How to lead with courage and purpose in STEM

Strong leadership starts with self-awareness. Learning how to master your emotions rather than suppressing them. Read our latest piece on how emotional intelligence helps women lead with empathy, confidence, and impact. 🎖️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ehGgYYvh

In the Real Earning Women group, our topic of the week is: "What's the most important leadership lesson you've learned this year?" I’ve learned some important leadership lessons this year, sometimes the hard way, sometimes through reflection, and sometimes by observing others. I'm more than happy to share some. 1. Focus on your core. It’s wonderful to support others as they build their God-given empires, but don’t neglect what God has called you to do. 2. Be intentional with your time. Every second counts. Use your time as a resource, not as something to be spent carelessly. 3. Your junior team members are not your children. They are professionals. Respect them, empower them, and stop parenting them; that’s not your job. 4. Communicate clearly. Many leadership challenges are simply communication problems wearing different clothes. 5. If you’re the only smart person on your team, you’re not as smart as you think. Build a non-toxic atmosphere where your team can speak freely without fear of retribution. 6. Give direction, then step back. Provide clarity on goals, then give freedom in execution. You’ll be surprised by the creativity that emerges. 7. Be teachable. Leadership does not mean you’ve arrived. The moment you stop learning, you start declining. 8. Handle conflict quickly and kindly. Avoiding tough conversations only makes things worse. Address issues early and respectfully. 9. Celebrate small wins. Recognition fuels motivation. Do not wait for the “big” success before you acknowledge effort. 10. Rest is strategic. Burnout doesn’t make you a hero; it makes you ineffective. Recharge so you can lead better. I will throw in a few recommendations for leaders just because I can. 1. Schedule thinking time weekly. Leadership requires reflection, not just activity. 2. Encourage honest feedback from your team; it’s free consulting. 3. Develop other leaders, not followers. That’s the true test of leadership. 4. Reward mindfully. Be careful what you reward. Do not reward some team members for their EFFORTS (to encourage them) while overlooking the RESULTS of those that show up. When those that have been showing up and have been constantly overlooked walk away, it will take a lot to bring them back. If you are a business/career woman and will like to network with other business/career women, you can join the Real Earning Women community. https://lnkd.in/ek-3D7fp What about you? What’s the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #communication #focus #growth #intentionality #leadership #learning #motivation #productivity #realearningwomen #reflection #respect #teamwork #womeninbusiness

#𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬! A study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) finds that companies with more diverse leadership teams achieve 19% higher revenues due to innovation. It shows that diversity is no longer a social or ethical imperative but a driver of business success. #diversity #inclusion #HR #Hiring #Jobs #diversityandinclusion #job https://lnkd.in/emw4uuwz

🚨 The Future of Inclusion Leadership: Shrink or Thrive? If the U.S. political climate keeps pressing for the next couple of years, inclusion leaders stuck in HR’s compliance-and-optics model will shrink themselves out of existence. That’s exactly where SHRM is steering the profession—a smaller, acquiescent role that bends with political headwinds instead of driving business impact. But here’s the truth: inclusion leaders who anchor their work in business results will not just survive—they will thrive. When your initiatives fuel profit growth, innovation, market expansion, and cost savings, no political shift or HR association retreat can erase your value. A Roadmap Beyond Compliance and Optics 1️⃣ Audit your portfolio. Cut the compliance-and-optics work (awareness months, “feel-good” programs). Redirect energy into initiatives that create measurable business impact. 2️⃣ Translate into business language. Tie inclusion directly to CEO/CFO priorities: growth and profitability. 3️⃣ Build cross-functional partnerships. Move beyond HR—link arms with Finance, Operations, Marketing, and Product. 4️⃣ Design proof-of-value initiatives. Pilot programs that reduce turnover costs, expand underserved markets, or accelerate innovation—and measure results in dollars and cents. 5️⃣ Report outcomes, not activity. Execs don’t care how many workshops you ran. They care about revenue gained, costs saved, and markets opened. The warning signs are everywhere: SHRM retreats, entire DEI departments eliminated overnight. The future of inclusion is not compliance and optics work for HR—it’s growth strategy work for the business. Inclusion leaders who adapt will define the next era. Those who don’t will fade into irrelevance, blaming the system instead of evolving. 👉 Don’t wait for political tides to turn. Reshape your inclusion strategy now—make it a driver of measurable business impact. Interested in starting right away? DM me and let's chat. Thoughts? #InclusionLeadership #BusinessImpact #DEI #CDOPowerCircle

🔥 Gen Z is rewriting the rules of leadership—and your leadership brand matters more than ever. They don’t just follow titles. They follow: ✅ Leaders who are collaborative ✅ Leaders who are purpose-driven ✅ Leaders who show empathy and care about well-being ✅ Leaders who embrace technology and flexibility Your leadership brand is the experience people have of you. It’s not what you say—it’s what they feel. Ask yourself: 👉 Does my brand inspire trust and respect? 👉 Does it attract and retain the next generation of talent? 💡 Leadership brands aren’t static. They evolve. And if you don’t shape yours intentionally, your people—and Gen Z—will shape it for you. Read more about how Gen Z is reshaping leadership and workplace culture:

Gen Z isn’t rejecting leadership – they’re reimagining it. This generation challenges outdated corporate structures that prioritize `titles over wellbeing, pushing organizations to rethink what leadership means by: A)   Fostering transparent communication through tools like personal ‘user manuals. B)   Aligning leadership roles with meaningful impact rather than rigid hierarchies. C)   Creating flexible development paths that honors individual work styles. 

