Behind Every Great Man, There Is A Woman Holding a Light

Since I entered the tech start-up space, I’ve become increasingly more aware of the impact being a woman has on how business leaders perceive and treat you.

My start-up Vollie has a 50% gender split across its founding members and is run by myself and my business partner Matt, with an even split of work between us both. Whilst Matt is the more outwardly vocal advocate for our online skills-based volunteering platform, I am the one who is head of operations, making sure that every time Matt creates a new opportunity for us it is successfully managed and achieved.

As an agile start-up, we find this approach works for us – Matt is the heart and I am the head. Where he leads with passion, I can balance with logic. It is this approach that has given us the success we have had so far. But for those people who don’t understand the way we work and our equality, they often perceive Matt as the lead and myself as just the support behind the scenes, which frustrates us both.

As the quieter co-founder and the female, it is easy for me to be pushed to the side when my counterpart is already a boisterous, tall and imposing male figure, as people do not always realise the equal roles we play. I was reminded by the age-old proverb, “behind every great man there is a great woman”, which in my perspective couldn’t be further from the truth. The real truth is without me, Vollie wouldn’t be half of what it is and without Matt, Vollie wouldn’t be half of what it is. We stand beside each other as equal co-founders and refuse to let the other be cast in the other’s shadow.

I have discovered this is something that is being experienced by many other women in business. She Will Shine is Melbourne’s first all-female co-working space providing connection and support for female business owners across Australia. I recently spoke to Danielle Price, founder of She Will Shine, to get her opinion on the roadblocks that women in business face in the today’s society.

“Traditionally, women are more comfortable behind the scenes (or in the shadows) and not looking to step into the spotlight. This may be a confidence issue as it’s often a new path with new fears and new experiences that need to be overcome,” she said.

Danielle said that many female founders are now seeking to break away from traditional gender roles and step into the limelight, which takes a level of confidence that many women in business lack.

Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) once said, “I want every little girl who’s told she’s bossy, to be told instead she has leadership skills.” Danielle agrees with this sentiment, and warns that degradation and dismissal based on preconceived gender roles can undermine the growth of a business due to a lack of self-confidence from a founder.

Jemma Wong, a strategic marketer and the creator of Girls Who Brand, believes it comes down to visibility. “Visibility and endorsement of senior female leaders is key – it’s not only important for clients and customers to see, but for our younger industry talent.”

“You can’t be what you can’t see, and I know from my own experience that women will be more productive and fast-moving towards opportunities if they can see tangible (not token) career pathways ahead of them,” Jemma added.

It is so important for those of us who are female founders and business leaders to get confident with stepping out of the shadows and into the limelight so that we can encourage the next generation of young women leaders.

Someone once told me, “If you walk into a room and someone is missing, you’re in the wrong room”. When I walk into any one of the countless meetings, presentations, workshops, and start-up meet-ups that fill my calendar each week, I’m miffed that even as a Greek-Australian living in Melbourne, I’m often in the minority when it comes to the representation of leaders! While the majority of my daily communications are with wonderful women from Vollie’s non-profit family, meeting a female founder is still a relatively rare experience.

Jemma knows first-hand the benefits that can happen when organisations proactively pursue diversity, “It’s healthy for outcomes and the bottom line! We need diversity of skill, experience and perspective around the table – varying lenses on a problem – to highlight a golden answer.”

“I created Girls Who Brand because I was tired of smart women marketers being overlooked and because I wanted to find ways to break traditional gendered narratives in campaign work.” Wong continues, “I wanted to show young female talent that there are legends and trailblazers all around them, and to get comfortable with putting their work, name and contribution out there into the world!”

Jemma isn’t the only one who’s noticed an imbalance in the scales; research shows that entrepreneurs are “disproportionately white, male and high educated”. When I look around the start-up environment, I’m still longing to see more female founders, more first-generation immigrants, and a lot more first Australians representing their own interests.

Ventures such as BlueChilli’s all female accelerator, female-only co-working spaces such as She Will Shine and One Roof, and the success stories of Melanie Perkins, Canva CEO, and Jodie Fox, Co-Founder of Shoes of Prey that the media do a genuinely awesome job of promoting have undoubtedly tipped the scales closer to an equilibrium.

