Bisnow's first-ever Houston Power Women event is just around the corner. In the lead-up to the big day, we'll be highlighting the event's honorees. Today's honoree is Belmont Village Senior Living co-founder and CEO Patricia Will. 

Will launched Belmont Village in 1997, drawn to senior living and memory care facilities after her mother-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Belmont opened its first facility in Houston in 1998. Today Belmont has 30 Belmont Village communities in seven states and one international community in Mexico City. Along the way, Will has expanded the possibilities for senior care facilities with the help of leading experts in gerontology.

Bisnow: Who was the first person to teach you how to be business savvy?

Will: My mother. She was a terrific entrepreneur and taught me that I could be anything/one I wanted to be.

Bisnow: What is the biggest challenge for the next generation of women?

Will: We’ve finally arrived. Now we have to figure out how to take advantage of the incredible momentum in our favor.

Bisnow: What do you think is the most significant barrier to female leadership?

Will: There are no barriers. The idea of barriers is a construct of the past. Everyone, male and female, needs to get over it.

Bisnow: What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

Will: Vision and empathy, in equal measure. Vision, because that’s what an organization needs to have purpose. Empathy, because, in the end, we are all people who need people who care.

Bisnow: What are the most important decisions you make as a leader of your organization?

Will: In the end, all day, every day, it’s about people.