Women in leadership Australia and beyond

Redefining Female Leadership: Discovering True Power from Within

Understanding Leadership Beyond the Surface

Leadership is more than a title; it’s about influence, values, and the way we show up in the world. Whether in a boardroom, a community initiative, or everyday interactions, leadership is shaped by personal experiences, social conditioning, and unconscious biases. Here, we explore what it means to lead with authenticity and integrity.


Different leadership styles influence how people approach challenges and relationships. While some leaders thrive in highly structured environments, others lead with collaboration and adaptability. Understanding these styles can help us navigate leadership in a way that aligns with our personal values and strengths.

Bias, Privilege & the Stories We Carry

Our biases are shaped by the stories we’ve inherited—stories about gender, power, and who gets to lead. Through this blog, I unpack how unconscious bias and privilege affect the way we see ourselves and others, and how challenging these narratives can create more inclusive workplaces and communities.

Women & Power: Rewriting the Narrative

Too often, women are expected to fit into leadership models that don’t reflect their lived experiences. Here, we explore how women can reclaim their power, build confidence in their strengths, and lead in ways that feel authentic rather than dictated by external expectations.

Bron's Articles

Each article is an invitation to reflect, question, and engage with ideas that shape leadership, personal growth, and the world around us. Explore the blog to uncover fresh perspectives and join the conversation.

By Bron Williams March 11, 2026
New Title
Woman with a concerned expression holding a rope, dark clothing, indoor setting.
December 17, 2025
For many years, I lived on hope. Not the light, spacious kind of hope that opens futures, but a heavy, determined hope that asked me to endure, to wait, to try harder. A hope that whispered: If you can just get this right, things will change. Recently, while watching a television show, I recognised parts of my own life unfolding on the screen — a woman navigating a relationship shaped by imbalance, disappointment, and unspoken strain. What struck me wasn't the familiarity of the story, but my response to it. I could see it clearly. I could feel compassion. And yet I was no longer bound or defined by it. That distance allowed a phrase to surface — one that has stayed with me ever since: Hope can require self-betrayal. For over a decade in my first marriage, I hoped against hope. I hoped the relationship would improve. I hoped the toxicity I couldn't yet name would lessen. I hoped that if I could just find the right key — say the right thing, be the right version of myself — then the marriage would become healthy and whole. What I couldn't see at the time was the cost of that hope. In holding on to what I believed was a virtuous, faithful, even noble form of hope — shaped by my Christian faith and the cultural expectations placed on women within marriage — I was quietly betraying myself. I betrayed my needs. I betrayed my values of honesty, openness, and mutuality. I betrayed the truth that while I was strong, I could not — and should not — have to carry everything alone. I needed partnership. I needed steadiness. I needed my husband's strength alongside my own.Instead, I learned to endure. To accommodate. To keep working at something that was not working for me. The turning point did not come through greater effort or deeper faith. It came when hope finally died. I realised — with devastating clarity — that there had never been a time when that relationship was truly healthy. Stable at moments, perhaps. Functional, mostly. But never grounded in the kind of mutual care and integrity that allows two people to flourish. And when that hope died, something else became possible. Without hope tethering me to an imagined future, I could finally listen to the truth of my own body, my own values, my own needs. I could begin to be faithful to myself — not as an act of selfishness, but as an act of integrity. This reflection isn't an argument against hope itself. It is an invitation to examine what kind of hope we are holding — and at what cost. If this resonates with you, if you recognise yourself in this tension between endurance and self-betrayal, I'd love to hear from you. Does this strike a chord for you? Share your reflections in the comments below. If you'd like to receive more writing like this , exploring integrity, identity, and the quiet reclaiming of self, you're warmly invited to join my newsletter by leaving your email details.  Sometimes the bravest act is not holding on — but letting go.
Gray, cracked stone on a light, textured surface.