In the bid to create an equal playing field for all, there is an onus on the people who are currently taking up more than their fair share of the space in the room…

Try these heels for size

Ann Nolan is the co-founder of Snobal, a virtual reality start-up based out of Melbourne’s Inner West that has recently been accepted into HTC’s ViveX global accelerator program and the IBM Global Entrepreneur Program.

While Snobal are at the forefront of building VR tools for business, Ann recounts how she can occasionally encounter assumptions around the allocation of roles between her and her business and life partner, Murray.

“I have had Snobal introduced as ‘Murray’s company’ while I’ve been standing next to him,” Ann explains, “it’s tempting to put your hand up and say “I created this as well!””

And as parents, Ann finds even the most well-meaning of questions about balancing family life and founder life are directed at her, not Murray, illustrating perhaps the implicit bias that parenting responsibility sits with her.

In Ann’s story and the stories of female founders like hers, there is a simple solution at hand. Speaking from personal experience, a male co-founder who is proud to identify himself as a feminist and an advocate for equal rights is an amazing asset to have in your corner.

Every time I am treated less preferentially to Matt by an investor, fellow business owner or employee, I have both the confidence and support of my co-founder to assert my right to be treated as an equal. Hell, more often than not Matty is pushing my opinion over his if we feel that I’m not being seriously taken. It’s an incredibly small thing for him to do, but it’s the helping hands from those above and the leg-ups from those below that make those steep hills that much easier to climb.

Western middle-to-upper-class men have an incredible amount of privilege when it comes to founding a start-up, with the US-based SBA.gov reporting that just 36% of small business owners are women. Also, over 80% of funding for new businesses comes from personal savings and friends and family, which means that if women are being paid an average of 16% less than men, there is simply less money for them to be founding or funding a start-up with!

The power that comes with privilege is used by Vollie to fight for equality both in the work we do and in our interactions within the global business community (including how our founders are treated). As a male founder, simply attempting to walk in the shoes of those in your fellow start-up community who may not enjoy the same privileges as you do is enough to give you an eye-opening perspective (can’t figure out how to do that? Take a leaf out of Martin Schneider and Nicole Hallberg’s gender-swapping experiment at work).

Speak up, man

It takes a village to achieve just about any meaningful change, but if the village can’t see that it needs to change, then we’ve got a problem. It’s basic maths: if 95% of the funded Australian start-up community is male (StartupSmart, 2016), then that same 95% can wield a lot of influence about what changes we need to make.

Danielle from She Will Shine agrees, and says that men have a social responsibility to change their perception and expectations regarding women in the workforce.

“Throughout the She Will Shine community discussions are already being held on these topics, but opening these discussions in male-centric platforms is the only way forward to see change happen across the board. And it’s something that we are currently working towards.”

For those of you out there who don’t speak up for others or promote the representation of people of all types, doing it will make a world of difference to the women you work with, for the women you invest in and for the women who might one day work for you.

Behind every great man there is just a shadow, and beside him is a woman holding the light.

 

Tanya Dontas is Co-Founder and COO of Vollie, a platform that connects skilled Australians with non-profit organisations to unlock a new style of skills-based remote volunteering. With a double (Bachelors) degree of Commerce and Chinese, Tanya has over five years marketing and events experience working within start-ups, event companies and in the corporate space. Tanya has a passion for helping others in need and regularly volunteers for charities during her spare time.

The cultural glass ceiling

The Diversity Council of Australia has released its first study on the “cultural glass ceiling”, a report which is long overdue.

The conversation of diversity in Australia has mainly been about the number of women at board level and in directorships. There are diversity programs in companies focused on ensuring they gain gender balance. In addition, the male “champions of change” movement is all about powerful men stepping up beside women to achieve a sustainable increase in the representation of females in leadership.

These are all great initiatives, but I believe that we need to change our language around this issue: diversity is not all about gender balance.

Diversity is explained as “the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual
orientation”.

So, diversity is about people who come in different packages – ethnicity, ability and sexuality. Until now we have never measured the cultural diversity of our organisations. It is almost as if we use the word diversity to only represent one element of the term – gender balance.

However, we finally have our first report which must start the conversation amongst leaders in Australia on the issue of the cultural glass ceiling.

