As a woman leader, you are often faced with making decisions without knowing all the facts. Ambiguity and uncertainty are part and parcel of our 21st century world. You are frequently required to venture into the unknown and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Not only that, the risks you face are often compounded by […]

Today, just back from a week’s holiday, I pulled out ‘truth’ from my little bowl of inspiring words. These words act as my guidance for the day, sometimes for the entire week.  As always, I like to get back to basics: where did this word originate, what does it mean, and how has that meaning […]

So many women leaders I work with are high achievers. I was one myself, so I understand what constantly striving for success is like. How it motivates and drives us; how it can equally exhaust us.  It’s a key part of our identity. The badge of honour we wear. But what does it really mean […]

There’s value when women leaders in the same organisation have a common language of empowerment. When they look out for and support one another in meetings. Affirm and build on their suggestions so that their voices are heard and their brilliant ideas no longer hijacked by male colleagues.  A common language where they silently remind […]

Over the past few months, I’ve spoken to a number of women leaders who tell me their pay package is less than what they’d like. Less than industry average for their role and responsibilities. And we’re not talking small sums here: £50k a year or more.  Many women justify this state of affairs by telling […]

The world of leadership is complex and competitive and can be especially challenging for women leaders.  The principle, “Your word is your bond”,  emphasises the importance of integrity and trustworthiness and is crucial for you in navigating a landscape that often subjects you to additional scrutiny. For women leaders,  staying true to this principle can […]

How do you deal with the difficult conversation? When you need to let someone go? Discipline them for unacceptable behaviour?  Or let them know their work is not up to scratch?   It’s tempting to put the conversation off; wait for a better time to broach the subject.  That only makes matters worse, as they […]

“To know and not to do is not to know.” This ancient Chinese proverb is attributed to Lao Tsu. It may sound like a contradiction when you first read it. So read it again. And again, until you truly understand what this means.   Knowing something intellectually is not the same as experiencing it and […]

Self care is not a nice to have. It’s a necessity, yet so many women leaders fail to take adequate care of themselves. They get busy, involved in the many urgent activities of their day to day and lose sight of what’s important.  Working long hours, not really switching off from work even at home.  […]

“I haven’t got time.” A familiar statement I often hear from women leaders when I suggest we have a short conversation. Time, precious time. It’s the one resource — indeed the only resource that is finite, limited. So it’s little wonder we want to protect it. And yet, very few of us do protect our […]