December 9, 2025
Over the past few days, I’ve been aware of a heaviness I couldn’t quite name. Nothing dramatic had happened. Life was unfolding as it usually does. And yet there was a quiet emotional density sitting just beneath the surface — not overwhelming, but persistent, as though something inside me was waiting to be acknowledged. It wasn’t until this morning that the clarity arrived. As I reflected on why certain novels affect me so deeply — why I sometimes need to close the book and let tears gather — I recognised something essential about myself: it is not the dramatic scenes or the grand tragedies that undo me. It is the small moments. The quiet cruelties. The dismissive words. The everyday meanness that characters inflict on one another without even noticing. A sharp comment. A look intended to diminish. A casual hurt passed off as nothing. Those are the moments that pierce me. Those are the ones that bring the tears.And today I finally understood why. I know the weight of small wounds . I have lived them. My first marriage was marked by passive-aggressive behaviour — not explosive, not overt, but steady, quiet harm. Tiny cuts delivered without ownership. Each one too minor to point to, but collectively erosive. Over time, I learned what emotional abrasion feels like: the slow wearing-down, the internal calculation of “Is this worth mentioning?” and the ongoing tolerance of harm that never quite qualifies as harm. Death by a thousand cuts. That is how I used to describe it. So when I encounter subtle hurt in fiction, it resonates instantly. It’s not about reliving the past. It’s about my body recognising the energetic shape of something familiar. Not trauma returning, but truth remembered. And interestingly, once I named it — once I said internally, Ah, this is the weight of small wounds — the heaviness lifted. Completely. The clarity itself was release.This is what healing looks like now. I don’t brace against the feeling. I don’t collapse beneath it. I don’t override it with logic or judgement. Instead, I let the sensation move through, noticing it with tenderness and then allowing it to go. There is no torment in this recognition. There is only testimony. The tears that rise when I read those scenes are no longer the tears of a woman burdened by her past. They are the tears of a woman who survived, who understands herself, and who feels deeply without losing herself. And there is a broader truth here for women in leadership. Small wounds happen everywhere — in workplaces, meetings, families, communities. They are often dismissed because they are subtle. But their impact on confidence, belonging, and self-trust is profound. Naming them is part of reclaiming power. Feeling them is part of reclaiming humanity. Speaking about them — publicly, on platforms not always designed for feminine wisdom — is part of reshaping leadership itself. I share this here because women need to see their emotional intelligence reflected and validated. Because leadership that makes room for nuance, empathy, and embodiment is stronger, not weaker. And because the weight of small wounds lifts the moment we recognise it for what it is.  If this resonates with you, I invite you to share your reflections below or join my mailing list for weekly updates.
Large cruise ship docked at a harbor, people walking on the pier under a cloudy sky.
December 3, 2025
The Gentle Art of Becoming Recently, I found myself in Sydney, wandering along Circular Quay. A huge cruise ship was docked, its towering presence casting a long shadow across the wharf, and tourists were doing what tourists do — drifting in clusters, taking photos, following tour guides with small flags or signs, absorbing everything with a kind of wide-eyed openness. I had no particular agenda that morning. I was simply walking, letting my feet find their own pace. And that was when I heard her. Off to one side, a young woman sat with an electric violin tucked under her chin, her bow moving with effortlessly. What poured out wasn’t classical or recognisable; it was the kind of music that seems to pulse from somewhere deep within the earth. My feet began tapping, my hips swayed a little. I stopped. I listened. And something inside me — something that lives closer to instinct than intention — whispered: Dance. I walked over, placed some money in her case, and said, with a smile that felt almost too wide for my face, “Your music makes me want to dance.”She beamed. “Oh, you can dance!” she said, sweeping her arm out toward the open space around us. It was such a simple statement, so matter-of-fact. Of course I could dance. Of course the space was mine. Of course the invitation was real. And yet — I didn’t move. Not because I didn’t want to. But because of something quieter, deeper, more familiar. A thread of conditioning woven through decades of being a woman in a culture that teaches its girls early and relentlessly: Don’t draw attention to yourself. Don’t make a spectacle of your body. Don’t be too much. Don’t take up space. And so, I didn’t dance with my feet. But I danced in my heart.I softened into her music. I let it move inside me. Tears pricked unexpectedly, and I smiled — widely, openly, unapologetically — because even though my body stayed anchored to the ground, something in me was dancing, freely and without restraint. nd perhaps even more importantly: I did not berate myself for not dancing. I didn’t call myself cowardly. I didn’t scold myself for “missed opportunities.” I didn’t shame the hesitation. I didn’t demand instant transformation. There was a time in my life — a long time — when I would have.But on this morning, I simply allowed myself to be exactly where I was. I stayed. I listened. I softened. I let the music reach the places in me that were ready to be reached — no more, no less. And the kindness I offered myself in that moment felt like its own kind of