counsel at JPMorgan Chase — the nation's largest bank by assets — Friedman has come up with creative ways to get her 1,900 employees working cohesively.

PNC Financial Services Group is increasingly leaning on Karen Larrimer to help transform many of the ways it interacts with customers.

Patricia "Patti" Husic doesn't give up once she sets her mind to something.

In a rapidly changing banking environment, Royal Bank of Canada is trying to stay on top of the competition by being more agile. Janice Fukakusa, the company's chief administrative officer and chief financial officer, is a major contributor to that cause.

Between the volatility in the energy sector and the geopolitical turmoil in Latin America, Anne Clarke Wolff's global corporate banking team has a lot to keep up with.

Ranjana Clark took a risk when she left banking five years ago for a job in fintech. But the decision put her on a fast track to the executive suite.

In the last year, KeyCorp, under CIO Amy Brady's direction, has made several noteworthy choices as it looks to be a standout amid the digital changes that banks are facing.

Melanie Dressel manages by walking around. Each year, the president and CEO of Columbia Banking System makes it a priority to visit each of the bank's branches, as well as its various departments, to help her better understand what is working for customers and what the bank can be doing better.

Doing better is what Diana Reid is always aiming for and that approach to her work is serving her well. As head of PNC Real Estate, her business has posted double-digit commercial real estate loan growth for four consecutive years.

Huntington Bancshares pulled the trigger on the largest acquisition in its history because it had Helga Houston on its side.

Regions Financial was more proactive than most energy lenders in getting ahead of credit troubles caused by falling oil prices, and the Birmingham, Ala., company has Chief Credit Officer Barb Godin to thank for that.

Some bankers are proud of making it through the financial crisis. Imagine doing that while also contending with a huge personal crisis. Karen Glenn, the chief executive of a Kentucky community bank, is a single mom of twin boys. She had just made it through a major health issue with one of her sons, when the other was diagnosed with cancer.

Centric Financial is one of the few publicly traded banking companies with women in the chief executive and chief financial officer roles. Centric is also distinctive for its enviable growth and performance. Those two facts are not purely coincidental, according to President and CEO Patricia Husic.

What it takes to excel goes far beyond the daily work a job entails. It's about having the courage to be who you are, stand up for what you believe in, overcome great adversity, and make the world better in a way that is uniquely yours. Here are four executives who have done just that.
• Create a Ripple Effect: JPMorgan's Stacey Friedman
• Be Like a Puffer Fish: Barclays' Barbara Byrne
• Have the Courage to Believe: BBVA's Rosilyn Houston
• Power Through Adversity: First United's Karen Glenn

Here are some strategies for dealing with gender bias, as explained by executives at BBVA Compass, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Kentucky's First United Bank.

"Self-doubt is the biggest thief," warns Rosilyn Houston, Chief Talent and Culture Executive at BBVA Compass, who explains why having both mentors and sponsors is important, and offers some practical advice for those who want to reach their full potential as leaders.

The staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission is working on a proposal to amend the current diversity disclosure rule to require more specificity, including information on the race, gender and ethnicity of board members and nominees. Here's why.

These 25 leaders are using their influence to make banking — and their communities — better.

Among the impressive women you'll want to keep an eye on moving forward are: two new female CEOs at top-40 banks; Mary Mack, who'll now oversee consumer banking at embattled Wells Fargo; and community bank CEOs Mary Anny Scully and Karen Glenn.

Women are arguably even more outnumbered in the upper ranks of finance than in banking, and the executives on this list stand out not only for their performance but for their work to help create a path to parity.