Over the last 18 months I have spoken to over 10,000 men, women, leaders, and managers. I have challenged them on their ideas of diversity and asked the question whether the colours of their organisation in fact reflect the communities they work in. And as I look around the room and see a sea of white faces looking back at me, I know that there is a lack of cultural diversity in many organisations.

So, what are leaders doing about this issue? The Australian landscape of people will only become more diverse and our workplaces need to keep up with the pace.

According to the research, if ASX directors were 100 people then the following statistics would apply:

  • 2 would be culturally diverse women
  • 6 would be Anglo Celtic women
  • 28 would be culturally diverse men
  • 64 would be Anglo Celtic men

As a woman of Indian background, I have experienced the double jeopardy which comes in the corporate world.

Firstly, I have had to break the cultural glass ceiling within my own community. I married a white man, never went to university, sent my kids to child care, went back to full time work, and then got divorced. Pretty normal if I was a white woman. However, as an Indian woman I have been made to feel guilty on all these choices and labelled a “bad” wife and mother.

Secondly, I have had to smash through the same glass ceilings and work much harder to prove my worth and capability – not just as a woman but as somebody of colour.

Women of cultural backgrounds are very ambitious. We would not leave our country of birth, away from family or friends, to move to a foreign land and restart our lives if we weren’t.

We are extremely capable, often bi-lingual and incredibly resilient. We make great negotiators, understand cultural nuances when doing business and we embrace change.

Frankly, it’s a valuable combination for any employer. Yes, we may speak with an accent and may wear different clothes, but isn’t that what diversity is about?

My partner was recently asked “isn’t your girlfriend is Indian…. does she smell?” I was surprised that this level of bias existed at a senior level.

A potential Indian candidate recently told me they he has been told to change his name to Gary as it would open more doors.

I am often asked why I didn’t revert to my maiden name post my divorce. Well most Australians cannot pronounce my first name and my surname “Smiles” builds assumptions on my background, creates curiosity and doors open. However, if I was Sadhana Jeraj, I would face levels of conscious and unconscious bias like many other migrants.

Far too many times smart, intelligent, ethnic women are not respected, valued nor are their opinions listened to. I often say to people that I have had to learn to think like a “white” woman. I have often had to discard my experiences from Fiji to only use those I’ve learned in Australia.

As a woman of colour in a male dominated industry I stand out. However, I have had the courage to use my differences to my advantage and build my brand.

As leaders, we need to ensure that our existing teams are curious about different cultures and the commonalities that exist.

Our hiring decisions must not have the lenses of unconscious bias and we can achieve this by simply removing gender and cultural background questions.

Many applicants today are first generation Australians with ethnic names who speak with a broad Aussie accent. They also still have the advantage of growing up in a dual cultural environment. How fabulous is that for the businesses that eventually hire them?

Leaders also need to understand the challenges women of diverse cultural backgrounds may face at home. Despite their ambitions and career aspirations they may be facing the challenges of returning home to husbands, mothers and in-laws who are not supportive of their desire to work.

Leaders need to assess how culturally diverse their organisations are and then put in place targets to reduce the gaps. I am proud to lead a brand in Victoria that is diverse in the representation of women in leadership but also within ethnic representations. We connect with our communities, which creates tolerance and
understanding with our clients and each other.

Far too often I am approached by women at conferences thanking me for pointing out the lack of diversity in the room and workplaces. They often speak to me about what they need to do to get noticed and bridge the gap.

Well here are a few tips:

  1. Ensure that you become the best blend of yourself and the Australian culture. You don’t need to choose one over the other.
  2. Share the uniqueness of your festivals and family
  3. Bring native food to work that you know your colleagues will like
  4. Dress for success
  5. Invest in your brand, use your differences to your advantage
  6. If you have connections that will be an asset to your business then use them, especially if they are offshore
  7. Find a sponsor or someone in your organisation who understands your career aspirations and helps open doors
  8. Have honest conversation with your leaders on what holds you back and your ambitions
  9. Call out biased behaviour
  10. Join networks that will recognise your talent

Interestingly, this list is really no different for those women who are not from culturally diverse backgrounds.

