The above image is inspired by a quote on the website of Female African Presidents. The words of gratitude and a call to action align with our work.
What do you think Covid has taught us in the boardroom?
When Covid first hit, all roles and boundaries were questioned, which resulted in boardrooms morphing into an environment where leaders held multiple roles simultaneously. I think that fundamentally, the role of a board remained. What changed was that Strategy (the roadmap) went out the window, it was survival and reassessment, at great speed. Regardless of how well organisations have responded, all those in leadership positions have been forced into a very public role and I believe those of us with that privilege need to continue to step up and take responsibility for what is being asked of us, by fully owning our limitations and leaning towards our communities for support, information and to challenge our thinking.
On a personal level, I took the time to reach out to other CEO’s and spent time talking about feelings and checking in on how people were getting on. I felt like I was connected with a group and experienced an immense amount of kindness and support. I am hopeful that this empathy will be a permanent positive to come out of the Covid pandemic.
In a post Covid world, what are some strategies that can help women achieve success, especially in male-dominated roles or industries?
I am fortunate to be part of a passionate community that champions women and creates an environment for us to be the best possible version of ourselves. Unfortunately, that has not always been the case and in the past I know that I have been overlooked for positions and career progression. I consciously and consistently showed up, bringing my whole self to work every day and, probably most importantly, believed in myself and what I could achieve. Given the challenges women can face in the workplace, I think they could be forgiven for having misgivings about putting trust in a system where they can be overlooked. I firmly believe that people are fundamentally kind and want to see others succeed so taking that leap of faith to trust others can be key to success.
What has energised you about your work during the Covid pandemic?
I think there has been a time for self-reflection during this period of time and understanding that I am a human being and that the roles I occupy, I occupy fully. I have felt energised by a huge expansion in love and compassion for others and felt a real sense of responsibility to stand up as a leader wearing many hats in the process. I could liken it to when you are a new mother, you are constantly adjusting to new roles and responsibilities as a parent, but you always get there. You shift and adapt and feel a huge sense of accomplishment along the way.
The pandemic has certainly highlighted the importance of diversity – some boards did great, others failed. My personal view is that boards with diversity considered wider options and listened to all stakeholders when making decisions, without abdicating their responsibility to make decisions. This was not the case when there was a lack of diversity.
Post Covid, I feel enthused that there will be a positive change to many business strategies meaning organisations will no longer just pay lip service to equal rights, they will take action, from a place of knowing that is the right thing to do for business, communities and our planet.
What advice would you give to aspiring women leaders that would help in a post Covid working environment?
Harness your passion and think big. If there is a role or position that you want to go for, go for it and go even beyond that. Understand what you need to do to get there. Never be afraid to ask for help, find out what help you need and identify the people who can provide that. I would also say that you have to bring your whole self to work. Bring the authentic you. That is the person others want to see and believe in.
Finally, I would say we have a responsibility to encourage one another and to make a sustainable difference, we need to step into the change we want to make and no longer watch from the side lines. When I think of lifting women up to their rightful place in leadership positions, I remember Hilary Clintons speech on 5th of September 1995 at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she said: “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights.” She truly stepped up to the privilege of her role and with deep personal courage uttered those words, without knowing what the response would be… and WOW! What a response, and her speech had huge impact on the lives of so many women around the globe. If you haven’t seen or read it I suggest you do… or join Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and meet extraordinary women leaders, who are present and ready to support.