dance. Soft. Unhurried. Born of deep knowing. Because the truth is this: You cannot undo decades of conditioning in a single moment of courage. Nor should you force yourself to. The work of becoming — true becoming — doesn’t happen through pressure or force or emotional gymnastics. It happens slowly, gradually, almost imperceptibly, until one day the light is simply there and you realise you are standing in it. The Gentle Work of Becoming We have been sold, in so many ways, the myth of the dramatic transformation: the big leap, the grand gesture, the overnight change. And yet, if you pay attention to your actual lived experience, you’ll notice that your deepest shifts never happen that way. They begin quietly. Privately. Softly.Long before there is any external sign, something inside you reorients itself. A small courage awakens. A long-buried longing surfaces. A truth you’ve been avoiding finally speaks clearly. What I’ve learned — and what Mycelatrix™ is built upon — is that real transformation does not rush. It unfolds.Just like mycelium beneath the forest floor, change spreads invisibly first. Networks form. New life stirs. Strength gathers quietly. And only later — sometimes much later — does something break the surface where others can see it. This way of being isn’t passive. It isn’t avoidance. It is organic. It is alive. It is sustainable. In the Mycelatrix™ world, everything grows from the inside out: Roots before fruit. Resonance before visibility. Inner movement before outer action. This honours the truth that change has its own timing — just like my urge to dance did. The moment wasn’t wrong. My response wasn’t wrong. The internal dance was real, even if my feet remained still. When we show ourselves kindness at these small, quiet thresholds, something profound happens. The old conditioning — the “don’t be seen,” the “don’t be too much,” the “don’t step out of line” — begins to loosen. Not shattered or destroyed (that, too, is a myth), but softened. Made porous. Rewritten from within. And one day, without forcing anything, you may find yourself rising from the bench, stepping out into the open space, and dancing — not because you pushed yourself to “be brave,” but because something in you simply said: Now. That is the Mycelatrix™ way. That is becoming without breaking yourself open. An Invitation to You So let me ask you gently: Where in your life are you longing to “dance,” but still learning to soften the conditioning that holds you still? And more importantly: What would it feel like to offer yourself the same kindness — the same spacious, Mycelatrix™ gentleness — as you take your next small step? You don’t need to leap. You don’t need to perform bravery. You don’t need to “fix” decades of inherited patterns in one moment.Let it unfold. Let your heart move first. Your feet will follow when they’re ready. I’d love to hear from you. If this reflection resonated with you — if you’ve had your own “almost-dancing” moments, or if you’re learning to be gentler with yourself as you grow — I invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below. And if you’d like more reflections like this, alongside my ongoing work with Mycelatrix™, leadership, archetypes, and the quiet revolutions of self-awareness, you’re warmly welcome to subscribe to my newsletter for weekly insights. Your voice, your journey, your unfolding — they matter here.
Hand holding crystal ball, reflecting a waterfront view with clouds and pier.
November 26, 2025
We often hear the advice: take a helicopter view. Rise above the detail. Step back. Be fiercely objective. It's familiar guidance in research, leadership, and personal development — the belief that clarity comes from distancing ourselves from the tangle of specifics. But the more deeply I reflect on this idea, the more apparent it becomes that pure objectivity — the clean, unfiltered vantage point we imagine — doesn't really exist. Not because we aren't trying hard enough. But because we are human. Every one of us carries a unique constellation of experiences, beliefs, assumptions, and unconscious biases. They shape how we interpret the world long before we have a chance to "zoom out." They determine what we notice, what we ignore, and the stories we instinctively attach to situations. To insist we can fully remove ourselves from this inner landscape risks hiding its influence rather than illuminating it. Objectivity, in its truest and most ethical form, doesn't require us to deny bias. It asks us to recognise it. It asks us to name the lenses through which we see. To be transparent about our own positioning. To acknowledge the forces — personal, cultural, relational — that shape our perceptions. This isn't a flaw in our perspective. It's a strength. When we become aware of our biases, they lose their power to operate unnoticed. When we understand how we are shaped, we gain the capacity to step back with greater clarity, not less. Awareness becomes the anchor that allows us to hold critical distance without pretending we stand outside our own humanity. This is the quiet revolution at the centre of the work I do: awareness as a form of power. Not the loud kind. Not the heroic kind. But the grounded, steady kind that transforms how we lead, relate, and make sense of complexity. True clarity doesn't come from standing above the landscape. It comes from knowing the contours of our own inner terrain. It's slow work. Deep work. Transformative work. And it's available to all of us. Reflection for you: Where might acknowledging your own assumptions or biases actually increase your clarity, rather than compromise it?  If this speaks to you... I'd love you to join the conversation. Share your thoughts in the comments — or if you'd like more reflections like this, you're warmly invited to join my mailing list for weekly updates and insights. Your awareness is a power. Let's explore it together.