As leaders, how do we start this journey of making sure our businesses reflect our communities? I believe we need to train our employees on cultural inclusion and the impact of bias and racism – not just within the business but in the community.

Examples include:

  • Change forms that ask for gender and cultural backgrounds and genuinely interview candidates based on skill sets and experience
  • Ensure that culturally diverse women do not become invisible in your organisation

As a minority leader – not just as a woman but a woman of colour – this is not an issue I can leave at the door. I challenge my co-leaders to step up and keep the conversation going. To commit to the changes not just for the financial benefits of your organisation but more so for the connection with your clients and people who choose to work in your organisations.

I hope this study will be the first of many. Something that will be picked up by the mainstream media and business leaders and we will start to see the colours of our community reflected in our companies.

Sadhana Smiles is Chief Executive Officer of one of the state’s fastest growing real estate brands, Harcourts Victoria. One of only two female CEO’s in her sector, commonly referred to as the “boy’s club”, Sadhana has created a brand that has placed her amongst her peers as a thought leader, industry commentator, corporate activist and a contemporary feminist.

7 Leadership Skills of Successful Women

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” – Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady

Women are successful leaders in every industry, from government to business, entertainment, and sports. They all have leadership skills in common that make them stand out. Although these are not all-inclusive, here are seven leadership skills we can develop to make us more successful.

Effective Communications

The ability to communicate effectively is arguably the most important skill for a successful leader. Communication isn’t limited to speaking, but includes listening, writing well, and being able to read and use nonverbal language. These skills help us build relationships and influence–not only within but outside our own team. Communication isn’t one way—it’s up to us as leaders to ensure our team understands our vision and goals.

Develop this skill

When you give guidance, ask questions and get feedback. Ask your team: “what do you think I mean, in your own words? What do you think–have I left out anything?” This saves valuable time and resources that can be wasted when we think we are understood, only to find out later the team is headed in the wrong direction.

Strategic Vision

Successful women leaders are able to influence other leaders and effect organizational change. Leaders deal with difficult issues that often have little data, and are influenced by market forces and other external organizations. Successful women leaders have learned to anticipate what’s next, and encourage that kind of thinking from their employees.

Develop this skill

Ask, “What is the issue facing my boss’s boss? What outside forces are affecting our industry?”

Creativity and Innovation

Today’s business environment is all about uncertainty and competition. Planning for the next quarter is a challenge. Even more difficult is committing to decisions that will play out in one to five years. Successful women leaders bring creativity and innovation to the challenges by bringing diversity, different working styles, and viewpoints to their teams.

Develop this skill

Ensure your employees have the tools they need: computers, software, and training. When employees dare to be creative and innovative, risk some failure—it’s part of the creative mindset. Ensure your climate doesn’t penalize those who come up with innovative and creative ideas, even if those ideas aren’t always adopted.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage our own emotions, and those of the people around us. According to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist who helped popularize emotional intelligence with his book, the key elements are self-awareness, motivation, empathy and social skills. The better a leader relates to and works with others, the more successful she will be.

To develop this skill

Find ways to help you manage stressful situations and negative emotions, so they don’t overwhelm and affect your judgement. Some examples are taking a five-minute walk, or closing your door and breathing deeply. This helps women leaders be assertive rather than reactive, and poised rather than frazzled.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Critical thinking to solve problems means asking vital questions around a problem, gathering and assessing relevant information, and coming to a well-reason conclusion. Successful women leaders think open-mindedly about their assumptions and possible consequences.

Develop this skill

Learn to make decisions as fairly and objectively as possible, based on information that is relevant to the issue. Hold your decision against the standard you have set. Understand your own human biases, so you can guard against them.

Confidence

At the end of the day, leadership is about having the confidence to make decisions. If a leader is afraid to make and commit to decisions, all the empowerment in the world won’t make a difference. It’s human nature to want to failure-proof our business by ensuring we have thought of everything, but in an ever-changing environment, that’s not possible. What separates the successful leader who inspires us into the unknown from those who need a mountain of statistical analysis is confidence.

