What does it take to be a good leader?
It’s a question many women may ask themselves as they reach a certain stage of their careers. But these three powerhouse women – AllBright co-founders Debbie Wosskow and Anna Jones, and resident Leadership coach, Kemi Nekvapil – know from experience.
Here are some of their favourite leadership tips…
Anna Jones
Anna Jones, AllBright co-founder and former CEO of Hearst UK
On self-doubt…
“I think it’s healthy to admit that we all feel self-doubt, because I have found that there's an expectation that successful women never ever feel it. But the reality is that of course that we all do, at times. That's being human.”
On decisiveness…
“A big part of leadership revolves around decisiveness, which takes a certain level of confidence. As much as you need to listen to your team and take on their input, ultimately you have to back yourself and your decisions and communicate them clearly to everyone.”
On enlisting a career coach…
“It took me several years to realise that beyond sharing with my friends, the only thing that would get me to the next stage of my career was to treat myself like a project and put the work in. Once you reach this point, it’s time to enlist the help of a career coach.”
On professional development…
“You can’t underestimate the importance of professional development and a network to learn with and from. It can be lonely at the top, but it doesn’t need to be.”
Kemi Nekvapil
Kemi Nekvapil, leadership coach, author and speaker
On negativity bias…
“Our brains are geared toward negativity bias, which means we focus on the risk of losing what we currently have, even if we are unhappy, instead of focusing on what we could gain if we took the risk.”
On creating a culture…
“If you are running a business or work in a company, lack of engagement is kryptonite because once no one cares, things begin to crumble.
Creating cultures where people care means you have to create cultures where people feel safe. You may not be the person who can mandate the cultural guidelines of the workplace, but you can choose to mandate your own behaviour.”
On honouring duality…
“How we choose to look back on this year will impact how we step into 2022…I am not a fan of positive thinking (or) sweeping the challenges of the year under the carpet and forcing ourselves to find a silver lining. Instead, (I choose to) honour the duality of life, that we can be in the midst of darkness and still experience moments of light.”
On risk…
“The need for fulfilling, engaging, and empowering work is more achievable than most women realise, but it might take some risk to get there.
The risk of having a difficult conversation, the risk of owning and declaring what you need and want from your career and your life, the risk of pivoting your business, or the risk of leaving your role or industry altogether.
In today's climate, reshaping our careers to support our need for engaging work and fulfilling personal lives is a risk worth taking.”
Debbie Wosskow
Debbie Wosskow, AllBright co-founder and founder of Love Home Swap
On grit…
“I talk a lot about grit. Why? Because the thing that separates those successful stories from the ones that don't make it – which is the majority – is your ability to keep going and to grind it out.”
On what drives her…
“You've got to be powered by the dark as well as the light…generally you're driven by a purpose or wanting to create change or make a difference. But don't underestimate the power of, ‘I'm going to show them’, or ‘I'm not going to fail’, or the hit list that you have of the people that you feel, ‘I really want them to see me succeed.’ I think those things can power us on in equal measure.”
On frustration…
“Feeling frustrated? Great! Frustration sparks some of the best ideas. Applying an entrepreneurial mindset to that idea will help you see the value in it – some of the world’s biggest and most well-known companies started out this way.”
On staying focused…
“If you are anything like me, you will have hundreds of thoughts, ideas and things to do in your head at any given time. You need to give yourself the space to allow your skills to flourish.
I have a couple of things I practise to help keep the noise in my head in control – I speak to my sisterhood and encourage you to do the same. I also make sure to put my focus somewhere other than work at least once a day – for me it’s exercise, for you it might be something else. Having creative outlets beyond work will help you think outside the box when you come back to your desk.”