Woman presenting, with a photo of Susan La Flesche Picotte on a screen; an Inn sign is to the left.
November 19, 2025
Here's the text with 2 blank lines (3 line breaks total) between each paragraph: In Western culture, ageing is treated as something to resist. When value is tied to productivity, fertility, and physical strength, the years between 20 and 40 become our cultural ideal — the so-called "prime of life." We see it everywhere: anti-ageing creams, fitness programs that promise to "get your body back," and the admiration for those who "don't look their age." Ageing is framed as a problem to be fixed, not a process to be honoured. Both men and women feel this pressure, but it affects women more deeply. Men remain fertile for life; women do not. A greying man is seen as wise or powerful. A greying woman is often described as "past her best." But what if that entire narrative is wrong? I've chosen to embrace ageing — intentionally, decade by decade. It hasn't always been easy, but it has been freeing. As I move through my sixties and prepare to turn seventy, I've discovered a different kind of power: one rooted in creativity, wisdom, and perspective. My energy isn't what it was at thirty — but my insight, compassion, and clarity are far richer. To embrace ageing is an act of rebellion in a culture that glorifies youth. It's to say: I am still here. I am still becoming. Old is not a dirty word. It's a declaration. It's the visible truth of a life fully lived — and that's something worth celebrating. Reflection: What would it mean for you to embrace ageing — not as loss, but as liberation? Love to hear your thoughts - please leave a comment below.  If you'd like to get more thoughts and insights like this, subscribe to my newsletter below.
Text overlay on a cloudy sky reads,
November 12, 2025
Sometimes the clouds gather more than once before we understand what they're trying to show us. A few days ago, I drew The Clouds card from my oracle deck — twice. The message that came with it was simple but powerful: "If you continue chasing after unrealistic ideas and keep floating in the clouds, success will continue to elude you. Success needs vision and down-to-earth execution." That spoke to where I am right now — holding a clear vision for my speaking and Mycelatrix work, while staying grounded in the daily, practical actions that bring that vision to life. Then a real-life storm appeared. I discovered two unexplained transactions on my business account. For a brief moment, the clouds thickened. I contacted the bank, reported the transactions, and had my card cancelled. It all unfolded calmly — no panic, no drama. Later, I learned the payments were legitimate annual renewals for an online service I use. What could have been a stressful episode instead became something else entirely — a moment of clarity and confirmation. I realised that I had acted from calm self-trust. I didn't spiral into fear or self-blame. I simply did what needed to be done. And that's when I saw it: the gift of the storm. Storms — whether financial, emotional, or relational — often come uninvited. Some shake our foundations; others pass quickly. Yet every storm carries a gift: it shows us who we are when the winds rise. It reminds us that we are capable, resourceful, and steady. For me, this small storm cleared the air. I now have a new business card, a fresh start, and a renewed sense of confidence as the year draws to a close. The Clouds card, drawn twice, has revealed its deeper message: I can stand firm. I can trust myself. The gift of the storm isn't found in the storm itself — it's in what's revealed when it passes. The clearer sky. The steadier ground. The deeper knowing of who we truly are.  Reflection: Have you ever faced a storm — big or small — that revealed a hidden strength in you? I'd love to hear your story. Share it in the comments below, or if this reflection resonates with you, subscribe to my newsletter for more stories about the power we discover in everyday life.