Develop this skill

Gather a reasonable amount of data, involve other people’s ideas, then do what you think is right. Once you decide, commit and go for it, rather than second guessing yourself. If you have to change course, know that you can do so. Accept the fact that you will fail on occasion–that’s human. While the fearful agonize over decisions, the successful woman leader will take action. That is the definition of leadership

Trustworthiness

Successful women leaders are trustworthy, first and foremost. When you establish a climate of trust, your team commits to goals, communications improve, and ideas flow more freely. Perhaps most importantly, your employees are more comfortable with change and are more willing to embrace a new vision.

Develop this skill

Be credible: tell the truth and be willing to hear it from others; honor your commitments, and admit mistakes, with a plan to correct them. Be reliable: share information, give credit to employees, and maintain confidences. Be fair: make decisions on merits and facts, and be consistent from one day to the next.

Successful women leaders have these skills, and every one of the can be developed. They aren’t difficult to learn but they do take practice. The better we become at mastering them, the more we will be noticed as successful in our own organization. You can also find out your leadership strengths by taking the Leaders in Heels Leadership Checklist!

 

Susan C. Foster is an Executive Coach, former NASA and Army executive, and a recovering 24/7 workaholic who believes everyone can learn to be a great leader. She is the author of the book, It’s Not Rocket Science: Leading, Inspiring, and Motivating Your Team To Be Their Best. You can reach her at www.susancfoster.com.

 

The Magic of Thinking for Yourself

Here is a comparison of two people.

I only own a small number of properties.
I still have to go out to work for a living.
I have to think before buying some things I want.
Most people don’t know who I am.
I’m lazy – “could do better”.
I live in a (sort of) terraced house with 5 others in the block.
I have no children and it’s probably too late for me to have any.
My car’s over three years old.
I believe I’m unemployable now.

and:

I have built a property portfolio valued at £___ and growing.
Apart from mortgages, I have no debts.
I only have to work for somebody else for 6 days a month to bring in enough to pay my monthly bills.
I pick and choose which weeks I want to work.
The “terraced” house is actually a wing of a converted country mansion set in lovely open grounds complete with a lake.
My husband and I are free to do what we want, when we want, without having to consider what’s best for the children.
I have a fantastic, big car that I love to drive.
I’ll never, ever be caught in the trap of becoming an employed person again.

I’m actually describing the same person, that being me! The same life, but looked at through two different sets of eyes, two different viewpoints, two different angles. Yet both the same. And it’s not just yourself and your achievements you can look at this way, it’s really everything. For every viewpoint, there’s always an opposite and opposing one.

In a recent conversation with my Dad, we were discussing the number of sayings and proverbs that, whilst sounding very wise, have an equally wisdom filled opposite. For example:

Look before you leap He who hesitates is lost
Too many cooks spoil the broth Many hands make light work

 

I could go on, and you can probably think of several more yourself, but I think you get the picture.

If you’re going to stand up and speak, you first need to think. Alan Weiss, well known in speaking and consulting circles, initially built his brand as “the contrarian”. In simple terms, this meant that he looked at anything spouted as conventional wisdom and every “band-wagon” onto which people were jumping and turned it on its head. Whatever it was, Alan argued that the opposite was true. The fact that he could do that successfully and build a very good name for himself in the process is testament to what I’m advocating here.

So What?

So what? So what!? I’ll tell you “so what”. This means that you don’t have to take everything you’re told and everything you read as gospel. You ARE allowed to formulate your own opinions, even if it means you’re in the minority. Actually, if you start thinking for yourself, you’ll find you WILL be in the minority most of the time. So many people seem to look to the media or social networking to find out what they’re supposed to think and how they should react to events.

There is always an opposing view. There is always more than one way of looking at anything.

Offering another way of looking at things will make you stand out from the crowd and ensure people take notice of you.

Also, consider books in the following genres:

  • self-improvement
  • consulting
  • marketing
  • branding
  • sales techniques
  • networking
  • residual income building
  • relationships
  • good management
  • leadership
  • coaching
  • diversity
  • team-building
  • motivation

You need to remember that everything you read is somebody’s opinion. And for every opinion you’ll read that’s well thought-out, well presented and sounds perfectly feasible and compelling, you can always find an opposite opinion elsewhere.

In fact, it’s contradiction that makes the world go round. If everyone agreed that the best car in the world was a Volkswagen Beetle, every other car manufacturer would go out of business and we’d all be driving round in bugs. Take this idea to its extreme. We’d all be wearing the same clothes, eating the same foods and, in short, thinking exactly the same. But we don’t… mostly.

