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How confident are you feeling right now?

My youngest niece Courtney was visiting last week and we took the horses out for a ride at the farm.  I love riding with Courtney because – although she’s only 14 – she’s just so confident on horseback.  Which is important because the horses absolutely sense this and they behave accordingly.  So whereas Courtney and I rode and rode for more than 2 hours, cantering up hills and down dale, it’s quite a different story when I take my nervous grown-up friends out with me.  Because as soon as a horse knows it’s rider lacks confidence, it’s more likely to push the boundaries that little bit more than usual and just see what it can get away with.

Take for instance the week before, when my good friend Ann was staying over.  We took the horses out then as well, only Ann isn’t as brazen as my niece so half way to our destination her horse stopped in his tracks and refused to take another step!  With his four feet planted firmly on the ground Ann did her best to convince Cricket to walk on.  But he knew the minute she mounted the saddle that he had the upper hand; and now no amount of pleading or kicking from Ann would convince Cricket to budge.

I reckon it’s a similar story in the boardroom or in any business negotiation for that matter.  The dominant alpha male walks into the room oozing confidence.  He believes in his way of doing things and so sure is he of himself, his skills and his capability that his confidence never falters.  From the outset he’s headstrong and sure he’ll come out on top that it’s no wonder he succeeds.

Rightly or wrongly, I believe that confidence is the single greatest predictor of success in business.  Perhaps you’ve experienced it yourself.  You’ve been in a meeting with colleagues or clients who are no more informed, educated or experienced than you.  There’s no substantial reason they should have an edge over you; but somehow they’re just that bit bolder or more certain or more self reliant than you are.  And because perceptions matter, they soon have everyone else convinced as well.

When it comes to getting more women into leadership roles and achieving their career goals, it’s no different.  Confidence has a huge role to play.  Women have been graduating in equal or greater proportions than men across most university disciplines for almost two decades, so we know that women are smart, business savvy and extremely capable.  It’s just that they’re not progressing through the ranks.  And I think a lot of this comes down to confidence. 

Of course it’s not just the presence of the alpha male that impacts our confidence.  Women who lead face many challenges their male peers will never fully understand.  More often than not they’re outnumbered in meetings by men who think, behave and respond to situations differently to the way women do.  Women in general approach problem solving and leadership in a more collaborative way to men, and this is often interpreted as being less confident or self-assured.  And women face parenting decisions that men may be understanding of, but will seldom truly experience.

All of these situations may not be fully appreciated by women who enter the workforce full of confidence and – like my niece on horseback – prepared to give anything a shot.  Because they’re bright and ambitious they assume every opportunity will be as accessible to them as they are to the men in their workplace.  Yet over time they’ll come up against challenges and obstacles that slowly chip away at their confidence and career opportunities.

So I ask you: How are your confidence levels right now?  Are you as confident as you could be at work?  As confident as you should be, considering your skills, experience and expertise? 

If you’re confidence if feeling a bit dented and you need a bit of a boost, there’s only one thing to do: get on the phone to one of your girlfriends and tell her all about it!  Chances are she’s going through the same thing as you, and just knowing that will give you a little boost.  She may have some ideas, suggestions or strategies for you to try.  Or just be a confidante you can share your frustrations with, without judgment or expectation and safe in the knowledge your secret’s safe with her.  We women may be up against a lot, but the secret weapon we have in our girlfriends is something the men around us can only dream of! 

So the call to action this week is to give yourself a break, give a friend a call and give yourself a confidence boost in the process.

Challenging the status quo

I had the privilege this week of being the keynote speaker at the 18th annual Young women in Public Affairs Award for women with a global vision, coordinated by Zonta.  The awards bring together female students in year 11 and year 12 from schools all over Sydney, with students challenged to answer the question: "What could I do to advance the status of women?" 

At the time I accepted the invitation, my brief was to inspire and motivate these young women as they make the transition from high school into the wider world.  By the end of the evening, it was me who was inspired. 

I was amazed at what many of these students had already achieved in their young lives; at the projects they had planned in schools and communities and even internationally; at the research undertaken and the consideration they'd given to the status quo for women around the world; and most importantly at their willingness to challenge the status quo and express their intentions into well formed opinions.

It really got me thinking about all the little things you and I could do to challenge the status quo for women in leadership in our workplaces.  Surely if we each took even one action this week or this month or this year we could make a huge difference.  We could put ours hands up and put ourselves forward for roles.  We could recommend colleagues and friends for roles as they become available.  We could ask the hard questions of our bosses and our boss’ bosses about why there aren’t as many women as many in our senior executive roles.  We could simply be prepared to challenge the status quo.

Now I realise that often it's easier said than done.  It can be hard work speaking out, putting yourself out there and questioning the status quo.  You might be accused of being opinionated or of rocking the boat or of stating the obvious.  But is that really such a bad thing?

Challenging the status quo can be daunting, but I reckon it’s a sure fire way to get people’s attention on an issue.  I told you last week that I challenged why there were no female speakers at the recent TedX Ideas Exchange in Sydney.  Since then one of the speakers came back to me and said “Its a great point. Was raised prior to the event. Thanks for focusing attention on it.”  I don’t feel any better for knowing that the organisers had considered the lack of women and decided to proceed anyway; but perhaps next time they’ll make sure there’s some women on the team (lest I raise the issue again and again).  In my previous executive role I stood up in front of an audience of 1200 people during question time and asked the CEO of the company why only one member of his leadership team was a woman when half of our customers and staff were women.  It certainly got his attention too! 