I still think about the impact of this program. A few years back, one of Australia’s big four banks asked us to solve a tough, very human problem: strong female representation at junior levels, but a steep drop-off as roles became more senior. They didn’t want slogans or optics. They wanted measurable change - clear signals that women were moving, visibly and confidently, into leadership. We started at the source: the lived experience of talented women and the managers leading them. What did “ready for the next step” actually look like in that system? Where were the missing rungs? Out of that work came a targeted pathway built on three pillars - education, experience, exposure - with individual coaching, practical commercial projects and, critically, sponsorship to make sure capability translated into opportunity. The results still make me proud. Women lifted their visibility, backed their judgement, and built the networks and business acumen that senior roles demand. Managers reported tangible performance shifts. And the headline stats tell a clear story - promotions in market, commercial value created, and a step-change in confidence and internal mobility. Most importantly, participants describe the real transformation: owning their ambition, inviting senior sponsorship, and positioning their strengths where decisions are made. Why does it stand out for me? Because it proves what can happen when you combine rigour with empathy: diagnose the system, then invest in people with intent. That’s how you convert commitment into outcomes. If you’re in HR or Talent and you need a program that actually moves the dial on women’s leadership, designed for your context, measured against your goals, let’s talk. Send a DM or reach out via the website and we can explore what this could look like for your organisation.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗞𝗣𝗜𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁: 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 I recently came across a post proudly declaring, ‘𝘉𝘺 2026, 30% 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯.’ It sounded progressive, a clear signal of intent, but here lies the problem. KPIs can create accountability, but they can also distort purpose when they become the goal rather than the outcome. Targets are easy to report but rarely tell the full story. A number can show movement yet still hide deeper gaps in how leadership capability is identified and supported. When representation becomes the measure of success, it risks overshadowing the systems and investment needed to make that success sustainable. I've seen capable women promoted quickly to meet targets, often without the mentoring, exposure or structured development that sets them up for success. When that happens, confidence falters, not because of a lack of ability, but because the environment wasn't ready to support them. Too often the story becomes ‘she wasn’t ready’ instead of ‘the system wasn’t supportive.’ If we genuinely want progress, we need to focus on what creates lasting leadership, not just visible representation. * Building the leadership pipeline early. Give women access to meaningful stretch projects, mentoring and sponsorship well before promotion. * Measuring culture, not just composition. Ask whether people feel heard, valued and supported. * Focusing on sponsorship, not symbolism. Leadership growth happens when senior people invest their time, visibility and belief in others. * Linking diversity to governance. Accountability, transparency and culture are what turn intent into impact. KPIs can start the conversation, but they do not build capability, trust or longevity. Real progress comes from workplaces that prioritise readiness, respect and equity over optics, and that recognise leadership potential as something to be developed, not tallied. These reflections have been front of mind since completing 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 with the 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, which I was fortunate to attend through my company and leader's support of my professional development. The program reinforced how governance shapes culture and behaviour. Diversity and inclusion are not achieved through policy statements or dashboards alone; they depend on leadership accountability and values that are lived consistently. Good governance requires us to ask harder questions, not just how many, but how well. Are we building systems that genuinely prepare people to lead? Are we creating the conditions where capable leaders, of any gender, can succeed and stay? Because real inclusion is not measured in numbers. It' s reflected in the strength, confidence and character of the leaders we grow, and in the cultures that allow them to thrive.

This article in Fast Company makes a compelling case that leaders with nonlinear, “lattice” career journeys – particularly women who have deviated from their career paths to raise kids or pursue other interests for a while – honed the skills today’s organizations really need: adaptability, breadth of perspective, emotional intelligence, and the ability to bridge disciplines and stakeholder groups. In my work recruiting leaders, I’ve seen time and again how those leaders who’ve taken unconventional paths—pivoting across functions or combining science, business and something entirely different—offer distinctive skills. Resumes are important, but they don’t always forecast how the candidate will perform in a complex role. #Leadership #LifeSciences #ExecutiveSearch #FutureOfWork https://lnkd.in/g48pyJHR

"Today's multi-hyphenates have pivoted across industries and taken lateral moves to gain new skills or flexibility. Those shifts aren't liabilities, they're evidence of courage, perspective.. ..nonlinear careers are producing leaders uniquely equipped for today's complexity"