We don’t even learn without there being contradiction. Imagine you have a teenage child – perhaps you do and will relate to this instantly. Now I don’t have such a creature, but I have enough friends who are so blessed and I’m not too old to remember being a pretty wild teenager myself (sorry, Mum & Dad).

If the first person in existence had gone through life, made all the necessary mistakes, learnt from them, and passed that wisdom down to their children AND the kids accepted it without question, there would be no further learning to be had by anyone – ever!

How many times have you tried to give a teenager the “benefit of your experience” only to be told something like “It’s different from in your day,” or “You don’t understand”? How frustrating is it to know exactly what they need to do, only to be told, in no uncertain terms, that your input is not required, so you end up watching them make the same mistakes you made before they learn? Bite your lip and don’t say “I told you so” because the fact is that (take note here) TRUE LEARNING DOESN’T TAKE PLACE UNTIL PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN MISTAKES. So you see, they absolutely must be able to take the contrary view. I repeat, it’s what makes the world go round.

Teenagers are perfect to demonstrate the duality of human nature because, for all their contrariness, they’re also the people who, more than anyone, want to avoid appearing to be different or thinking differently to their peer group. A teenager is the most extreme example of this. If someone they admire, such as a celebrity or a friend, spouts an opinion, in the eyes of the teenager that opinion becomes law. This is why there’s a belief that it’s important for the child to have good role models. This also leads to a belief that teenagers can’t think for themselves. Maybe this is true – it’s all a learning process, like trying on different clothes to see if they fit and discarding them if they don’t. Unfortunately, a teenager is more likely to just follow-the-leader rather than consider whether they really do fit or suit.

True learning doesn’t take place until people make their own mistakes

I’m not having a go at teenagers here, though, because you’ll often find that age & wisdom has little impact on actions. There are many people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond who are still acting the same way. People who buy newspapers and believe everything they read, for example. Again, everything written in the newspapers is down to someone else’s opinion. Oh the article may be factual, but the slant put on the article will reflect what the journalist or, more often, the editor, wants you to get from it. And for the most part, this will play on people’s fears. A recent newspaper headline, for example:

“Council Tax Could Rise by 600%”

It doesn’t say it will, just that it “could”. Unfortunately, most people will filter out the word “could” and buy the paper because the headline feeds their fear. This is what papers do, particularly tabloids. Fear sells. It makes me angry because it keeps people down, “in their place” and paralyses them, preventing them from fulfilling their true potential. It relegates them to a life of mediocrity and subservience and, often, fear, worry, doubt and misery.

It’s only my opinion, of course, but I think everyone is capable of and worth much, much more if only they would wake up and stop believing everything they’re told.

Rereading what I’ve just written, some might think my views are quite anarchic. They could certainly be interpreted that way, if taken to an extreme. It’s not what I’m hoping will happen, however. Rather, I want to spur people to think, think, think, THINK! And not just to think, but to start thinking differently.

Remember that there’s always more than one way of looking at the same situation, as I said earlier. I’m suggesting you start doing this whenever and wherever possible.

As an exercise, start questioning everything you read or hear. Ask:

  1. What would be the opposite point of view? Try it on for size.
  2. What does the writer want me to think? Do I really agree? If not, why not and what DO you think?

 

Maria Davies is a top sales presenter & success coach who works exclusively with women. Visit http://www.mariadavies.co.uk/speaking-in-stilettos/ for a free download of her 101 Presentation Tips ebook & regular presentations trainings delivered by email.

Tatt-do or Tatt-don’t? Whether or not to show your ink at the office.

tattoos at work

Tattoos at work: I’m often asked for my opinion on visible tattoos in the workplace: to show or not to show?

With a growing number of people getting inked, tattoos are becoming an increasingly mainstream fashion statement.

Hell, even I have a couple (albeit teeny ones) – a single bar of music on my back, and a compass on my right inner forearm. And like many who have been initiated with ink I even have stories behind them – the first was a bar from the first ‘big’ piece I learned on cello (yep, I’m a nerd to the core) that I got done as part of a sisterly pact when she got a beautiful butterfly, and it’s one of our favourite memories to smile about together. The second was undertaken on a recent life-changing holiday that I will brag about at a different time.

