Meet some of the women leading Sydney Hills Business Chamber
Even in 2022, it’s a known fact that there’s still a lack of equal female representation in higher levels of Australian businesses and institutions. However, this has been improving over the past few years and it’s important to share the learnings from those who are actively addressing this issue.
In McKinsey & Company’s 2017 extensive Women in Leadership report, they identified 10 lessons from businesses attracting more women into senior roles. These companies are:
- Building a strong case for change.
- Role-modelling a commitment to diversity, including with business partners.
- Redesigning roles to enable flexible work, and normalising uptake across levels and genders.
- Actively sponsoring rising women.
- Setting a clear diversity aspiration, backed up by accountability.
- Supporting talent through life transitions.
- Ensuring the infrastructure is in place to support a more inclusive and flexible workplace.
- Challenging traditional views of merit in recruitment and evaluation.
- Investing in frontline-leader capabilities to drive cultural change.
- Developing rising women and ensure experience in key roles.
Setting an example for Sydney Hills
Last month, we held a Women in Leadership High Tea which attracted many businesswomen, including some men. These events aim to acknowledge the important contribution women make to the success of small and large businesses across our region.
At the Sydney Hills Business Chamber, we’re committed to diversity and inclusion on a leadership level – and this is exemplified by the fact that four of our 12 Board Members are women from different backgrounds and industries.
We asked Kerrie Sheaves (Chairman), Joanne Brooker (Acting Treasurer), Rebecca Swanson (Education Strategy Leader), and Sarah Eltakchi (Partnerships Strategy) to share their thoughts on the topic of women in leadership.
Kerrie Sheaves
Kerrie is Chairman of SHBC, as well as Managing Director of Foundational Business Centre, who has supported micro and small business owners for over 10 years to grow their businesses.
Q: Which personal characteristics or values helped you grow your business to the position it’s in today?
A: Resilience, faith, and being comfortable being uncomfortable have allowed me to move quickly with the continuous changes that have occurred in my business over the last 13+ years, especially the last few.
Q: What was one of your greatest challenges or obstacles and how did you overcome it?
A: Personally, over the years there have been people and situations that have ripped apart my world, and I’ve had to rebuild from the ashes more than a few times. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger (if so, I must be indestructible by now).
From a business perspective, juggling a small business and small kids, and believing in my value early on was a challenge. It’s not supposed to be rocket science…My husband challenged me one day with some good advice that I’ve shared with my clients who struggle with this too: “What you do IS rocket science to someone else, just as what they do is rocket science to you”.
Q: How do you feel leadership has changed over the past few years, and where is it heading now?
A: Leadership is definitely shifting from Command and Control to a more Collaborative model. This is hard because the balance between encouraging people to get things done, and allowing them to “feel” their way through it, is not easy for leaders who are under pressure to deliver results and outcomes. Whilst people want autonomy, they’re also waiting to be told what to do, so the shift between compliance and self-motivated action isn’t quite there yet for a big portion of the workforce.
Q: How does networking enhance your business and/or personal life?
A: Business owners and leaders are my tribe – they’re my friends and colleagues. I’m an introvert and hate BBQs, parties, and socialising with people outside the business community (I’d rather be in bed reading a good book). But I do love being in a room full of business people I know and trust, as they get what it means to live the life of a business owner/leader. Networking and connecting has built my business. We’re 99% word of mouth and have been since the beginning.
Joanne Brooker
Joanne is Treasurer (Acting) of SHBC, as well as Owner of Pengwen Bookkeeping, an Australian based team of professionals since 2007, providing Bookkeeping and Management Accounting services.
Q: Which personal characteristics or values helped you grow your business to the position it’s in today?
A: My work ethic (which my Dad instilled in me from an early age) is to give more than expected. This has been a hindrance when there’s been a sick child or another unforeseen incident – as I hate letting people down. But realising that ‘life happens’ to all small business owners and remembering that I can’t do everything (and not beat myself up) has helped.
Q: What was one of your greatest challenges or obstacles and how did you overcome it?
A: I guess I started sleeping better when I stopped worrying about my clients. That is not as harsh as it seems. What I mean is that if a client is not worried about a late lodgement to the ATO or payment, then that is not my problem to worry about either. I can only help those that want to be helped. Worrying about someone else is taking energy away from doing my best work with my best clients.
Q: How do you feel leadership has changed over the past few years, and where is it heading now?
A: Has leadership actually changed or do people expect something different? I’m showing my age here – and proudly so. When I started working, it was a while before I stopped thinking about ‘The Boss’ as a replacement for my school head teacher. Only the bad kids saw the head teacher, so being called into a meeting with the boss was not a good thing. You did what was expected and respected authority and knowledge.
I feel the term ‘leadership’ has replaced ‘manager’ in business, which shows the change in mindset of different generations. A leader will inspire and encourage you but can still step in and make the hard decisions.
Years ago, female leadership was such a rarity and thankfully has changed, but I still want the best person in a role based on their skills and talents – rather than fulfilling a quota. Moving forward, I hope more people realise that even a small gesture of encouragement or support makes you a leader to someone.
Q: How does networking enhance your business and/or personal life?
A: The major positive of networking for me was the realisation that I was not an ‘imposter’ in my role. I wrongly assumed that many business people were confident, successful, and perfect at what they did – yet in meeting them, I realised we all have some measure of insecurity. Networking is a way of acknowledging that insecurity and growing my confidence in a safe arena. Networking has allowed me to believe in myself.
Rebecca Swanson
Rebecca is Education Strategy Leader for SHBC, as well as a Coach in emotional wellbeing and personal mastery, drawing on her 25+ year corporate career and professional development training.
Q: Which personal characteristics or values helped you grow your business to the position it’s in today?
A: Perseverance, being adaptable, and flexible. You have to be ready to change with what the market and clients are telling you. But you need to balance that with perseverance when things don’t look like they’re panning out, as you need to believe in what it is you’re doing and keep going.
Q: What was one of your greatest challenges or obstacles and how did you overcome it?
A: Definitely trying to do everything yourself – and realising you’re not good at it. You have to get clear at what you’re good at and where you need support. And not be afraid to reach out and get that support. Trust in others to support you – that’s my biggest learning.
A: How do you feel leadership has changed over the past few years, and where is it heading now?
A: Covid was really good in forcing a leadership change that had been slowly happening for a while. Previously, managers and leaders were somewhat still stuck in their mentality that ‘you turn up, do the job and do it my way’. However, because of Covid and people not being in the office together, leaders had to trust their staff. This meant they had to be clear in their messaging, why they do what they do, and what was expected from their people. This effectively weeds out who is on the journey with them and who’s not.
Now, rather than falling back into old leadership patterns, more leaders need to step into this new empowerment model. We’ve been trying to do it for 10 years, but Covid has forced us into it.
Q: How does networking enhance your business and/or personal life?
A: Business is all about your network and your community. Marketing is harder and harder every day. And I believe the success of your business comes down to your network and building successful relationships. It’s critical in business because people do business with those they know, like, and trust. Networking also provides the opportunity to have a support network.
From a personal perspective, having a business can be isolating. So having a strong, solid community that you’re involved in benefits you personally as well as your business pipeline.
Sarah Eltakchi
Sarah is Partnerships Strategy Leader for SHBC, as well as Partner in Business Advisory at Findex, supporting business owners to achieve their goals for over 15 years.
Due to her work commitments leading to the end of the financial year, Sarah was not available to share her thoughts at this time.
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Stay tuned for details on upcoming Women in Leadership events with Sydney Hills Business Chamber!
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