Quote about heavy air, with cloudy background:
November 5, 2025
A recent comment gave me pause to reflect: that Māori energy feels 'heavy' at the moment. I wonder if what is named as heaviness is, in fact, history speaking.  Māori energy isn't heavy by nature — it's burdened by centuries of harm still unhealed. It carries the long memory of colonisation, of a treaty honoured in law but rarely in spirit. It's the collective weight of survival: the effort of continually asserting identity and sovereignty in a nation that still centres whiteness as the default. When governments begin rolling back progress, when language and land rights are questioned, when policies lean nostalgic for "simpler times" — times when white men ruled without question — that weight deepens. The haka, that powerful embodiment of pride, becomes both celebration and protest. It speaks of resilience and resistance, of the pain of being unseen and the power of refusing to disappear. From across the waters, I see a similar story playing out here in Australia. First Nations peoples also carry a heaviness, one that many non-Indigenous Australians are quick to misread. After the Voice referendum's defeat, that heaviness grew thicker, not because hope had died, but because yet again the message was clear: You may live here, but your voice will not shape this nation's future. It's easy to label that energy as heavy. Harder to ask why. What my friend feels is not Māori anger alone — it's the spiritual and emotional residue of ongoing injustice. It's the ache of being unheard. And perhaps, if we are honest, it's also the discomfort of privilege sensing its own reflection. So maybe the better question isn't why are they so heavy? but what weight have I not been willing to feel? Because when one group shoulders the pain of a nation, the imbalance touches everyone. The land itself grows weary under that distortion. The heaviness isn't theirs alone — it's shared, whether we acknowledge it or not. Perhaps the invitation, then, is to stay present to the heaviness rather than recoil from it. To let empathy, not defensiveness, guide our response. To understand that grief, resistance, and pride can coexist — and that each carries truth. When the air feels heavy, it may not be a warning. It may be a call — to listen, to learn, to finally take our part in lifting the weight. What heaviness are you being asked to feel, rather than fear? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. If you'd like to learn more, or continue this conversation, subscribe to me weekly email newsletter.
A stylized depiction of a fox head emerging from earth, with roots forming its body.
October 16, 2025
A New Model of Quiet Leadership Many of us have grown up on stories of leadership defined by presence — the person at the front of the room, commanding attention, taking charge, holding the vision. The alpha model has been our cultural shorthand for strength: decisive, dominant, unshakable. But a new archetype has been emerging in recent years — the sigma leader. Often portrayed as a "lone wolf," the sigma operates outside traditional hierarchies. They lead quietly, guided by their own compass rather than public validation. Independent, self-contained, and comfortable on the edges, the sigma archetype offers an appealing alternative to the noisy assertiveness of the alpha. It suggests that leadership doesn't have to mean dominance — that autonomy, authenticity, and inner strength can be enough. And yet, something about this image still feels incomplete. Because the lone wolf still walks alone. And leadership, at its most transformative, is never solitary. The sigma's self-reliance can easily slip into isolation — a story of strength that forgets the power of connection. That's where Mycelatrix™ leadership enters the conversation. Where the sigma values independence, Mycelatrix™ values interdependence. It keeps the integrity, the inward strength, the quiet conviction — but roots them in relationship. Like mycelium beneath the forest floor — unseen yet vital — Mycelatrix™ leadership moves through the unseen networks of trust, empathy, and shared purpose. It doesn't seek the spotlight. It doesn't compete for dominance. It leads through resonance, not rank. Through coherence, not control. Where the sigma says, "I stand apart," Mycelatrix™ whispers, "I am part of the living web." This is leadership as ecology — a living system where power circulates rather than accumulates. It's not the lone wolf. Nor the alpha at the top. But the quiet, intelligent web that connects and sustains everything else. In a world that still rewards visibility over substance, Mycelatrix™ leadership offers a quiet revolution. It invites us to lead through relationship, not rivalry. To influence through presence, not performance. To remember that leadership is not about standing above others, but standing among them — deeply rooted, quietly alive, and in rhythm with the whole. The mycelium doesn't ask permission to grow. It simply spreads — through resonance, through connection, through the fertile soil of trust. That's what leadership can be: not the lone wolf, but the living web that holds the forest together. Where does your quiet influence flow — and who is nourished by the web you're part of?
