Between Power and Grace

For Tania Santos Silva, leadership is not loud. It is disciplined, strategic, and deeply human ,built across cultures, cities, and rooms where real decisions are made

L’Officiel Arabia: You live between Dubai and Lisbon, two very different worlds. How has moving between these cities shaped the way you think, lead, and build? Living between Dubai and Lisbon constantly stretches my perspective.
Tania Santos Silva: Dubai teaches me scale, ambition, speed, and the courage to think globally. Lisbon keeps me grounded in values, community, and patience. Moving between these two worlds forces me to lead with both vision and emotional intelligence. I am not building for one culture, I’m building lasting systems, brands, and relationships and that takes time. That duality gives me range: softness and power, intuition and strategy, creativity and discipline.

At the core of your work sits the House of TVSS. How do you define influence and reputation in a world that often prioritises visibility over substance?
Influence, for me, is not about noise, it’s about credibility, consistency, and consequence. Visibility can be bought, but reputation is earned.
At House of TVSS, we build influence by shaping lasting narratives, managing relationships with integrity, and committing to excellence and truth, even when nobody's watching. True influence isn’t based on the number of followers you have, it’s trust and consistency. It’s what moves governments, leaders, communities, and markets.

You work closely with governments and institutions, environments still largely dominated by men. What does it take to lead with authority in those rooms while remaining deeply aligned with yourself as a woman?
Authority doesn’t come from raising your voice, it comes from knowing who you are.
In male-dominated rooms, clarity, preparation, and calm confidence are needed to lead. I don’t try to imitate masculine leadership; I do try to bring my own. I believe my strengths lie in emotional intelligence, precision, and the ability to read a room faster than most. And this was not learned in school. Being a woman is not a disadvantage, it’s my competitive advantage.

Female empowerment is frequently spoken about, but less often practiced. What does meaningful empowerment look like to you in real terms?
Empowerment is not the inspirational quotes we see on social media.  It’s opportunity, access, accountability, and action – a lot of action. For me, real empowerment looks like paying women fairly, opening doors that were closed to us, mentoring without ego, sharing knowledge instead of guarding it, investing in women-owned businesses, and celebrating each other without competition. Empowerment is a verb, not a slogan.

What led you to create ThisIsCírculo Lisbon, and why do you believe women still need private, intentional spaces to grow, connect, and lead?
ThisIsCírculo Lisbon was born of a will to make waves and bring change to the female business world. The founder of ThisIsCirculo, a good friend of mine who lives between São Paulo and Amsterdam, created ThisIsCirculo for that purpose as well, because women need spaces where we don’t have to shrink or translate ourselves. Spaces where ambition is understood, not questioned.  Women, we lead differently. We build differently. We carry different responsibilities. Círculo Lisbon will be a space for growth, strategy, vulnerability, and elevation, without judgment, noise, or comparison. A space for women who want depth, not performance.
Eventually, Círculo Dubai will be next. I still believe there’s a lot of work to do in Dubai when it comes to genuine female empowerment. Stay tuned.

Entrepreneurship is often glamorised. You speak openly about pressure, burnout, and doubt. Why do you think honesty is still missing from conversations about success?
The truth is not always pretty, nearly 90% of start-ups don’t survive their first year.
One of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship is ending projects not because you stopped believing in them, but because reason demands it, not love. Entrepreneurship requires sacrifice, resilience, self-belief, and a level of responsibility most people never see. There is still a stigma around saying “I’m overwhelmed,” “I’m tired,” or “I need help.” Yet honesty doesn’t weaken leaders, it strengthens them.
When we humanize success, we give others permission not only to dream but also to try, fail, and keep going.

What are the unseen responsibilities or moments of leadership that people rarely associate with building at scale?
The unseen work is everything; making decisions nobody else wants to make, protecting your team’s well-being at the expense of your own, absorbing stress so those around you can perform, holding the vision even on days you doubt it, being the first to arrive and the last to rest, and having difficult conversations with grace. Leadership is not the spotlight, and this is not a cliché. It’s the weight you carry so others can rise.

You view lifestyle as an extension of leadership rather than a separate pursuit. How do structure, training, and routine support your performance mentally and physically?
My lifestyle is a foundation, not a luxury. Training, nutrition, biohacking, and routine give me clarity, stamina, and emotional balance. When I feel strong and centered, I lead more effectively. Structure protects me from burnout, and discipline keeps my creativity sharp. A healthy, intentional lifestyle is not separate from leadership, it is among its most powerful tools.

Discipline is non-negotiable in your life. How does this show up, and how has it enabled you to grow both personally and in business?
For me, discipline is freedom. But it also comes with losses, and learning that early in life changes everything. Discipline shows up in my training, work ethic, parenting, relationships, standards, and boundaries. It’s saying no with confidence. It’s choosing long-term rewards over short-term comfort. It’s building the life I want instead of waiting for it. Discipline is why I’ve been able to scale businesses, and close them when needed. It’s why I stay healthy, focused, and aligned with my purpose.

Looking ahead, what kind of impact do you hope your work and the communities you build will have, particularly for women navigating leadership today?
It’s still surreal how often I hear women in their twenties and thirties say, “I want to be like you when I grow up” At first, it made me shy. Now it makes me shine brighter. I’m proud of what I’ve built so far, and I’m far from done.
I want women to lead without apology, take up space, build boldly, and trust themselves deeply. My goal is to create ecosystems, not just businesses, that open doors for the next generation of female leaders. If my work makes even one woman feel seen, capable, supported, and unstoppable… then I’ve done my job. 

Authority doesn’t come from raising your voice, it comes from knowing who you are.

TEAM CREDITS:

Photographer : Goncalo Claro @goncaloclarophoto 

Creative Direction : Amy Sessions @amyvsessions

Styling and Co-Creative Direction : Diogo Raposo Pires @diogoraposopires 

Styling Assistant : Fernanda Fuscella @fuscella

Makeup : Joana Moreira @joanamoreira_makeup 

Hair : Catalina Jaramillo Sete Concept @bycatacanas @seteconcept.lisboa