But back to the question at hand (or arm, back, leg or any other number of areas you may be inked) – is it ok to show off your art-work at the office?

Let’s break it down a bit:

distinct laws governing the visibility of tattoos (amongst other forms of body modification) don’t currently exist

Legally speaking

The answer is … not always clear. You see, employers do generally have the right to set what they see as reasonable policies in relation to dress guidelines within the workplace, including visible tattoos, piercings and other body modifications. And distinct laws governing the visibility of tattoos (amongst other forms of body modification) don’t currently exist.

However, discrimination laws do exist across all states and territories of Australia to protect us from being marginalised and discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, religion, cultural identification etc. So what does this all mean?

On their website, The Australian Human Rights Commission states “Employers will sometimes set rules regarding the appearance of their employees in the workplace. However, it is important to ensure that any proposed rules that affect people with tattoos do not amount to discrimination.

Discrimination is against the law when people are treated unfairly because of a personal attribute that is protected by law, including race, sex and gender identity. Discrimination can happen when employers put in place conditions or requirements which appear to treat everyone the same but which actually disadvantage some people because of a personal attribute they share. If the requirement is not reasonable in the circumstances, it could be discrimination.

Example: An employer had a policy to refuse to hire any workers with visible tattoos, even for roles that involved no customer contact. A Maori job applicant who had a tattoo for reasons connected to his ethnic origin was not hired because of his tattoo. This could be racial discrimination.”

Fashionably speaking

Well, like with most questions about fashion there’s no one definite answer here either (apart from don’t poodle-perm your fringe – Mum was right). But as with most advice in relation to workplace attire and presentation, I usually stick with the old ‘dress for the job you want’ guidelines.

In plain speak, this means dressing to suitably impress within your cohort – neat and tidy, with a funky flair is my personal go-to. Now, in terms of flashing your ink, as with any visible accessories you may be wearing, one of the main things to consider here is the content and location. In the same way that some slogans can be viewed as offensive on clothing, some inked content may also have that potential and it is important for you to consider this in relation to the bigger-picture. My advice is that if you wouldn’t wear it on a t-shirt to work, don’t wear it on visible skin there either – keep it for the weekend and flash your tatts then. And as for location, if it’s not a body-part typically displayed at work, keep it covered!

Individuality speaking

“But why should I have to give up my rights to individuality and just conform?” I hear you ask. Well, firstly, if your ‘individuality’ relies solely on your ink-art being visible I’d say you’ve got some bigger issues to work through.

Secondly, all of us – every single day in fact, conform in various ways and to varying degrees without question, simply to remain engaged with our cohort. Think sport uniforms, dressing up when going out for dinner (well, for really special occasions), and, well – wearing clothes in general. In none of these scenarios, despite conforming to general expectations, have you comprised your individuality. You’re still YOU.

Sure, tattoos form part of our self-expression, but we certainly shouldn’t be reducing ourselves down to just some strategic inking should we? Or to put it another way, we all have an infinite number of versions of ourselves, that we show in different contexts. To demonstrate this point, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the version of yourself that you present to your grandma is likely to be different to the version you show to your mates at the pub – in both scenarios you are still the wonderful you, but you have shown the version of you that matches the situation most appropriately. We’re pretty clever beings like that!

With the increasing popularity of this art-form, there is an ever-widening acceptance and curiosity in the wider community and a growing number of workplaces in which visible ink is celebrated. I’m a huge fan of both diversity and educated choices.

So my overall advice is pretty simple: think before you ink, and dress to impress for the job you want – regardless of whether you plan to show a little tattoo or not at work.

About
Lauren Maxwell is a passionate Women’s Career Developer and Rehabilitation Counsellor. She is the founder of Headstrong Women, and thrives on innovation and creativity to empower women to clarify their goals and reach their potential.

Bravery vs Bravado – What Type Of Leader Are You?

leader

Simon Sinek has a fantastic quote from his article Failure Is An Option; “to operate based on conviction and belief requires an acceptance that your actions could get you fired. This is different from pig-headed bravado, and it is different from putting the company at risk”.