Black text on a cream background:
September 25, 2025
I have regularly prepared for masterclasses and workshops using carefully-planned scripts. Every word planned, every transition carefully marked. It gave me a sense of safety — if I knew the script, I knew I could deliver. But something shifted. I realised that when I spoke, what resonated most deeply wasn't the line I had crafted perfectly, but the moment I set the script aside and spoke from myself — my body, my experience, my knowing. That is when people leaned in. That is when the connection sparked. And so I find myself moving into a new way of leading, not through lack of preparation, but through trust in what I already carry. Now, when I run a full-day masterclass it can be without a script. Not because I haven't prepared, but because I have. The preparation isn't on the page anymore — it's in me. This is what I call embodied knowledge. When you've lived something, studied it, wrestled with it, tested it, it doesn't just sit in your head as theory. It becomes part of you. The stories are yours. The insights are yours. The wisdom is yours. And when you stand up to teach, lead, or share, you don't need to clutch a script because you are the script. There's a freedom in this. A spaciousness. Instead of straining to remember the next line or worrying about whether I've covered every dot point, I can pay attention to the people in front of me. I can notice their questions, their silences, their sparks of recognition. I can respond in the moment, not because I'm improvising, but because I already carry the substance within me. It doesn't mean I won't prepare. I will always prepare. But preparation is different now. It's not about writing every word. It's about grounding myself in the essence of what I want to share and trusting that the right words will come when I open my mouth. "I am the script" is more than a mantra for teaching — it's a way of living. How often do we rely on external scripts in our lives? Scripts about what success should look like. Scripts about how women should lead. Scripts about ageing, about family, about worth. These scripts can keep us small, contained, safe — but they can also keep us from trusting what is already in us. When we say, "I am the script," we take back authority. We say: I carry enough. I don't need to mimic someone else's words or patterns. My life is the material. My wisdom is the content. My voice is the script. And in that moment, we lead not from performance, but from presence.
Woman in orange dress walks past a shattered mirror, casting a broken reflection. Pale setting.
June 2, 2025
A Life Reclaimed There is a quiet revolution unfolding within me. Not one of defiance, but of release. For so long, I wore the garments stitched from others' expectations—parents, church, family, tradition. I felt glassy and brittle, I was merely mirroring what others needed me to be. It was survival masquerading as identity. But I see it now, and I see who I was then not with contempt, but with compassion. She kept me safe in a world that prized obedience over authenticity. But she isn't needed anymore. Her work is done. The persistence that defined me—at school, in marriage, in ministry—wasn't just tenacity. It was the clenched jaw of a woman trying to hold together a self she never chose. And now? I'm releasing that persistence. No longer pushing. No longer striving to prove or belong. I am choosing instead to rest. To flow. To be. I understand now why the concept of authentic leadership has always burned so brightly within me. Because at this stage of life - this third act – it's not about leading as others expect. but about leading from the core of who I truly am. Unfiltered. Undiminished. Whole. I've come to see that the life I lived before 50 was shaped by boundaries not of my making—interpretations of old words, filtered through centuries and sewn tightly into a corset of obligation. I thought that was my real life. But it was a persona. A mask. An echo. Now, I know: the woman I am today is not a deviation. She is the original. The true. The real Bronwyn. Old patterns still whisper. I expect they always will. But I no longer answer. I don't need to fight them. I simply acknowledge their presence, and let them drift past like autumn leaves on water. They are no longer mine to carry. This journey is not without its grief. There is sadness for what was lost or never found. But that sorrow is gentle now. It lives beside the joy of rediscovery. Because I'm not leaving my past behind in anger. I am laying it down in gratitude. Today, I feel the ground beneath me differently. Not as a platform I must perform upon, but as soil I can root into. I no longer need to reflect light. I generate it. From within. Unapologetically. This is the gift of a life reclaimed.
Text:
May 25, 2025
The Quiet Undoing of Self-Erasure
Woman standing with a superhero shadow, quote about true power extending beyond surface accomplishments.