In another context, Ronni Kahn is the founder of OzHarvest and is a fabulous example of what can be achieved when you’re prepared to challenge the status quo.  Having spent her working life in the hospitality industry and event management, Ronni realised how much beautiful food went to waste in hotels and function centres and set about putting it to use in feeding the needy.  But before she could get started, her first job was to lobby parliament to have legislation changed to permit the food to be used for consumption instead of landfill.  It’s crazy that at the time – because of food handling laws – food in 5-star hotels was being dumped while people in our own cities were going hungry.  Ronni thought so too, and so she retained a lawyer and successfully lobbied to have the legislation changed.  Since then OzHarvest has provided 3.5million meals to needy people (they’re probably eating better than we are!) It was obviously worth her effort.

If you’ve ever come across a dumb policy or practice in your workplace (who hasn’t?!), if you’re dissatisfied with the promotion of women in your workplace or if you are tired of seeing other people get promoted ahead of you, then I encourage you to challenge the status quo too. 

And if you could do with some ideas on just how to do this, consider joining us at this month’s Take the Lead group mentoring program (in Sydney or by webinar on 23rd June at 4pm-5.30pm Sydney time).  Ronni Kahn will be the guest mentor, and will share her tips to help you challenge the status quo and to get the outcomes you need in your career.  Registration is free for members of the sphinxx leadership program and available to non-members for a small fee.  There are only 7 places left so I encourage you to book quickly via the sphinxx networking calendar at www.sphinxx.org to guarantee your place.  Perhaps I'll see you there?

And in any case I hope I’ve inspired you to challenge the status quo around you in your own unique way.  And just remember: “Anything’s possible, if you’ve got enough nerve!” (JK Rowling)

Opinion: a leadership force to be reckoned with

Two weeks ago I attended a public address by Germaine Greer through Westpac's sponsorship of the Sydney Writers' Festival.  True to form, Greer created a storm in a teacup with views shared on everything from pioneering nations to public policy and profiteering bankers.  Love her or hate her, one thing’s for sure: when Greer speaks, she pulls no punches.  For that, she’s earned my respect.

 

It got me thinking about the power that comes with having an opinion and being prepared to voice it. 

 

I’m not talking here about a group think I-agree-with-the-last-guy kind of opinion.  Nor the sitting-on-the-fence-not-wanting-to-offend kind (which is sort of like agreeing or disagreeing at the same time!).  And I’m not talking about the contrarian disagree-with-everyone-and-everything way of making a point either.  What makes Greer different is her willingness to take an idea that may or may not have a popular following, and really put her personal stamp it for others to love or hate.  It’s risky, which is why so few of us do it.  Yet the rewards are also high: who amongst us hasn’t heard of Germaine Greer?

 

In the past Andrew Denton introduced Greer as “not so much a human being as a force”.  Having seen her in action I have a sense of what he means by this.  In a world of homogenized and sanitized opinion, Greer is prepared to back herself and really put herself out there.  I wonder when you were last in the company of someone who truly did the same? 

 

I realised after hearing Greer speak that I’ve gone a bit quiet on opinion myself.  Perhaps you’ve noticed it too – that I’ve gone a bit vanilla on the vocal front over the past 6 months!  But with a bit of inspiration from Germaine I’m back on the front foot.  I’ve started pointing out the obviously obtuse again, and I’m going in to bat for the unrealized potential in each of us.  Those of you following me on Twitter (follow me at jendalitz) might have seen my not-so-quiet tweets about the all-male line up of “Leading Australian Thoughtleaders” at last week’s TedX event in Sydney.  Surely there’s at least one woman in all of Australia with some unique views on some topic worthy of inclusion? And for those of you who’ve seen my letters in the Fin Review in the past, expect to see more of them coming. 

I’ve committed to standing up and sharing my opinion at least once a day for the next 90 days, just to see what might happen as a result.  I might do this in a meeting, or online or it could be in the press.  Given we’re all coming up with ideas every day, voicing them into a public forum should be the easy part.  For me and for you.

 

So what do you reckon… are you in too?  We’re all having the conversations with each other (or in our heads!) anyway.  Just imagine the potential we could unleash if we put it out there for everyone to hear.  Now that is a force to be reckoned with.

 

And why not start now... use this blog to post your opinion on something.  Anything profound will do!

Tips for anyone who’s ever had to be the bearer of bad news!

Here in Australia we’ve been inundated with Budget news over the past week.  Since most of my blog followers and members of the sphinxx leadership community are in senior business roles, you’ll know from these “leaks” that there’s not much good news for you: you are what the current Labour government refers to as wealthy individuals so you’re being asked to do your bit to get us through the GFC.  Indeed even the paid maternity leave we’ve waited (not so) patiently for decades will be means tested away from most of you.  But rather than the policies, what’s interested me most is how the bad news in this budget has been managed.

From a leadership perspective, there’s a lot we can learn from this.  In PR terms, most of the “bad news” has been strategically leaked to the press over the past week.  In the current economic climate, no one could seriously have expected an easy budget and bit by bit, we’ve heard what we need to give up, promises the Government can no longer afford to delivery on and what we each must forego to get us through the recession.  We’re ready now for the formal announcements that are coming tonight and the almost $60bn of debt we're about to be dealt; there will be no major surprises and (because the hard news has already been dealt with) the headlines tomorrow morning will be on a more positive note.