Instinct in the workplace is a funny thing. Some people are naturally able to give 100 per cent all the time, irrespective of their position within a company and irrespective of the company they are working for. They have an intrinsic ability to put the best of themselves forward – sometimes knowing full well that this won’t be rewarded in the short term. What it does show though, to their teams and colleagues, is the difference between bravery in business and bravado.

A Leader With Bravado

There’s an omnipresent culture of business bluster and bravado lurking around at present. It’s a game of pretence, and false promises. It’s the mindset of ‘I will give enough to look like I am performing above expectations whilst secretly cruising my way to the next week – or role’. Many leaders are only showing the tip of the business performance iceberg, being content to sit on one’s hands while nodding furiously and giving every indication of leading change.

It’s ‘fake it till you make it’, not engaging wholly or giving completely — despite having the ability to do so. The sad part is that often more effort is expended on being the equivalent of a business iceberg than giving one’s all. This ‘bravado’ style of business can be employed by entire corporations and even translate down to the smallest action.

It can be a matter of constantly not speaking up, or refusing to take an active role in the professional development of those coming through the ranks. It can be refusing to disclose one’s own actions out of sheer ego. It can be acting ‘for the good of the company’ by staying quiet when the status quo is not ethically correct.

It can be an unwillingness to keep learning, being too busy to take on new experiences, knowledge or new ways of doing things. It’s about making excuses, taking beta position, meeting targets rather than exceeding them, facing inward, being closed off. These are leaders that operate with bravado. They are unwilling to shine and unwilling to change. If that is how bravado looks, then what is bravery?

A Brave Leader

Brave leadership is about;

  • Stepping not necessarily always outside the square but along the edges of the business square
  • Getting out of the shallowness of surface leadership
  • Questioning your own position
  • Taking on leadership
  • Constantly learning
  • Posing new sets of challenges for oneself in terms of professional standards and goals

Brave leaders strive to be change-makers and to improve the way things are done within the company, the sector, the industry, or even the community. They have the courage to:

  • Stand in our own spotlight
  • Use our voices
  • Ask for help
  • Be vulnerable
  • Be different
  • Challenge the status quo – because this is how change happens

Brave leadership is about all of us leaning in and being brave to embrace diversity and driving the change that is required. Bravery is reaching out to fellow leaders and those who are willing to shape policy and procedure, and giving 100 per cent to drive business forward in an ethical and productive way.

For corporates in particular it is about coming back to the authentic, and to the transparent. It is in many ways taking the lead from entrepreneurial models, where ‘bravery’ is key to driving sales. The ability to lead by example is absolutely critical to success in a market that is cynical and sick of inflated salaries — and inflated egos.

Become A Leader Worth Following

Being a change maker is a risky business. It takes bravery 100 per cent, all day and every day. It takes a level of self-belief to challenge the traditional or the ‘it’s always been like that’. It takes an inner confidence and conviction to be a non-conformist, to have a view contradictory to the expected. But leaders need to have the courageous conversations that drive change, that create action, that create momentum.

We have to be willing to fail – because this is bravery.

We have to be willing to share what we know – because this is bravery.

We have to step in to the spotlight – because this is bravery.

We have to ask for help – because this is bravery.

We have to try different ways of doing and working – because this is bravery.

We have to embrace diversity and all the difference of opinion it brings – because this is bravery.

What Standard Are You Expecting?

I am often reminded of Lieutenant General David Morrison’s now famous and often-quoted line about behavioural standards ‘The standard you walk past in the standard you accept”. As leaders, as men and women of worth, we have to be brave – because if we don’t, who will? This is what it means to be a leader, and this is what we have to do every day, in every way, with every decision we make, large or small.

It’s a standard that means you are making a choice to be a brave leader, a leader that is standing up for their belief and vision and one that is committed to the journey, inclusive of the highs and the lows, that lie ahead.

Drive change, because you are brave enough to do it. As Dr Seuss says, why fit in when you were born to stand out?

About
Janine Garner is the author of From Me To We – Why commercial collaboration will future-proof business, leaders and personal success published by Wiley. She is the Founder and CEO of LBDGroup and works with senior leaders to build high performing teams. For more information visit http://www.janinegarner.com.au