November 28, 2024
True Power is far more than Positional Authority. Not long after I returned from working with asylum seekers on Nauru I moved into a new role that saw me in an associate leadership role. Technically, we were to partner in leadership. In practice, I was treated as second class, excluded from leadership decisions, and very much made to feel unwelcome. As I talked with a friend about this time, she commented about how much one of the other leaders was jealous of me, how he was threatened by me, how he bullied me. I was so glad to have this person's behaviour named so clearly. It enabled me to put a lid on that time in my working life. It also gave me a clear example of true power. The person who was jealous of me, who bullied me, had positional power. However, it was my intrinsic organic inner power that threatened him. Many of us know what is like to be bullied. And I'm here to tell you that it is your power that threatens the insecure. Your insistence on authenticity. Your ability to sit comfortably with who you are. Being excluded and bullied is hard to deal with. Knowing that it's your power that threatens a bully does not take away from the real pain they can cause you. Don't allow bullies to convince you that you're the problem. Don't let their insecurity dim your light. Stand in your power.
Five women in black tops and jeans embrace, smiling against a yellow backdrop. Text:
November 21, 2024
What's stopping my team from being fully inclusive? Many organisations face the challenge of building truly inclusive teams, despite investing in diversity and inclusion initiatives. A common question arises: What's stopping my teams from being fully inclusive? Often, the answer lies in unseen barriers—hidden factors influencing workplace culture, decision-making, and team dynamics—that are not immediately obvious. Addressing these unseen influences is key to fostering genuine inclusivity. Uncovering the Unseen The first step towards solving this problem is to uncover what's hidden. Unconscious drivers of behaviour play a significant role in shaping how decisions are made—whether it's in recruitment, promotion, or whose opinions carry weight in meetings. Many people are unaware of how these subtle, often deeply ingrained, forces impact their daily interactions. Effective unconscious bias training goes beyond merely introducing concepts. It involves helping individuals and teams identify the specific hidden factors that are affecting their behaviour and the dynamics within their organisation. By bringing these influences to light, teams can begin dismantling the barriers that prevent them from being truly inclusive. Addressing Emotional and Psychological Barriers Another key aspect of effective unconscious bias training is understanding the emotional and psychological dimensions that underpin many of these hidden behaviours. Research into the intersection of bias and emotions, such as shame or fear, reveals how these deeply felt but often unspoken feelings can shape workplace interactions. Without addressing these emotional underpinnings, awareness alone may not lead to lasting change. By exploring how emotions like shame can contribute to biased behaviour, individuals can work through these feelings and create a more open, inclusive environment. This process of self-awareness leads to more thoughtful, inclusive decision-making, as individuals become conscious of the internal drivers shaping their actions. Empowering Leadership, Especially Women Women in leadership positions often face additional challenges due to societal expectations that may limit their potential. While unconscious bias training often focuses on identifying bias within teams, it's also essential for women to recognise any unconscious factors that may be holding them back from fully owning their leadership role. Self-reflection, understanding personal values, and developing personal empowerment are key elements in addressing these challenges. Leaders who are more aware of their own drivers are better equipped to foster inclusive environments within their teams, creating workplaces where all voices are heard and valued. Providing Practical Tools for Inclusion Awareness of unconscious influences is just the beginning. To achieve lasting change, organisations need practical, actionable tools that can be applied in everyday workplace interactions. Effective training offers strategies that help individuals recognise when unconscious drivers are influencing decisions and how to engage in open, honest conversations that promote inclusivity. The ability to tailor these strategies to different organisational contexts is crucial. Every workplace has unique challenges, and the most effective solutions are those that address the specific needs and goals of the organisation, whether in a corporate, nonprofit, or governmental setting. A Holistic Approach to Inclusivity Ultimately, successful unconscious bias training should offer more than just raising awareness. It should facilitate a deeper understanding of the hidden factors influencing behaviour, provide practical tools for overcoming these barriers, and support lasting, meaningful change. Organisations that embrace a holistic approach will see real results—teams that are more inclusive, leaders who are more self-aware, and workplaces that are more equitable. True inclusivity requires ongoing effort, reflection, and action. By recognising and addressing the unseen influences at play, organisations can take significant steps towards fostering a more inclusive, dynamic, and fair working environment.
