Did you get along to these amazing two days put on by The Hatchery? If not, put it in your diary for 2025.
Wow, what an amazing experience it was to be the MC for a line up of extraordinary women who captivated over 200 leaders with their stories, expertise, and wisdom! Throughout the summit there were many powerful moments that resonated with me and inspiring themes emerged over the course of those two incredible days.
Here is my viewpoint of what emerged.
Listen with Head, Heart and Gut! 🌟 Embrace the power of listening with your head, heart, and gut - Leigh Sales emphasized this which themed throughout the insightful advice shared by many of our speakers. Leigh also reminded us genuine listening is a highly skilled craft, and whilst I inherently know this as a coach, she illuminated the magic that unfolds when you listen beyond words. 🌈 Simple language and thoughtful questions can unlock profound insights beyond our imagination!
Take what you need from feedback.
Not everything is true, hold on to that. We are frequently bombarded with feedback, stories, and information, and as women, there is a tendency to feel accountable and take it all on board. No, you don't need to take it all. Be selective and decide what is true, important, and relevant to you.
You absolutely deserve the seat!
If you're not at the table, you're on the menu. Thank you April Lawrie - every woman in the room felt the power of this message. We embraced it, we cheered for it! This empowering message echoed throughout the entire event. Sandy Pitcher emphasized our right to be at the table, as did Julie Gillard. Theresa May urged us to believe in ourselves and embrace our strengths, echoing the sentiments of many other inspiring speakers.
Empower yourself, Tame the inner critic.
Women are more likely to underestimate their own abilities compared to men. We have a tendency to analyse situations thoroughly, absorb all feedback, and lead with empathy and understanding. And it often leads us to under estimating our contribution and the value we bring, poking holes at what we are missing rather than celebrating what we are. Whilst these traits are admirable, it's time to inject assertiveness into the mix! Let's value our own opinions, speak up more and evaluate feedback received objectively instead of being overly self-critical as a result of it. Taming the inner critic is key to unleashing our full potential!
Surround yourself with the right people.
Role Models, Mentors, Coaches, Ally's and Sponsors appeared in every woman’s story. Have them in your corner. Asking for help and support is a testament to strength of character, not a flaw. Wherever you are on your path, seek them out, and when you witness other women on their journey, BE that for them. Don't just find them, be them, imagine the change we would collectively create.
Theresa May surrounded herself with trusted allies who offered invaluable feedback that propelled her towards her aspirations, as well as aiding her personal growth. She emphasised the importance of nurturing these connections highlighting respect and mutual appreciation for each others input and worth as cornerstone to developing that trust.
We’ve always believed at PeopleQ that trust is a lever for accelerating performance.
Courage to dream, resilience to persist. Pursue your dreams and develop your strengths with unwavering determination. We witnessed through Helen Clark's story what achievements are possible when you do. Theresa May emphasized the significance of her upbringing, where she viewed everyone equally and was encouraged to believe she could achieve anything she wanted. Are you actively fostering a similar environment and mindset for the next generation of leaders or are our biases subtly influencing us? Creating lasting change requires a multi-generational effort. Let's take a moment to reflect on how we can initiate change today and influence future generations positively.
Theresa May also highlighted that criticism doesn't crush others, tone delivery and intent does. Leaders are not always the experts in giving (and receiving) feedback. Use tone and delivery wisely and check-in on our intentions.
Empowering leadership during challenging times! Jane Pickering from Eldercare discussed the essential qualities of leadership in times of crisis. She described the need to embody agility, optimism, fact-seeking, decisiveness, and a commitment to over-communicate. Communication, regular check-ins and seeking feedback fosters connection during uncertain times. And our ability to lead with empathy, kindness, and trust is paramount in guiding teams through adversity.
Taking care of our expectations. Our Panel on secret women's business delved into the challenges women face in silence while navigating the evolution of their bodies in preparing for and giving birth and post these years. The powerful message here was that women work like we don't have children, and parent like we don't have jobs. It's time to redefine our expectations and prioritise self care and shatter the veil of secrecy surrounding women's experiences.
Leading with Purpose! All speakers were united by the powerful thread of purposefulness! A sense of purpose empowers us with clarity, resilience, and fortifies us with a strong sense of self and guarantees perspective. The significance of embracing purpose, serving others, prioritizing their needs above your own is the secret to making a positive impact, expanding your influence, and attracting support from others!
Grab at Opportunity, the power of YES. Say yes, don't criticise what you have or don't have, what you can or can't, most of these women said YES first, dealt with the rest after. Another common theme through the summit but most interestingly emanating from the panel discussion on leading with authenticity.
Change is generational. Inequity for Women still exists, and inequity for our First Nations people is heart-breaking. I had the pleasure of meeting the extraordinary Dana Shen - her grace, clarity, understanding and unique talent for driving forward thinking ways to uplift diversity are unmatched. Dana and the panel brought awareness to the importance of allyship in contributing to a more diverse workplace and world.
Over the two days it was apparent that we are only just scratching the surface on equity, on diversity, and to bring about real change, we must engage with both the current and future generations simultaneously and beyond.
Hope to see you back at the summit in 2025!
For more information on how PeopleQ can help, email melina@peopleq.com.au or suria@peopleq.com.au
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