The lesson here?  In every business we have to take the good with the bad, and when it’s your turn to be the bearer of bad news, consider how you’ll deliver it.  Consider what strategic leaks could help you manage the worst of the impact.  Consider who will be most impacted by your changes and make sure they understand the changes prior to the big announcements.  Consider syndicating the big news before that major presentation or roadshow to the people who can help you sell it.  

Too many times I’ve seen leaders fail to manage expectations in this way and then they’re surprised when they don't get the buy in they need or the sign off they’re looking for.    You can’t possibly expect people to receive, digest and agree to all your bad news in one sitting – but they just might be more forgiving if you deliver the bad news more effectively.

And as for the Budget itself?  I’m not even going to try to make head or tail of it myself – because our sphinxx leader Kate McCallum from MultiForte Financial Services has offered to do that for me!  MultiForte will be sharing the strategies you need to adopt to take advantage of the Federal Budget changes by webinar on 22nd May.  If – like me – you want to leave the work to the experts, simply register for MultiForte's free webinar by calling 02 8209 1607 or email evasilis@multiforte.com.au   

Leadership lessons from the front line

I confess.  I’m an ANZAC Day junkie.  Every year I’m glued to the History Channel, watching the same re-runs of Gallipoli landings and Kokoda combats.  Part of it stems from the memory of my Pop-Pop, who fought in World War II on the western front and in New Guinea.  And part of it is a deep and genuine respect for those men who gave their lives in honour of their God and country.  And this year, as a first-time mum, it was with a sense of sadness for the those mothers who’ve farewelled their sons in times of conflict, never to see them again.

As I watch and re-learn the tales of heroism and mateship and gallantry, I’m again left wondering: are leaders made or are they born?  Because one of the few good things to come out of war are the stories that unfold of men in the front line who can only be described as true leaders.

I think of our ANZACs as true leaders because:

1. They have courage under fire.  They push on even if the odds are stacked against them through a shear belief that what they are doing is right and is for the better good.
2. They are unconditionally committed to supporting their mates and the people they’re working with, and wouldn’t dream of abandoning one of their own at a time of need.
3.  They can distinguish the issue from the person – this is evident in stories of ANZACs leaving the trenches on Christmas Day to exchange gifts and greetings with the enemy.  After all, on Christmas Day, their enemy didn’t want to be at war any more than the ANZACs did.
4.  They are persisent, pushing on month after month in conditions that could only be described as unbearable until the job is done.
5.  They are resilient, suffering blow after blow, physically and psychologically, yet are still able to find the strength to go on and fight another day.
6.  They are heros but don’t ask for any special recognition or treatment.  To an ANZAC, they are just doing their job.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a soldier at war, but what I can say for sure that I’m in awe of the leaders they are and the job they do.  It’s humbling to consider whether anything I do in my lifetime could compare with what a soldier does to ensure his country’s freedom.  I’m quite sure there’s nothing I could do to express my admiration and gratitude adequately.  So I will simply say this: thank you to our ANZACs past and present.  You make me proud to call myself an Australian.

Are you getting the recognition you deserve?

You might have heard about Susan Boyle, she's the 47 year old Scottish singing sensation who’s taken the world by storm since she was discovered on Britain’s Got Talent.  (if you don’t know about Susan Boyle then check out her BGT performance on youtube before you read on!)

Truth is Susan Boyle could always sing – she’s been singing opera since she was 12 years old – so why did it take her almost 48 years to be noticed?  Susan Boyle says she hadn’t made it as a professional singer because “she’s never been given the chance”. All that changed when she found the confidence and courage to step onto the stage on BGT.  Sure, she could have gone on with the internal satisfaction of knowing she's a favulous singer; but to be noticed and recognised and to realise her potential she had to put herself out there and take a big risk, and convince the judges that she’s got what it takes.

I reckon it’s a bit like all those amazingly talented women I cross paths with in CorporateLand.  They’ve absolutely got leadership talent, yet for whatever reason most of them haven’t been “discovered” either.  

Maybe you’ve been patiently waiting for the opportunity to step up and lead but haven’t been able to convince your boss (or yourself!) that you can do it.  Or perhaps you’ve put yourself out there but were told your communication isn’t quite sharp enough or you’re not quite influential or persuasive enough; or if you’ve had feedback that you don’t handle stress as well as you could; or that you really need to get a few more runs on the board before you’ll be ready for that big leadership promotion.

If this sounds familiar then I'm giving you the chance to do something about it.

sphinxx is hosting a development day for senior women in business in Sydney on 21st May (other states to follow soon – please register your interest).  Aptly named Get Ahead in 2009, this is a development day for women leaders looking to do just that.  With an agenda designed by women executives, leaders and senior business managers, you’ll be challenged with new skills and thinking around 5 key development areas:

- COMMUNICATE:  How to speak so that he will listen!
- RESILIENCE:  Maintaining personal power in a changing world      
- INFLUENCE:  How to present your message for maximum impact     
- EXECUTE:  5 steps for translating your ideas into outcomes                                             
- LEADERSHIP:  What you could gain and lose from taking on a directorship

If you only attend one training seminar in 2009, this seriously needs to be the one because you’ll have the chance to gain practical insights and learn valuable skills from six of Australia’s foremost educators & experts who’ll share their top tips to help you advance your career and give you every chance to realise your dreams.  And thanks to our generous sponsors including our major sponsor, Westpac Women’s Markets, we’ve been able to keep the cost down to an absolute minimum - you'll pay only $295 for a full day of development (or $195 for members of the sphinxx leadership program). 

