Celebrating International Women’s Day: perspectives from our Brisbane team

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Continuing on from yesterday’s post where we asked our female leaders from Thailand to discuss being a successful leader and managing work-life balance, today we share the thoughts of our Principal, Bernadette Hawkins and Senior Associate, Jacqui Symonds from our Brisbane office.

Q1. What do you think makes a successful leader?

Bernadette: Someone who can listen well, has empathy, and emanates trust. Also a successful leader knows how to encourage and enthuse people and get the best out of them. Successful leaders don’t have all the answers, but they are always open to suggestions from others.

Jacqui: Knowledge of their field, the ability to lead by example, forward thinking and strategic planning skills (i.e. being able to think beyond today, or this month), being accountable for your team, being approachable and willing to teach and mentor team members.

Q2. What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

Bernadette: Don’t ever be afraid to admit you don’t know something – it’s much harder to say you don’t know, but you’ll learn more, and people will respect you for your honesty. Leaders don’t have to know everything, and the bad ones are those that think they do know everything. Also, listen to others and try to learn as much as you can from your co-leaders.

Jacqui: Be as open and honest as you can be with your team. Try to promote a friendly team environment and focus on making the members of your team successful. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes (and owning up to them!). Reach out to others for advice when needed.

Q3. What advice would you give to young women who want to succeed in the workplace?

Bernadette: The same advice I would give to any young person, whether male or female: work hard, be honest, diligent and conscientious, treat everyone equally and with respect, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

Jacqui: Find something that you enjoy doing and which challenges you. Be confident and work to your strengths. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek advice from superiors or other colleagues. Where possible, step outside your comfort zone and be open to new opportunities, who knows where they might take you!

Q4. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing women in the workplace today?

Bernadette: The lack of role models at high levels. There are many workplaces where the management team is male dominated – lack of female representation on boards is an example. Whilst a male leader can be a great role model for women in the workplace, it could be incredibly inspiring for young women to have female role models in management.

Jacqui: I can’t speak for everyone but at this stage of my life, I find the biggest challenge is taking time out to have a child. It can be difficult re-entering the workplace and trying to regain your position within that workplace. Starting back is often met with reduced hours, absent days due to child sickness, and fatigue. If you work through it, it does get better. It helps to have a flexible work place and the ability to manage and prioritise your own workload.

Q5. What do you think is key to finding a successful work-life balance?

Bernadette: Make time throughout the week to exercise, and also make time for at least one thing each week that is a mental outlet. For me, that is playing double bass in an orchestra. We have one rehearsal a week, and it’s such a different focus to my work that it really helps to put things into perspective. You have to make time to do other things and don’t think of it as a distraction from your work, think of it as being complementary to your work. Doing exercise and having a mental outlet will actually improve your focus at work.

Jacqui: Make the most of your time in the office, prioritise your tasks, try to switch off when away from work, take annual leave at least once or twice during the year.

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