In honour of International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting the extraordinary female leaders within our organisation. These trailblazers have navigated the multifaceted landscape of leadership, carving paths in diverse fields and roles. They now share their wisdom on rising to leadership, embodying inclusive leadership traits, and addressing the current challenges leaders encounter. Their insights provide not only a roadmap for aspiring leaders but also shine a light on the importance of diversity and inclusion at the helm of success.
On this page:
“Believe in yourself. Embrace your authenticity and build a strong support network.”
1. What advice would you give to women aspiring to leadership roles?
Take a leap of faith, back yourself and be brave. There is no right time to go into a leadership role; it is very much a personal choice when it is right for you. However, self-awareness of your knowledge, skills, and abilities guides leaders on why, when, and from whom they need help. No leader knows everything, so behind every leader is a great team.
— Yvonne Mckinlay FACN, National Director of Education
Never be afraid to take up space! Allow yourself to be seen and heard, express those ideas and opinions, and dare to reach out to occupy the space you rightfully deserve, you can’t make the change you want without it!
Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself”. So be sure to expand your circle of influence through both internal and external networks and continue to learn from each other.
Most of all, remember to just be kind to yourself and remain true to who you are – we all have had to start somewhere.
— Karoline Dawe, National Director – Partnerships
Be brave and accept the opportunities that come your way even if they scare you! Find a good mentor early. Look for someone who will be able to guide you through the challenges that leadership roles will throw at you. Remember that we all began from the same place and trust in yourself and your ability, be open to feedback and see mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. Value your team and their contributions whilst ensuring that they understand the expectations. Be clear about your vision and what you are seeking to achieve so that you can articulate it clearly. Understand your people and what motivates them. Deal with problems early. Learn how to have difficult conversations, to influence and negotiate outcomes. Communication is critical to successful leadership.
— Karen Grace MACN, National Director – Professional Practice
Be true to yourself in the first instance. Understand what your capacity and capabilities are and then stretch them and yourself. Ask questions, talk to your peer group and be prepared to go out of your comfort zone.
— Karen Dansey FACN (Hon), Manager – Corporate Support
Believe in yourself. Embrace your authenticity and build a strong support network. As you step into leadership, remember that your unique qualities and connections will contribute to your success.
— Jennifer Harland MACN, Director – Institute of Leadership
Surround yourself with good people, the ones who inspire you and lift you up.
— Kath Lynch MACN, Manager – Professional Engagement
Stop doubting yourself! You do not need to know everything to be a leader. Everyone has to start somewhere. As women, we often hesitate to pursue opportunities unless we feel overqualified. Embrace challenges and adopt a proactive learning mindset.
Seek mentorship. A mentor can provide invaluable guidance, helping you navigate your leadership journey. We live in an age abundant with resources—many freely available. Make the most of these tools. Listen to podcasts, subscribe to newsletters, and attend webinars. Actively seek out the knowledge you need to enhance your leadership capabilities and confidence. Embrace every opportunity to grow!
— Sophia Hartl, Manager – Marketing
Embrace advice from others but carve your own path. In my early career, I looked up to numerous women leaders, adopting their habits, phrases, and strategies. However, this imitation led me to stray from my own goals and visions. While it’s crucial to learn from those around you, it’s equally important to integrate that learning into something that uniquely represents you. By doing so, you maintain your integrity and can confidently stand tall, knowing you’re leading authentically and on your terms.
— Kirsty Waterford, Director – Communications
My advice to women aspiring to leadership roles is to focus on honing your communication skills, building a strong network internal and external, and showcasing your problem-solving abilities. Embrace challenges rather than shying away from them – look at them as an opportunity for growth and success, seek mentorship, and continue to learn, develop, and broaden your knowledge.
— Jamaylah Bama, Director of Customer Experience and Business Performance
Back yourself! It’s easy to be caught up in lots of critical self-talk, consider some ways you can invest in your own personal or professional growth to help boost your confidence and manage the self-talk, this could mean taking on additional learning and certifications, or it could mean facing your fears and doing it anyway by putting your hand up for more career and network growth opportunities that come your way.