If you’re serious about forging ahead in your career then I really hope you’ll make the most of this opportunity.    To quote one of my favorite leading women, J.K. Rowling, “Anything’s possible, if you’ve got enough nerve”.  But only you can put yourself out there. 

Be remembered for what you do, not just what you promise to do

As a project manager, one of the things I enjoyed most was seeing a plan come together into a finished product.  Last month in the sphinxx Take the Lead mentoring program, Yvonne Butler talked about the important role that implementation plays in leadership.  Yvonne pointed out that the best leaders are remembered for their results rather than their strategy.  That is, they become famous for what they actually do; not just what they say they’ll do. 

Think about Jack Welch.  Would his strategy of being number 1 or number 2 in any market have made him famous if he never actually implemented it?  Of course not.  GE would have remained a good company but not a world leading company.  It became a leading company because it's leader, Jack Welch, delivered results consistently.

We are all good at coming up with ideas (also called strategies, if they're business ideas), but how good are you at translating your ideas into outcomes?  Is it something that comes naturally; or is your “to do” list getting longer by the day as you add new tasks without ever getting them finished?

It’s never been truer that there’s so much to do and so little time.  But how effectively are you using the time that you have?

For example, do you regularly get to the end of the day and think “wow, I achieved more than I expected today”?  Or have you ever reflected at the end of the day that it feels like you haven’t achieved anything at all?  If you’re working in CorporateLand you’ll know what I mean:  back to back meetings, spot fires to put out and what is it with all these people issues that seem to crop up every day and detract from actually getting stuff done?

So how can we as leaders get more effective at our “doing”?  I reckon it comes down to 7 key behaviours - you can read about them here and if you're really serious about getting better at getting stuff done, then come along to the sphinxx development day on 21st May and I'll show you how to do just that:

1. Structure your work into thinking time and doing time.

A partner in a professional services firm told me recently that he works from home one day a week – partly so he can spend time with his young children, but also so he can step away from the buzz of doing and give real thought to how he can lead his business more effectively.  His days in the office are doing time; and his day at home is thinking time (and playing time too – but don’t forget we learn the most when we’re having fun!) 

Set more deadlines.  If you’ve ever worked side by side with working mums you may have noticed how efficient they can be and how they seem to get through so much more in far less time that the average mere mortal.  I reckon it’s because they have the ultimate deadline: they must be at that childcare centre before it closes at 6pm!  Work will expand to fill the time you allocate to it; so if you regularly set deadlines and work to them, you’ll find yourself able to get much more stuff done.

Constantly recalibrate your to do list.  What I mean here is that you need to prioritise and re-prioritise on a regular basis.  Your to do list is like a project manager’s gant chart: every day when you review it you’re looking to determine which of your activities is the most important today, and what is the most logical and productive order to do them in.  You may be able to buy time just by grouping tasks or changing the order you do them in – such as making all your follow up calls and business development activities at once so you can use the same analysis or enter your contacts more efficiently into your contact management system.

Start things once.  Related to the previous point, this one is about doing the right things at the right time.  If you can sit down and do something from start to finish all in one sitting, you’ll save a load more time that you will by picking it up and putting it down over several different sittings.  This might mean that you don’t start it til you’re ready and have the time to do the whole task; or it may mean putting off other things you were planning to do so you can focus on getting this one task done.  For me this is my most effective time management technique – it just works a treat! 

Call in favours.  I reckon blokes are particularly good at this and I’ve learned a lot from the men I’ve worked with about how to ask for help without looking like you’re palming everything off to someone else!  But really what this is about is using your network to multiply your productivity.  We already have more in our job description than one person can possibly complete.  So as you’re working through your to do list, think about each task and consider who do you know who might be able to share some tips or short cuts or put you in contact with resources to help you get the job done.  Then call them and ask if you can have a few minutes of their time to share their expertise.  It’s such a compliment for the person you’re calling to be framed up as the expert that their ego simply won’t be able to resist giving you a hand!   You’ll be on your way to the finish line in no time at all, and you’ll probably have caught up with at least one person you’ve been meaning to call for the past 6 months anyway!

Get real about what you’re taking on.  Really, are you sure you want to put your hand up to organise the Christmas in July party this year?  Is it really where you should be spending your time and effort, or could you save yourself a lot of hassle and heartache by simply saying “no, I’m afraid I can’t help this time”.  We women have a tendency to take on a lot more than we need to and it often comes back to bite us.  And just because you say yes in the heat of the moment, it doesn’t mean you can’t retract your offer later.   Take a good look at your to do list and decide whether everything on it is a value adding activity to you or someone important to you.  If not, perhaps it’s time to give it the flick and cross it off your list for good.

Delegate.  Don’t forget that even if you’re responsible for certain outcomes, it doesn’t mean you have to deliver it all on your own.  There are people on your immediate or virtual team who can help, and who may well be more efficient and effective than you in delivering the outcome anyway!  The key success factor in delegating is to do it early in the process so you allow a reasonable time frame for the task to be completed and you can review progress to ensure the work is tracking as you expect.

