I’m a week early. But, well, bugger it.
I want to talk about IWD2023.
I’ve been fortunate enough over my career to be led, mentored and supported by a range of wonderful leaders. The vast majority: women.
In recent years, I’ve spent a lot of time analysing the way executives, directors and other leaders use socialmedia to share their stories, empower others and build community.
The stand outs? Largely women.
So, every year, it infuriates me to read the stats and hear the stories about the deep-seated prejudices preventing women from accessing the same opportunities as anyone else.
None of us would be here today if not for the strength and love of at least one woman, and that truth should guide our actions.
So I want to share a different narrative.
Ahead of much of the activity and debate next week, these are two call outs that recognise what female leaders are already achieving in our world (especially those who inspire me):
1. Propel’s recent report looking at how ASX200 CEOs use LinkedIn showed female leaders set the standard on social media. Despite having fewer than half the average number of followers, ‘very active’ female CEOs generate 4x more engagement than ‘very active’ male CEOs. FOUR TIMES…
This and many other stats from that report give me hope that social media can be an asset to accelerate the profile and potential of emerging womenleaders. It can help us crackthecode.
2. There is a wonderful cohort of women leaders who — despite the barriers — continue to stand up and speak out on social media. By being authentic, fearless, collaborative, empathetic, curious, energetic, and selfless. By being themselves.
It’s a travesty that so many women opt out of leadership positions for fear of the abuse they’ll receive while in the spotlight. But it’s because of this sad reality that I admire these women and what they do online all the more, and why I’m determined to be a digitalally.
These are just nine of those women whom I follow and admire here on LinkedIn, but I know there are so many more. Thank you Vicki Brady, Amy Brown, Shirley Chowdhary, Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM, Emma Hogan, Julie Inman — Grant, Deborah Jenkins, Antoinette Lattouf and Amanda Yeates.
Whatever you’re planning for IWD, please have a look at these wonderful role models and do what you can to support them — their example online paves the way for our female leaders to come.