Build a support network! Leadership roles are highly rewarding, but it can also be challenging. If you’re interested in pursuing a leadership role, create a strong support network of mentors and sponsors who you admire and respect, who will be honest with you and provide you with helpful support and insightful feedback throughout your leadership career.
Be clear on your values! Stay aligned and clear on your values and be authentic to them, it will reduce a lot of self-doubt and aide as a guiding light in complex leadership challenges that may come your way.
— Marjela Latif, Director – Corporate Services
“Inclusive leadership is not about ticking a box but genuinely valuing and celebrating the benefits of inclusivity and diversity.”
2. What qualities do you believe are essential for inclusive leadership, and how can leaders develop these qualities?
Inclusive leadership is inherently related to and embedded in respect for others. Rather than list all qualities, the one that is important to me is respect. Respect for others is an intrinsic quality and makes us who we are. However, to be an inclusive leader, we need to know our biases and be self-aware to seek out, be open, and listen to other perspectives.
As leaders, we need to give people space and create psychologically safe environments so different perspectives can be heard, which supports leaders in making informed decisions.
— Yvonne Mckinlay FACN, National Director of Education
Inclusive leadership can mean so many things to so many people, I believe that if you strive for authenticity rather than leadership presence it allows you to have the ability to lead a diverse group of people while continuing to demonstrate respect for each person’s unique skills and abilities.
Different ideas and experiences enable growth for not only yourself as a person but also for that of your team. It’s important to recognise that we each perceive the world differently, so whether it be from yourself or the next generation to come, always remember everyone has something to offer.
— Karoline Dawe, National Director – Partnerships
Effective leaders are kind and empathetic, they listen more than talk, they understand people and therefore are good motivators. They are exceptional communicators. They are outcome-focused and understand the power of many – most, if not all, success is due to collective efforts of teams, rather than individuals. They recognise potential and support people to grow and develop. They aspire to grow people to outgrow themselves and take great joy in the success of others! Leadership is about being authentic and many of the attributes of truly great leaders are intrinsic, however leaders grow and learn from those around them. I have learnt as much in my career from poor leaders as I have from the great ones. Leadership is about taking all experiences as learning opportunities, reflecting on both the positive and the negative and being able to recognise your personal weaknesses as well as strengths and constantly seeking to improve and grow. It is about knowing how to attract the right people to your team and valuing diversity of skills, knowledge and experience. It is about being confident to celebrate others and most importantly to treat all those around you with respect and compassion.
— Karen Grace MACN, National Director – Professional Practice
Integrity, courage and empathy (only three of a very big list). I chose those three because they are highly powerful words that can be misused, misunderstood and misinterpreted.
Integrity
I always ask myself – if I wouldn’t do it, then why should I ask someone else to do it? Being a leader doesn’t mean you exclude yourself from what your team is doing. You can gain important life and work lessons from doing the same thing that your team does from stuffing envelopes to developing/creating and closing out a major project.
Courage
If you make an error, accept it, learn from it and move on. Remember that everyone is human, AI hasn’t completely taken over yet. Encourage your team to do the same thing and talk about it. Don’t let the issue be swept under the carpet or shuffled down the list. Don’t be afraid to ask a question if you yourself don’t understand a direction.
Empathy
We’re not all experts at this; however, being able to listen, connect, and be supportive of any team member can assist with creating harmony, encourage the further development and personal drive of an individual or team and grow and strengthen trust. Have a meaningful conversation and take it away from the workplace if and where possible.
— Karen Dansey FACN (Hon), Manager – Corporate Support
Two key attributes are empathy and being an effective communicator. Empathy is essential for inclusive leadership. Nurse leaders must genuinely understand and appreciate their team members’ backgrounds, needs, and perspectives. Effective communication fosters collaboration and ensures everyone feels heard and valued. To develop these qualities, nurses can engage in mentorship and clinical supervision and take time to reflect on their own values and challenge unhelpful assumptions.
— Jennifer Harland MACN, Director – Institute of Leadership
The best quality to have as a leader, is an ability to form relationships with all types of people. You can develop this quality by showing your own vulnerability as a leader, being personable and genuinely caring about the lives of people who work with you. Know your team!
