Category: Career Growth

Get to know the senior women executives of elite learning institutions who will talk about actionable strategies for fast-tracking a career in education

The Women in Education Leadership Summit 2020 is bringing together women leaders of remarkable achievement from institutions like Harvard, Princeton, the University of Western Australia among others, to ignite passion and ambition for women in education. 

The summit will focus on preparing women for the increasing challenges of education leadership – from entry level management all the way up to the executive suite. Our key speakers will talk about their experiences as well as the strategies to help women move forward in their own leadership journey, wherever stage they may be. 

Check out some of our impressive headliners speaking at this year’s Women in Education Leadership Summit. 

Deborah is the first woman professor of practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). She served as superintendent of the Richmond (VA) Public Schools and built a reputation as one of the most successful urban district superintendents in the US. 

In her half-day workshop, Deborah will guide you along the 5 essential skills to navigate the growing complexities and demands of leadership in modern education. 

Rochelle has been responsible for overseeing all student services, including athletics, residential life, leadership activities, religious and spiritual life, among others. 

Her workshop will center on shaping student and staff experiences to build inclusive communities, enabling the success of all staff and students and building a self-sustaining community around your education institution 

Jill has more than 30 years of experience in Indigenous higher education, developing programs and support services for Indigenous students. 

Inclusivity is at the heart of Jill’s message. In her talk, she will be elaborating on the strategies for building inclusive campuses for Indigenous students and staff and advancing Indigenous education outcomes through strong leadership. 

Marcia is leading a project to transform VU’s Academic Program of the Future in order to prepare students to navigate the increasingly complex world of work. 

In her session, Marcia will be focusing on how to embed sponsorship in your organisational culture to create more opportunities for women. She will also cover how to manage the impact of unconscious bias in the sponsorship process. 

Fiona is the first woman to be Principal of Radford College and a recipient of the South Australian Businesswoman of the Year, Community and Government Award. 

As a long-time educator, Fiona understands the work it takes to unite learners of diverse backgrounds under a common purpose. On day 1 of the summit, she will be leading a discussion on how to cultivate a truly open, diverse and inclusive work culture. 

It’s high time for women in education to invest in their own leadership and executive training. Sign up for the Women in Education Leadership Summit 2020 and grow in your ability to drive successful innovation in the business of education. 

In the modern workplace, there’s still an under-representation of women in executive level positions – the small percentage who made it with the right combination of abilities, decisions and actions.

What these stats tell us is that there’s a “broken rung” in the ladder of most organisations. Fixing it will help more women arrive at the c-suite because ambition and individual effort are not enough. 

Here are a few steps that companies can do to fix the broken ladder of succession and give more women opportunities to rise to senior level positions. 

STEP 1 – Aim to train a larger number of qualified women candidates for manager positions

Setting aggressive targets for hiring and promoting women will significantly increase their representation in the corporate ladder. Consider this ratio – “For every 100 men promoted to management, only 72 women were promoted. If women are promoted and hired at the same rate as men, there will be 1M more women in corporate America over the next 5 years.” 

(Source: 2019 McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org ‘Women in the Workplace study) 

STEP 2 – Avoid “tokenism” – having a sole female member in any team just for show 

When women are grossly outnumbered in a group they will be sidelined and ignored. By contrast, having an equal number of men and women will form a cohesive group identity where gender differences become less important and members regard each other in terms of individual ability and contribution.

STEP 3 – Establish fair review and recognition criteria 

Companies need to have the right evaluation processes and tools in place to avoid any bias from sneaking into hiring and performance reviews. For example, collecting objective and measurable feedback are considered generally more informative than arbitrary scales and assessments. 

STEP 4 – Establish family-friendly HR practices  

Support for women as caregivers through flextime, job sharing, telecommuting, childcare, elderly care, etc., provide for an enriching experience at home and in the workplace. Such benefits allow women to thrive in their career ambitions and balance the difficult demands of family life.  

The bottom-line 

Leaders who fix the gender gap in their organisation foster a thriving workplace culture that generates success and wealth of opportunity for all.  

Australia’s pioneering businesswomen are coming together to help more women rise the corporate ladder or start and grow their own company. Join them by reserving your spot for The Empowered Woman Summit 2020 on 26th March. 

Understanding Sponsorship and Why it’s the Best Strategy for Women to Advance in Leadership 

The latest Women in the Workplace Report by McKinsey & Company highlights an increasing number of organisations who are seeing the value of having more women in senior leadership roles. While this is a move in the right direction towards gender diversity, women continue to be underrepresented at every level. 

The study has identified that the biggest obstacle to women advancing in their careers is not at the “glass ceiling”, but at the lower rungs of the corporate ladder – the first step from staff member to manager.

To fix the “broken rung”, women need stronger support to access stepping-stone jobs. A more deliberate focus on career sponsorship is one strategy to help more women rise to the top and achieve gender parity. 

Mentor vs Sponsor: What’s the difference

Simply put, mentors advise while sponsors advocate. The difference is also in the level of support. According to Herminia Ibarra, Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School and author of Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader –  

“In a mentoring relationship, the mentor provides personal advice and support privately, with no more at stake than the time invested. While a classic sponsorship relationship, the sponsor advocates for an individual, typically in a succession contest for a significant role, with his or her reputation at stake.” 

A sponsor can certainly make or break a career much more than a mentor. Here’s a quick guide to help you understand the difference and strategise your career growth.

Career Checklist 

Take stock of your career and determine whether sponsorship is the right approach to your professional development by answering these questions – 

• Who is the highest-ranking, most influential leader in the organisation who knows you? 
• Do you work well together? 
• Would they be willing to vouch for your talent? 
• If those who know you and your work are not powerful enough, can they connect you with someone who is? 
• Who can you approach for high-level assignments? 
• Who can introduce you to high-level decision makers? 
• How will you advance to the next notch? 
• Who can help you get there? 

On the flip-side, becoming a sponsor yourself might even be the better strategy to advance in your career. If you build a reputation for sponsoring other women to succeed in your organisation, you are more likely to rise to the top as well. 

And so, ask yourself –  

• Who do you bring along with you on the way to the top? 
• How will you help sponsor more women to succeed?  
• Have you identified high potential women proteges to sponsor within your team?  

Learn how you can sponsor and empower the next generation of female leaders from the country’s most influential women in business. Reserve your spot for The Empowered Woman 2020.