These are just my thoughts to get us started.  But you’re the experts – so can you do me a favour and share your top tips for getting stuff done?

So what if women don't fit the "ideal worker" model?

It’s a big leap forward that ‘being a mother does not significantly change young women’s career ambitions’.  But Catherine Fox is right to point out that ‘many women will have different lives to the classic “ideal worker” model (“With almost equal pay comes a reality check”, Australian Financial Review, 7th April 2009 p.50).

The question is: what does this mean for working women?  It may mean that careers are interrupted by periods of parental leave, and payrises awarded during these periods almost certainly won’t flow to the absent carers.  So they’ll return to work on their same remuneration (and probably less in real terms), while their peers have pegged ahead on the salary bands. 

It may mean that they are not available at short notice to work late into the night on that urgent proposal, so their more “flexible” colleagues get the kudos and the bonuses for closing the deals.  And therefore consideration for the promotions, under the current paradigm.

And it almost always means that women are seen as riskier appointments to senior roles.  So they have to be able to tick all the boxes before they’ll even make it onto the panel for consideration.  (Many organisations lament a lack of female candidates; but is it any wonder fewer women even apply for many senior roles?)

Shifting these visible and invisible barriers to career progression is no mean feat and it doesn’t help that there are so few female role models at the top.  Every week senior women in business tell me they feel obviously different to the “ideal workers” around them and they worry what this will mean for their career success.  Will they be sidelined?  Do they need to change employers to find opportunities to progress?  Many executives would be shocked to hear the conversations their female talent are having every day with each other, yet rarely with them.

What many women want is access to others who’ve been able to navigate these obstacles, to successfully off-ramp and on-ramp, and to shift gear and take advantage of career opportunities that fit with a multi-dimensional notion of success.  And who are willing to be mentors and share their stories in the business community to shift perceptions of the “norm”. Sue Morphet springs to mind as someone who’s taken a non-linear career path.  But in most of the 98% of our top companies that are led by men, the CEO’s trajectory to the top follows a more text book approach.

Role models matter, and if organisations can’t provide their up and comers with internal role models perhaps they should seek help from businesses committed to breaking down the statistics and the stereotypes.  And before you write off this idea as a discretionary spend in the current environment, consider that female representation in our leadership ranks has actually gone backwards since 2006.  So what is the cost of doing nothing, in terms of unrealized potential, recruitment and development costs and lost organisational knowledge?  If we are to address the advancement of women in leadership in a meaningful way then it’s time to look at new and different strategies that women themselves are calling for. 

What can you learn from your leadership mishaps?

Mandy Foley-Quin is CEO of Stedmans Hospitality and the 2009 Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year.  Foley-Quin was the guest speaker at today's CEW luncheon hosted by Westpac Women's Markets in celebration of the Veuve awards.  She shared her story of beginning Stedmans from scratch 23 years ago as a single mum responsible for her six-month-old daughter and of growing the company into a major supplier of trained hospitality staff, employing 1500 staff at major events including the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Olympic Games.

Along with the other women on my table, I was impressed with Foley-Quin's stories of success.  And how could you not be?  She shared with us the successes she's enjoyed and challenges she's overcome since she arrived in Australia in 1983 with nothing but $600 and a suitcase.  And - perhaps more importantly - she also referred to the mistakes along the way that have shaped the woman she is and the businesses she has built. These included expanding beyond the comfort levels of business partners who fell by the wayside, and of commencing and then scrapping new business arms that all seemed like a good idea at the time...  More than once she came close to losing the lot, and she's not too proud to say so.

This willingness to speak with humility about the downs as well as the ups is prevalent in so many women leaders I have the pleasure of meeting.  It's an acknowledgement of the need to take risks, to make decisions quickly and to get on and give things a go without fear of failure.  Sharing the mistakes and the lessons learned is an important ritual: it shows other women that even if the worst happens, you can push on and still succeed.

This is a clear distinction between many of the female and male leaders I've worked with.  I believe that women leaders are more likely to acknowledge that the road won't always be clear ahead, but the obstacles can make the journey all the more memorable and interesting too.  And make you a better leader for learning to push on and clear the way for those who follow.

Sharing the obstacles and even the stuff-ups is a fantastic way for all of us to learn some of the best leadership lessons we'll ever know.  So what can you learn from your own leadership mishaps?

AmCham women in management panel tells us how to be money wise in 2009

I attended an AmCham women in management event last night featuring an expert panel of speakers who told us in detail what we needed to be "Money Wise in 2009".  The panel was truly sensational, with a detailed assessment of the macro economic environment - or global financial crisis - provided by Sally Auld, Executive Director and Interest Rate Strategist at JP Morgan and Tanya Branwhite, Divisional Director - Research at Macquarie Capital Securities - as well as some tips on how to manage the personal financial crisis that's going on in most of our super funds and personal portfolios by Melanie Evans, Head of Superannuation, BT Financial Group and Stacey Martin, Senior Manager Financial Planning at NAB Private Wealth.

What struck me most about the evening was how truly sensational the panel participants were.  Seriously.  Each presented on their topics with confidence and fielded questions from the audience with ease.  Which left me thinking: if this wasn't a women's event, how many of these panelists would have been selected to present?  I mean, when was the last time you went to a conference where 4 out of the 4 expert panelists were women? If there was such a time, was it a mixed gender event or women only?  Because I reckon all of us have seen a panel discussion where all the panelists were men; just rarely the reverse case.  Especially at mixed gender events.

