Praise
“I believe when you’re in the
right role and you lead your
way, you become unstoppable.”
– Jane Benston
My day to day operational role lacked the space to focus on my personal and professional development. Joining The Leadership Connection gave me the permission to invest time in myself, my leadership skills and my longer term focus, which I wouldn’t have done on my own.
With the smarts, love and positivity from the other women in the program and with Jane’s guidance I gained clarity, considered ‘what next?’ and expanded my vision of the future. As a result, my passion and positivity towards my career has been reignited.
The high calibre of diverse, senior career women in this group, the female-only setting, information transfer, story and perspective sharing, lecture topics, group participation and the in-person retreats are all key elements to the shifts I experienced.
Being in a senior role can be isolating at times. This program re-confirmed my leadership style, highlighted the value I give to my team and reenergised me so I could keep going and keep giving.
I continue to think about my future and testing new ideas to gain clarity on my next steps. As I do this, I lean into The Leadership Connection teachings and friendships with the other women to sustain, motivate and inspire me.
Sally
When I first spoke with Jane, I was just stepping into a new leadership position. Jane was extremely good at guiding me with the timing of when to join The Leadership Connection to ensure I got the most value from the program.
As I stepped more into this leadership position and had gathered some experience, I knew it was time to enlist Jane’s help. I needed support to grow and I wanted to secure the next perfect opportunity that arose.
The retreat days gave me time to focus and give attention to big picture topics such as my leadership style. And then reflecting further with Jane in the 1:1 sessions specific to my situation was the perfect combination.
Jane has a great problem-solving mind and a good understanding of the challenges I faced in my industry. She wasn’t afraid to give me targeted areas to improve on and she encouraged me to do some hard reflections – such as exploring my self-confidence, strength and the value I bring – which is what resulted in the biggest growth.
The results I’ve seen from being part of The Leadership Connection are many – better prioritisation and organisation; courage to be visible and to celebrate what I do well; being comfortable with my own leadership style; having more confidence in my unique skills and value, leading me to apply for high-level positions I would never have applied for before; building strong relationships and rapport with key stakeholders; defining specific goals for my next leadership position, while also feeling more settled and confident in my current position.
I am free from the “Am I good enough?” anxiety because I now know who I am and I’m willing to wait for the right opportunity.
Unproductive overwhelm has completely gone from my professional life. Nothing comes up now that I don’t feel I can manage.
I recently had a feedback session with my manager in which I was given the most incredible feedback. She could see my potential beyond what she had seen previously. It was amazing – the best day of my career. I wouldn’t have received this level of feedback without Jane’s input and influence.
The deepest level of impact that Jane has given me is the ability to make myself visible and to allow my passion to guide and drive me.
This isn’t about learning basic skills of leadership. Jane helps you to elevate yourself.
Haylee
I first joined Jane’s Leading Ladies Facebook group and felt a connection immediately. I was feeling frustrated, forgotten and looked over in my current position. I knew I had a lot to give and needed to do something about this. I had one phone conversation with Jane and I knew she was the woman to help me get to the bottom of why I was feeling this way.
The discussions I had with Jane shone a light on things I was oblivious to or couldn’t see for myself. Jane has a lovely ability to call things out in a deliberate but gentle way.
The retreat days were incredibly valuable. Meeting the other women from all kinds of industries, hearing their opinions and their generosity. Some of the activities took me outside my comfort zone but always with great benefits.
A huge shift created for me at one of the retreats, was the realisation that I was uncomfortable with receiving attention. This had manifested in my work environment with others taking credit for my work and, of course, the feeling that I was being looked over and forgotten.
With Jane’s support, I made a decision to become more visible and own the good work that I had contributed to.
Many opportunities have come from this change. In particular, during the outbreak of COVID, I was invited to be the project lead on an important COVID response project team, in amongst a small group of other high-performing staff. With Jane’s support I was able to truly shine and thrive in a very stressful period.
I used to self doubt but I’ve had a mindset shift. I’m having conversations I wouldn’t dared to have had 12 months and putting myself forward for leadership positions. I am sure of my value, I’m happy to challenge things and I make sure I get my voice and opinion heard.
I am much more focused and deliberate in my actions and intentional with the decisions I make and the projects I get involved in.
I have learnt so much from Jane and the other women in this program.
