Leading your way

I recently had the honor of presenting at a school leaders conference at a Brisbane girls' school. The session was called "Leading Her Way: showing up and sharing your magic with an authentic personal brand."

At its core, this presentation was all about embracing and valuing your truest self.

There are so many ways that we can show up in the world. Jobs that we can do, decisions we can make, things to talk about. It's easy to get side-tracked into doing the newest and coolest things, and chasing what we think we 'should'. Ultimately, none of this is what makes us the happiest and most fulfilled.

So that's where the presentation started.

I introduced the concept of "worthy her way." This is an acronym we use to remember the ‘why, how, and what’ of who they are and what they stand for.

My goal was to inspire each young woman to see their potential to lead and create positive change in their own unique way.

At this crucial point in their lives, fitting in feels so important. Often we hide elements of our personality to feel greater belonging. But I wanted these girls to know that every part of who they are is valuable.

I shared my own struggles with being labeled "the fat girl" when I was their age. I had let that label shape how I saw myself in every way for years. But, I went on to share how I leveraged that part of me when I went into business. It enabled me to vulnerably relate to clients more authentically.

I also discussed how 'identifying myself as the 'fat girl' was such a simplification. I was so much more than that one trait, and I offered so much more as a leader. I wanted these young women to understand that they are so much more than any single label.

Through the session, we also did an exercise to show how tough it is to talk about our strengths. I asked each participant to share a positive trait about themselves and one about a friend they were with.

This activity highlighted how uncomfortable we feel acknowledging our own strengths. Yet in contrast, how much easier it is to celebrate others. This brings to light the struggle we all face recognising our own worth and uniqueness. It was uplifting to see how everyone responded to hearing positive traits others saw in them.

I have to admit, it was quite the journey preparing for this speech. While I am much more confident in who I am now at 45, my 16-year-old self would have been terrified to stand on that stage. Especially to talk about something that I was so self-conscious about.

It also reminded me of the importance of providing a range of role models for young people. Without diversity in who they see and learn from, we can easily fall into the trap of what success and leadership only look one way

Overall, it was such a rewarding session. I truly hope that each of the young women walks away knowing that each of them is worthy of their uniqueness.

Want something similar for your team or students? Get in touch and we can empower tomorrow's diverse leaders together.