I believe this is just another manifestation of the unconscious biases that follow women throughout their careers: I could be wrong, but I reckon women just don't fit the model of leaders that the media wants to portray.  Take Auld for starters: she has a PhD from Oxford University in Economics, a BEc from the University of Sydney and all the right brand names on her CV - yet the stereotype economist is male (in Australia think Rory Robertson, Shane Oliver, Alan Oster et al). Branwhite's career has spanned various investment banks and she was named the 2008 Equities Analyst of the Year... yet in all my years reading the AFR and watching Sky Business I don't recognise her as a regular commentator (a google search confirmed my suspicions).  Evans and Martin have careers spanning banking and wealth roles in the big name banks and demonstrated an obvious gift for taking the complexities of investment management and making it easy for anyone to understand - with Evans using analogies like that little dress in the back of your wardrobe to explain attribution and Martin challenging women to forego that trip to the day spa that we're so sure we deserve for the secure financial future that we really deserve!

Whether you were looking for insights into the state of the economy or the state of your super, this panel had it all.  They deserved the applaud their discussions commanded.  And they deserve more recognition in the media for of their expertise. 

And for the record what did they have to say about being Money Wise in 2009?  It went something like this: we can expect an alphabet soup style economic recovery; we should watch out for the Emporer's new clothes that got us into this mess in the first place; that if you haven't worn that dress in the back of the wardrobe it's time to chuck it out; and that you'll never be able to make a down payment with your Milano Blahnik collection so it's probably best to go with a more liquid investment!

Could you describe yourself in just 3 words?

Last week I was asked by a potential client to describe what makes me different from everyone else... in just 3 words.  I blew it.  And I’m so annoyed with myself for that.

I was in the car when the phone rang, the baby was crying, the traffic was jammed and I wasn’t fully present.  I probably shouldn’t have taken the call but when the name flashed up on the screen I couldn’t help myself.  I really want to do work with this woman!  And in my eagerness I may well have stuffed up any chance of that!

We hear all time how important it is to have an elevator pitch and to be able to explain what it is that we do for a living.  I’ve heard it said that men are better at this than women, but I don’t think this is necessarily true.  Maybe it’s tough for women to resist being verbose – it has been said after all that women speak three-times as many words every day as men.  But other studies say this isn’t necessarily true either.

In any case, I do believe it’s important to be able to describe what we bring to the table in a succinct and clear way.  I just didn’t realise I’d ever be asked for just 3 words!  So I hadn’t ever given this much thought.  I have now though, so I’ll be prepared for next time.  Just like I’m prepared to ask a question at every meeting I go to so that I appear to be interested and to have a view.  One of my favorite mentors (a man) taught me years ago to do this, when I was just starting out in my career, and it’s advice I always pass on now to the women I mentor.  It works a treat in building a reputation as a do-er.

So how do you come up with just 3 words?  I looked back through the feedback and testimonials I’ve received as a consultant and speaker and looked for the common themes.  You could do this to by asking people you work with for just one word to describe you.  It feels good when you’ve come up with the three – sort of liberating to be able to get down to the essence of who you really are.

For the record, I’m practical, refreshing and real.  And who are you, in just 3 words?

From Good to Great... join the new sphinxx Business Book Club

… is how I’d describe the sphinxx community and what we have planned for members in 2009!  Apart from Take the Lead, our recognised group mentoring program that connects women with successful role models and female leaders, we’re launching the new sphinxx Business Book Club and Expert Panels from April.  I encourage you to make the most of your membership by getting involved in these new programs that are complimentary to all sphinxx members.

There's only 4 weeks to go until the sphinxx book club kicks off on st April.  Rumor has it that Good to Great, the Jim Collins leadership classic, is a favorite read of Westpac CEO Gail Kelly.  Join us at our first book club meet on Wednesday 1st April (register to attend in Sydney or by webinar) and discover what the leaders of great companies have in common – and how you can hone these skills in your own leadership style. 

So haul out your copy and dust it off ready for April.  Or if you don’t have your own copy of Good to Great, buy one now:

What will a recession mean for working women?

I’ve often suspected that minority groups suffer the most in an economic downturn.  Of course its true that the average family already struggling to make ends meet will feel the sting as overtime dries up or casual hours are cut back.  And few workers will avoid the pinch when it comes to bonus time this year; if bonuses are paid at all they’ll be a fraction of last year’s windfall.  But then there are the minorities: those in the workforce who, for a variety of reasons, will suffer because they have less bargaining power than others around them. 

My suspicion is that working women fall into this category more often than we think. 

I recall a conversation with a partner in a law firm a couple of years back.  She told me that in the annual promotion process, a male lawyer was put up for partnership alongside a female lawyer.  There was room for only one to be admitted and debate ensued as to which it should be.  The male was married with two young children; the female was single.  So what has marital status got to do with it?  Of course we all know it’s illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender and I’m not a lawyer but I’m sure that evaluations on the basis of marital status would also be a no-no.  Yet there were partners in that firm who expressly endorsed the male because he had a young family to support.  Being single without dependents, there was surely less urgency for the female to be promoted, another male partner surmised.  Both were high performers in every respect.  In the end, the guy got the gig.

