International Women’s Day

I am fortunate to work with many inspiring and successful women who lead teams and businesses, who, like myself are striving to juggle and achieve balance.

Women in business have a lot to play for, the irony is that the one thing standing in the way of them and success is the confidence that they can achieve it.

I witness this in my coaching practice. I meet women who are unsure of their roles within the business, and what they, as individuals offer towards the growth and development of their business. It makes me smile because their potential is obvious, to me they are born leaders and born to be successful.

It is the most rewarding experience to share in their journey, to see women blossom and mange their self-doubt. self-sabotage and the self-control to address the balance, to feel the fear, to grit their teeth and to own it!

These women grow to be the driving force behind the business, when they learn to own it, they do it with passion with vigour and with emotion, by improving their skills and learning.

I asked a respected and much valued client of mine, Jane Knapp, Director of Phillips Brothers her view on Women In leadership:-

Women in Leadership means to me the epitome of strength, determination & success. There is no getting away from the fact that in the vast majority of cases Women in Leadership are often also Mothers, Wives, Daughters etc.; they are highly skilled at ‘being all things, to all people’ and they are expected to be. 

I lead within my business with what I believe is a maternal instinct, my role ensures it is run as a family where equilibrium is most important. I take the time to determine individuals motivators to ensure I create a highly engaged & successful team while continuously learning and developing myself. This way, as our Company grows we as individuals grow with it.

In my experience, women like Jane in business are humble, they are open to learning, they are keen to meet like-minded people to share their experiences and to help others.

Women simply try harder, they don’t rely on their egos, they work on their skills and they are open to change and a level of introspection many would find uncomfortable.

Women bring the softer skills to business that is essential to leadership in today’s culture.

I think women still need to find their own leadership style, and have the confidence to follow that through. One of the things I want to do, personally, is help inspire women to do that. For me, we need to accept that it is good for men and women to have different goals and priorities in life. Not better, just different.

Here are four great tips for increasing Women in leadership.

• Flexibility is key:

Women are looking for employers with a modern approach to work/life balance. This will make it easier for them to return to work after maternity leave, or other longer-term breaks, and help plug the ‘leaking pipeline’ of talented women.

• Tone at the top:

Create a positive culture by demonstrating your confidence in your talented female employees– the ‘tone at the top’ is vital in setting the tone further down.

• Support and structure:

Work with your female next gens, and your other high-potential women, to develop clear career paths, and provide then with the right training and mentoring.

• Policy and practice:

Make sure you have policies in place covering diversity and equality, and monitor how well you’re doing in achieving a better gender balance in the workplace.

Feel the fear, don’t be the smartest person in the room, learn new skills, come out of your comfort zone and unleash your potential.

Happy Womens Day!