— Kath Lynch MACN, Manager – Professional Engagement
Humility and self-awareness are paramount for inclusive leadership. Recognising personal biases and stereotypes is the first step. Inclusive leadership is not about ticking a box but genuinely valuing and celebrating the benefits of inclusivity and diversity. Everyone contributes unique experiences, ideas, and perspectives. Embracing these differences fosters innovation and success. To leverage this, inclusive leaders should create an environment where all team members feel valued and empowered to contribute.
— Sophia Hartl, Manager – Marketing
Inclusive leadership is rooted in:
- encouraging team input
- practising active listening
- supporting risk-taking
- recognising and valuing individual skills
- praising efforts on an individual basis.
To develop these qualities, start by understanding your natural leadership style and how it aligns with the learning styles of your team. For instance, as someone who learns best through listening, I adapt my approach for team members who are visual learners by illustrating our goals and outcomes. This adaptability promotes inclusivity.
Additionally, tailoring your support based on your team’s experience with specific tasks and being mindful of unconscious biases are crucial steps in fostering an environment that uplifts and supports everyone. It’s about striking the right balance between providing opportunities and creating a supportive, inclusive workplace.
— Kirsty Waterford, Director – Communications
Inclusive leaders create a culture that fosters collaboration, ensures fair opportunities, and values the diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences of individuals. Ultimately promoting a sense of belonging within an organisation.
Essential qualities for inclusive leadership are empathy, open-mindedness, effective communication, and a commitment to diversity. Leaders can develop these qualities by fostering a culture of inclusion, actively seeking diverse perspectives, and leading by example through inclusive behaviour and decision-making.
— Jamaylah Bama, Director of Customer Experience and Business Performance
Be vulnerable, leaders are human too! Demonstrating and sharing vulnerability creates common ground and an ability to open the floor for conversations in a safe space.
Remove recruitment bias – embrace diversity! Strong leaders value diversity and see it as more than a check box approach. Leaders with a growth mindset see the recruitment process as a valuable opportunity to add a wealth of new skills and opportunities for innovation and new possibilities with a fresh or alternative perspective through diversity.
— Marjela Latif, Director – Corporate Services
“Leaders can navigate the challenges by leading by example and having authentic interactions with their team where all are respected and listened to.”
3. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing leaders today, and how can they effectively navigate this challenge?
Leaders face multiple challenges today; however, from my perspective, the biggest challenge is meeting the needs of the intergenerational workforce in a disruptive and technologically savvy society. People are working longer, baby boomers are still working, and we now have Gen Alpha. Unlike other generations, Gen Alpha has access to information and uses technology at a young age to make decisions.
With each generational change, leaders face challenges; however, to keep all generations engaged and embrace inclusivity, they must navigate the challenges effectively. Leaders can navigate the challenges by leading by example and having authentic interactions with their team where all are respected and listened to. The organisational culture supports differences of opinion, which gives organisations a competitive advantage.
— Yvonne Mckinlay FACN, National Director of Education
Wellbeing! It’s a challenge that’s owned by no one and everyone all at the same time.
With an increase in workaholism and burnout in the wake of the pandemic, the move to a hybrid work-life balance has been seen to blur the boundaries between professional and personal life for many people making it crucial for us as leaders to implement policies that support the emotional wellbeing of our teams and that of ourselves.
As a work in progress myself I often need to remind myself that not only as a leader but as an individual I have to remember to take responsibility for my own personal wellbeing from time to time too and recognise that although I don’t always get it right, acknowledging the occasional missteps is all just a part of the process to occasionally getting it right.
— Karoline Dawe, National Director – Partnerships
In general, I think the biggest challenges facing leaders today are two-fold and in many ways related. The generational differences that exist between baby boomers and gen X compared to Millennials and Gen Z. These differences impact all aspects of work life including expectations, work ethic, use of technology, communication styles and channels etc.