I kid you not, this is a true story.  And I wonder in the current economic environment how many such conversations are taking place behind closed doors around the country.  I’ve also heard of women in dual income households being given the raw prawn on pay negotiations when their salaries were considered “supplementary” to the family budget.

Consider also what happens in many organisations as the market tightens: “support functions” like marketing and HR are the first to be cut (women just happen to occupy the majority of these roles); redundancies are dished out to those on extended leave (women on maternity leave are easy targets) and full time jobs are converted to part time (and part timers are less likely to be considered for promotions and leadership roles). 

According to the Australian Financial Review (16/1/09), December labour force figures show the proportion of women working full time fell markedly at the end of last year.  While there were 36,000 fewer women in full-time employment in December in seasonally adjusted terms, part-timers rose by almost 39,000.  For men the shift was relatively modest: the number of male full-time jobs fell by 7700, against a 4000 increase in part-time positions.  Yes, the increase in women in part time roles could be a positive thing, as more re-enter the workforce on flexible terms.  Or it could be that roles are being downsized and it’s the women who are bearing the brunt.

Are you seeing anything untoward in your workplace?  Keep your eyes peeled, sometimes you just can’t see the forest for the trees…

Change has come!

Change has come" was the headline in the Sydney Morning Herald on Ethan's birth date, 21st January 2009.  The paper was referring to Obama’s inauguration but we couldn't have put better ourselves the profound turn our life was about to take! 

Thanks to everyone who's sent their wishes and asked for more details.  Ethan’s official birth stats:

- time of birth: 10:34am
- weight: 3.510kg (about 7pounds 11 ounces in the old language, or something like that)
- length: 51.5cm

As I write this a week after Ethan’s arrival, I’m still in awe at the miracle of his birth and how something so beautiful came out of me!  And I’m amused by some of the events that transpired before and since his arrival.  Here are my Top 10 favorite and funny memories so far:

1. You’d think that with all the degrees and qualifications I have, and the business projects I’ve managed, that a simple pregnancy test shouldn’t pose much of a problem, right?  Wrong! If I’d read the instructions, I would have known that there was a CAP on the end of the pee-stick that needed to be removed to show the result window.  This is where the blue line shows if you have a positive result.  Except because I didn’t know there was a cap that needed to be removed, and I thought the actual dip-stick bit would show the blue line, I was oblivious to the first positive test result.  And the second one!  It was only as the symptoms kept mounting that I thought to check the instructions… and of course the result in the window beneath the cap was a clear blue line!

2. It’s a boy! But we knew that from fairly early on in the process.  Because I’ve never been one to remember when my periods fall, I had no idea what the due date would be.  We did some guestimating with my GP and concluded that I must have been about 6 weeks when I first realised I was pregnant.  Around the same time a big lump appeared in my abdomen and during a scan to confirm the lump was nothing serious (just a big uterine fibroid), the baby was also scanned and determined to be 15 weeks old already.  Fantastic – I’d sailed through the first trimester without even realising!  But I was just gob-smacked to see on the big plasma screen in front of me that at 15 weeks the little chap already had perfectly formed arms and legs and everything in tact – and looking at him in 4D imagery, all I could mutter over and over again was “isn’t this technology amazing!”  This seemed to amuse the radiographer no end.  She asked why I hadn’t brought my husband with me so he could see the scan as well, to which I replied “had I known I was 15 weeks already I would have!”.  At this point she asked if I wanted to know the gender, which again I was amazed to know could be determined already, and just as we were discussing it the baby moved around and into a full frontal position leaving no doubt that either he was a boy or he had three legs instead of two!  Being the youngest of an all-girl family, and perhaps just being a girl, I was shocked at the idea of having a little boy growing inside of me.  “A boy.  I don’t think so.  Are you sure?” I asked, about three times, stunned silence in between.  When the response was the same each time over, I finally spoke again “well that’s hilarious; his father should be happy with that!”.  Which of course he was.  A little Ric was on his way!

3. So, soooo tired is what I’ll remember most about being pregnant.  For someone who’s normally burning the midnight oil and producing my best work at that time, it was a shock to be tucking myself into bed at 9pm.  And then there was the doctors appointments on top of that – I had weekly visits for much of my pregnancy and in the beginning this stressed me no end in terms of my lost productivity as I waited less than patiently for 3 or 4 or 5 hours for my turn to see the doctors.  With the fatigue and the lost time came an overwhelming sense of guilt: not for myself, but for all the women who’d worked for me over the years and for whom I had no empathy or sympathy as they’d pushed on through their pregnancies.  Only now, through my own experience, could I truly understand how tiring it can be making and carrying around a little person in your belly – and I didn’t even have to deal with morning sickness.  As I looked back on my complete ignorance, I truly felt like the bitch boss from hell.  I apologise – at least I know now!

4. Most of the pregnancy was less than memorable for me, but towards the end things started to get interesting.  The nesting process in particular really cracked me up!  It’s that instinct that kicks in as the baby pushes down into the engaged position that has even the most domestically unconditioned of us picking up the vacuum cleaner and Spray and Wipe and cleaning like a demon!  Given my history of domesticity (or lack thereof – the house normally looks like a bomb’s gone off in it!) I found the nesting almost as miraculous as the birth process itself.  Two weeks before Ethan arrived, and within 24 hours of him making the final drop down to the birth canal, I was off and racing on a quest to clean every last surface, wall, carpet and couch in the house.  All I could focus on was cleaning house from top to bottom and getting the nursery set up and ready to go.  Bathrooms were scrubbed, carpets were cleaned and walls washed.  Ric was in hysterics watching me and wondered why I’d never managed such a feat before.  And I think he’s more than disappointed that this phase has now passed and we’re back to the mess and clutter that inhabits my normal existence.  Oh well, it was good while it lasted!