Anonymous
At the time I discovered Jane, I had just completed end of year reviews and was feeling overwhelmed and somewhat hindered with everything I wanted to accomplish. Although my performance comments had all been positive, I felt like I was lacking the space to develop my leadership skills. I knew I had been focusing too much on the day-to-day doing and not enough on the big picture thinking for the business. This was upsetting because I knew I had so much more to offer but I just didn’t have the space, time or energy to show up how I knew I could.
Jane and I had one conversation and I knew immediately I wanted to join The Leadership Connection. I was so hungry to have somebody else’s experienced insights into how I could be leading differently.
Jane’s ability to articulate ideas and her capacity to intuitively understand my feelings and situation gave me the confidence to take action. When Jane made a suggestion, I tried it out – and, her suggestions worked. I could see immediate change with how I was showing up and how I was perceived within my role.
In the six months I was in the program, I got offered a promotion – which I accepted.
When I told my managers I’d been doing coaching for the last six months, they were surprised but they could see the positive impact. I truly believe if I hadn’t joined the Leadership Connection, it wouldn’t have been as easy a decision to give me that promotion.
Just because you work hard doesn’t mean you are good at your job. The program gave me the space away from my day-to-day and the tools to guide my team into working more collaboratively to get the results we needed. It helped me identify what I didn’t have to be doing, freeing me up and giving me the confidence to do the things I know I’m really good at as well as elevating my team, allowing them to fully step into their roles.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, unsure – any of these negative emotions around your work life – this is a platform for finding clarity, balance and integrity. It’s a source you can tap into that’s going to give you the permission and support to make changes that perhaps you are not confident to make on your own.
The Leadership Connection is empowerment for women who want to expand to the next level and step into what they know they are truly capable of.
Tara
The very first of Jane’s workshops that I attended, I went in with all doubts thinking – “I’m too busy at work to be able to make time for this. This isn’t going to help me.”
I had been in the same role for seven years. There was no opportunity for career progression. I knew it was time to move on but I had no idea what to move to.
I thought I was highly unemployable. I had no confidence, I couldn’t articulate what I wanted and I didn’t know my value or believe I had value, having been passed over for various opportunities.
Jane has a special way of making you feel like you are the only person in the room. And the collective of highly articulated, sophisticated and accomplished women in the group provided rare and much needed wisdom, experience and guidance.
I walked into that first workshop as a shell and walked out believing “I can do anything!”
The Leadership Connection challenged my deeply ingrained belief system. I started to believe in myself again and understand the value I bring to an organisation. I began to see that the brand I had always traded on – having to be the ‘good girl’ and saying ‘yes’ to everything – needed an upgrade.
Because of this program, everything about my confidence, brand and persona changed.
I started applying for jobs I never would have even considered before. I got head hunted by a large organisation (and turned down the opportunity because I was clear in what I wanted and knew it wasn’t right for me – that was empowering).
I’m now in an amazing position, with amazing leaders in the most amazing work environment – a work environment that I have contributed to creating.
And, because of the way I’m presenting myself, I have gone on to quickly build strong relationships. My organisation is supporting my growth as a future leader with offers for promotion.
Kate
When I first attended one of Jane’s online webinars, I was in a transition stage. I knew I needed to take the next step and that I was more than my current role, but I didn’t have the confidence to back myself or the right support network around me to say “go for it!” I’d also just had my first child and being a first-time Mum had knocked my confidence in coming back to the workforce.
I was in a male-dominated industry and having to share my thoughts and opinions was very challenging. I had become known as the doer, fixer, gap-filler – ” Nicole will get it done”. But that was not what I wanted to be known for anymore.
When I attended the first in-person retreat with the other women in the program, I was quiet and timid. I couldn’t get a full sentence out without questioning what I was saying. But the next time I met everyone, I was standing taller, I had confidence about me, and I said whatever I was thinking, knowing I was adding value.
By working with Jane, it allowed me to walk into any room and know “I am an important member of this team, I have a lot of value to add and you will listen to me to when I talk and not brush me aside.”
Confidence comes from the clarity of understanding who I am, what I want, what is my why, what I love to do, where my sweet spot is and where and how I add value – all of which Jane helped me discover.
There are two sides to this program. There’s the knowledge and one and one time with Jane. And then there’s the inner circle. A circle of women who genuinely want to help you, empower you to make changes and celebrate your big wins and projects.
Surrounding yourself with people who are firm and fair, have your best interests at heart and help you shine. And, of course, by seeing what other women have been achieving in their own journeys, gave me the extra confidence that I could do it too.