Silhouette of a person against a colorful patchwork fabric backdrop.
November 14, 2024
What can we learn from The Patchwork Girl? Let me tell you about the Patchwork Girl. Like all little girls, she was born perfect, but she didn't know that. As she grew, her parents would say, Be a good girl. Don't do that. This is what a good girl should do. Each of those ideas was sewn like patchwork pieces over who she really was. She started school and her teacher said Stand here, Sit up straight, Don't scratch, Don't talk. You can't do that. And she allowed her teachers to sew more patchwork over her skin. Adding a new piece here. Another patch there. Friends told her how she should behave, what she should wear, how she should speak. And she let them sew more patchwork pieces over her heart. As she grew older, not only did The Patchwork Girl let other people sew patchwork pieces onto her she started looking for pieces to sew onto herself because that must be what you do as a woman – become what people say you should be, act the way other people say you should act, think what other people say you should think. She became very adept at finding new pieces to stitch onto the patchwork. That was her life. A piece here, a patch there. All different shapes, sizes and colours. She thought this must be what being beautiful looked like. The little girl had long ago forgotten who she really was, forgotten that she was beautiful, forgotten what she needed, forgotten that she was perfect in every way. Until one day, she felt she could no longer take one more piece of patchwork being added to her life. The stitches were pulling terribly on her heart. Everything hurt. And so, she made the decision to start unpicking some of the patchwork pieces. A patch here, a piece there - and this hurt but not as much as the weight she'd been carrying for so long. Some of those pieces of patch work were stitched with big stitches that went deep inside. Some of them were easy to remove – snip, snip, snip, and the piece fell away. It was the pieces that were closest to her heart that were the hardest to unstitch, the ones that had been sewn on the longest. Finally, one day she was naked. She no longer had any pieces of the patchwork of other people's expectations, other people's needs. She could see who she really was. She was naked, and she was beautiful. And she was perfect. She is me. And she is us. Whether we're trans, cis-gender, gay, straight, non-binary, disabled, older, younger, however we show up in the world, so many women are like that Patchwork Girl. We've all had pieces of other people's needs and expectations added to our lives – often to the extent that we can no longer see who we really are. More than this, women have been fed two lies. One, that all we can be is princesses, with no power, waiting to be awakened by a kiss or rescued from a tower. Two, that we cannot use our power because when we do we turn into evil queens or wicked stepmothers, cruelly manipulating people to get our own way. However, there is a third way, my personal strategy which I've codified for women who seek to rediscover and reconnect with their true power as they unstitch the patchwork pieces of other people's expectations and discover the unique, beautiful, powerful person they truly are. When women understand the powerful truth that there is truly more to us than meets the eye then together we can create the worlds we have been dreaming of. World's where equity and equilibrium are the norm in the workplace. Where however people show up in the world, we are valued for what we bring to table, not penalised – consciously or covertly – for perceived lack. Where diversity of understanding and outlook are celebrated because leaders recognise that diversity builds innovation, productivity and cohesiveness. As women cherish their needs, we ensure that our reserves of power are replenished so that we bring their best self to the table. When women identify our values, we lay a strong foundation for authentic decision-making that allows businesses and organisations to clearly pursue their goals. As women recognise the narratives that drive our lives, we are no longer blindsided by unconscious attitudes and outlooks that can hijack goals and shipwreck careers. By developing the subtle art of self-reflection women tap into the depths of our characters, build understanding of how we operate and strengthen the compassion and empathy that is essential for healthy workplace culture. As women rewrite the stories of our lives, leaving behind the narratives that no longer serve us and shape new stories we bring a powerful authenticity to all that we do. And the men, the allies, who support women as we tap into our power discover that this growth of power in women does not diminish their own. They discover that there is no zero-sum game where for women to succeed others must fail. And understand that the slices of 'pie' are unlimited – in fact, the pie expands rather than diminishes. And men discover that the strategy that works for women also works for them. That they too can cherish their needs without embarrassment, they can stand firm on the values they've identified, can understand and work with their own unconscious drivers, they can take time to reflect on their lives and write new life stories if the old ones no longer serve them. Together, women and men can create the worlds we have been dreaming of.
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