5. On time and on budget – now that’s good project management.  Or good luck!  As my due date approached I was sure the baby would arrive early and though there were signs that he might, in the end he didn’t.  But he did arrive right on cue. Perhaps it was good luck or maybe it was the threat of being induced if he hadn’t arrived by term (due to the gestational diabetes I was managing throughout the pregnancy).  Either way, I was due to arrive at the hospital at 7am for the induction process to begin and my stage 1 labour began 3 hours earlier at about 4am.  When the contractions started, I slept through the first hour or so until I realised they were getting stronger and closer in time.  Realising this I woke myself and began timing the contractions.  At about 5am I woke Ric; the contractions were 5 minutes apart and we rang the hospital to find out what we should do next.  In hearing my cries of pain, the midwife gave us the green light to head on in.  So what was Ric’s first question, at such a critical moment?  “Have I got time for a shower?”  Now Ric’s a deep sleeper, so I thought this wasn’t a bad idea.  “Just a quick one” I said, as the wave of the next contraction washed over me.  So imagine my amazement when I looked up into our ensuite to see him in the shower, basquing under the warm water, lathering up and preparing for a shave.  “A QUICK SHOWER… NO TIME FOR A SHAVE!” I yelled, quite sure there really wasn’t time left!  This woke Ric up for sure and we were off on our way.  The game was on!

6. We were on budget with the birth because, for a variety of reasons, Ethan was delivered through the public hospital system.  I’d had some complications during the pregnancy that required specialist support, which was provided by the fantastic team at Royal North Shore throughout my term.  The midwives who assisted with the delivery were absolutely wonderful as well and our birth experience was certainly a positive one.  It seems that rarely a day goes by without a bad news story about our public hospital system, but in truth I could not fault the service and the expertise we had access to at RNS.  It is indeed a privilege to live in a country and a city where access to world class medicos is freely available to all.

7. Finally, when it came time for the delivery, the little chap wasn’t mucking around!  We arrived at the hospital at 6am, the epidural was administered about an hour later.  Unfortunately it didn’t work though, so another one was administered about an hour or so after that.  And once that one kicked in, the midwife’s examination showed the baby was on his way out!  Only problem was, Ric had headed out to get some refreshments (once the epidural kicked in I realised how hungry I was!) so we had a phone hotline going to him and he ran all the way back to the ward just in time to help me with the pushing.  Our baby boy was born at 10.34am. 

8. The name game was an interesting one.  Once I found out early in the pregnancy that a boy was on the way, the naming process started in earnest.  I have to say this was the toughest branding exercise I’ve ever undertaken!  For over 5 months we tossed around different names: modern, traditional, classical, biblical, English, French, German, you name it.  It was tough!  In the 2 weeks prior to Ethan’s birth it became an obsession as I scoured the book of baby names and by the night before his arrival we were still undecided.  Ric favoured more popular names; I wanted something distinctive and strong.  It seemed like we’d never reach an agreement so when the midwife finally delivered the baby and asked if we had a name picked out, I was surprised that Ric turned to me and asked “do we have a name?”  After the effort of the birth he left it to me to have the last word.  And so I chose Ethan Richard – Ethan meaning “firm, strong, steadfast”.  For the middle name the choice was simple – without Ric’s persistence he would never have convinced me to have a baby in the first place.

9. “Did I really make this little person?” I’ve asked myself over and over and if I didn’t see him come out of me with my own eyes, I’m sure I wouldn’t believe it was possible.  In the days following Ethan’s birth, I stared at him for hours on end wondering how we managed to produce such a perfect little being.  Mother Nature is simply incredible and I’m in awe of her work.

10. What is normal anyway?  Now that we’re all home, life is beginning to resume some sense of normality, whatever that now means.  On the first night home together, we were watching the Australian Open tennis on the TV in our room and as I put Ethan down in between Ric and me, I had this momentous realization: when I left for the hospital we were a couple and now, just a couple of days later there’s an extra person in our family.  Seems simple, but it doesn’t really hit you til you’re faced with blunt realities like this.  The all-nighters have taken a different form, and working flexibly is taking on an entirely new meaning.  But isn’t it amazing how quickly something so completely and utterly foreign can soon become “normal”… 

A week down the track and Ric and I are really enjoying getting to know the little chap.  The beagles have been on their best behaviour; initially they oscillated between being terrified (Baby wet herself when he cried the first time!) and intrigued.  TJ tried to nest with Ethan like he did with the little calf and Millie is just wondering whether the new pet is staying or being given away like her puppies were!  All in all they seem to be more than impressed with the little guy as well.

Ethan is being very kind to his parents and sleeping better than I had expected.  Yes, the new mum and dad are tired but it could definitely be worse!  Thanks to everyone for the little tit-bits of advice and suggestions that have been flowing through, and for the good wishes you’ve been sending.  I’m about a month behind in my emails but I will get back to you all soon.  In the meantime, we’ll just continue to take things as they come!