The pace of technological change that makes it almost impossible to keep up. Leaders need to be able to respond, to be agile, flexible and adaptable. However, in my view leadership is about enabling others to reach their potential and the key to successful leadership in this environment is in ensuring that teams are diverse enough to include a wide range of expertise, knowledge and experience to be able to respond to the evolving environment. Strong leadership in this environment means fostering a culture of inclusion in which genuine intergenerational collaboration and support is evident. The strengths of each are celebrated and valued, whilst skills and knowledge are shared across generations to support growth and development. Leaders that are flexible and adaptable thrive on change and are able to ensure that change is seen as an opportunity rather than a threat. All the attributes outlined above are important here in creating an environment where teams will thrive into the future whatever it may hold!
— Karen Grace MACN, National Director – Professional Practice
Being a leader is a challenge every day and in every way. To be a good leader is akin to being the captain of a ship. You can’t get it going in the right direction if the crew don’t know the direction they’re supposed to be going in and what their role on the ship is. And while the captain is supposed to be somewhere at the front of the ship, they aren’t always.
There’s a misconception that being a leader means that you lead from the front. This isn’t true, sometimes you may lead from the middle, the side or the back or even be the quiet shepherd. The ship will get to where it’s going if the captain can lead from anywhere.
Time – there never seems to be enough time to get everything done on the ‘to-do’ list. Use your hidden skills to make the time to be on time and share that skill with your team.
It is so important to remember to make sure you take time for yourself. Learning to switch-off is one of the biggest challenges that leaders face. Set an end-of-day time, share that with the team and stick by it. Good piece of advice if it works, when it doesn’t then you can improvise, adapt and overcome!
— Karen Dansey FACN (Hon), Manager – Corporate Support
One of the biggest challenges is attracting and retaining skilled nurses. The nursing workforce is facing a global shortage, and competition is fierce. Effective nurse leaders focus on team member satisfaction, professional development and promote work-life balance. Prioritising time for team members to attend education and engage in clinical supervision can help nurses feel valued and enhance retention.
— Jennifer Harland MACN, Director – Institute of Leadership
The biggest challenge for leaders today is leading through people’s emotions. Anxiety, stress, and a feeling of being overwhelmed is present in a lot of our teams. The challenge is managing these emotions both for yourself as well as the people who need you to lead them. To navigate this be kind to both yourself and others.
— Kath Lynch MACN, Manager – Professional Engagement
The biggest challenge is adapting to shifting perspectives on work and the pursuit of a fulfilling work-life balance. Many, particularly younger employees, are reluctant to commit to a job that does not bring them joy. As leaders, we need to strike the balance between setting clear performance expectations and enabling staff members to feel fulfilled in their jobs. Leaders who are able to recognise and nurture their employees’ passions not only boost job satisfaction but also create more motivated and committed teams, aligning personal growth with organisational success.
— Sophia Hartl, Manager – Marketing
The challenge of supporting teams both professionally and personally is more relevant than ever. In an era where work-life balance is crucial yet challenging to achieve, leaders must foster a compassionate team environment without risking burnout. The digital age has us more connected, intensifying the need for leaders to cultivate a supportive, understanding, and flexible workplace culture.
A pivotal quality for leaders in navigating these challenges is optimism. The journey of leadership is fraught with obstacles; a dose of positivity can be the difference between perseverance and burnout.
— Kirsty Waterford, Director – Communications
Some of the biggest challenges facing leaders today include rapid technological advancement (i.e. artificial intelligence), navigating uncertainty and maintaining employee engagement. The demand to do more with less places significant pressure on leaders to invest in the right priorities to achieve financial success without compromising employee and customer experience.
Leaders can effectively manage these challenges by fostering adaptability, prioritising clear communication and investing in employee development. In a dynamic environment it is crucial to stay informed about industry trends and embrace innovation for effective leadership.
— Jamaylah Bama, Director of Customer Experience and Business Performance
Effectively leading teams in a constantly changing landscape means leaders are now also managing teams that span across multi-site locations or multi-discipline teams, some leaders are leading teams that are hybrid and in some cases 100% remote or engaged purely in digital work for the first time in their career. Now more than ever leaders need to proactively and deliberately make time and space for effectively leading diverse teams and fostering inclusion, ensuring their remote team members or those away from “central” locations are also still seen, engaged and included.
— Marjela Latif, Director – Corporate Services