Thanks to this program, I know my future direction, I’m clear about what work gives me deeper meaning and I’m pursuing that, I’ve negotiated a title change that better reflects what I do and I’ve inspired other women in my team to do the same. To see that flow-on effect and the positive impact is has on the other women around me is priceless.
I talk about Jane all the time. I tell people how she and the community of women have hugely impacted me.
I know I can do it now. Even if I have doubt, I have twenty other women in my corner who are saying, “You got this!”
Nicole
When I first spoke with Jane, I was going through huge life changes and upheaval that wasn’t my choosing. I was at a crossroad with my current role being phased out and was being offered a position of lesser responsibility and pay. I knew that if I stayed it would be a backwards move but I didn’t have anything new lined up.
I remember Jane saying to me “Put yourself first.” And that’s when I discovered, I had been letting others go first without realising it.
With this seemingly small mind shift, I took the leap, knowing I had the support of Jane and the other women and could tap into this at any time.
Jane helped me approach the recruitment process differently to how I have had done in the past. We worked on updating my Linkedin profile to help with my visibility. I checked in with Jane in the crucial times when I needed support and encouragement – especially during interviews. And she continually reminded me to put myself first when it got to the negotiation of entitlements.
Having Jane and the other women behind me, made me bolder and more confident. It was a big leap of faith – but it paid off. I got a new job straight away.
My new role is a big step forward (not backward, which was what I was originally being offered). I relocated interstate for the first time, I’m completely satisfied and happy with where I’m living, the people I’m working with and the work I’m doing.
The Leadership Connection wasn’t just about professional change for me. Small mindset shifts culminated in creating a whole new level of thinking, taking action, communicating and relationship building; along with being inspired by the other women who were doing things differently and getting the type of positive change they always wanted. This is what created the huge transformation.
Jane has a natural gift of supporting you to become your most authentic self so you can step up in the way you want and have the confidence to say yes to the right opportunities when they present themselves.
I have become happier in my career and that has had a ripple out effect. The changes have flowed into many areas of my life where I had previously been trying to make progress but hadn’t been able to.
In fact, my entire energy has changed – people comment on the difference, I smile more and have a twinkle in my eye.
And, in complete serendipity, I’ve also met a man. Not only did The Leadership Connection change my career, it also changed my relationship status!
Six months before joining The Leadership Connection, I had been promoted into a leadership role. The business environment was busy, I was reporting to a new director with a different leadership style, I was hiring new people into my team and trying to find my place after moving from peer to leader.
I would call myself a micro-doer, stuck in my day-to-day task list. I was trying to model other leadership styles and not being true to who I am, coupled with leading a team that was dysfunctional and very set in their ways.
Many shifts were happening in the organisation and I could sense that it was time to step up. But I didn’t know how to do this in the current environment and my inner critic questioned my capability, value and worth.
I showed up to my first few calls with Jane quite stressed. Jane encouraged me to take a breath, step back, move out of the ‘doing’ work and begin to look at things from a strategic viewpoint.
The honest, unbiased advice that came from the other ladies in the program, gave me many perspectives and different ideas on how to approach problems, projects and opportunities. It was nerve-wracking, at first, to be in a room with all these highly successful women, but the support, accountability and understanding was invaluable.
Through the work I did with Jane and the other women in the program, I have been able to reposition myself and lift my profile within the business.
I am now managing up and down more successfully. I have clarity around who I am and how I want to lead. I am more confident in my approach, comfortable in my own skin and clearer in my communications. I’ve built a rapport with my director and managing my day to day in a much more strategic way.
Jane taught me valuable communication skills to empower my team and help them to become more solution-focused. My team are now working together better than ever.
Jane and the other women in the program are approachable and down to earth. Their advice is always considered and knowledgeable. It is a caring and giving network.
You’re not just joining up to get one coach – you’re getting multiple coaches!
Katie
I had been feeling lost in my career for a couple of years. When I applied for the leadership connection, it was at breaking point.
I had no idea what to do next. Feedback from my performance reviews had left me even more confused. I knew I didn’t want this job anymore but struggled to articulate where I wanted to go next.
I needed support from someone with who I could talk openly and who could guide me based on my personal situation.
Jane was that person for me. She is so easy to work with. She’s humble, experienced and relatable.
The light bulb moment for me was when I realised I had inner work to do. Jane showed me that I had to get to know and understand myself first before I could have clarity on where to go next in my career.
In fact, clarity has been a big piece in the puzzle for me. It’s helped me in all aspects of my life, to help me be more selective in how I use my time and to pursue the things that really matter to me.
With this clarity, Jane helped me to create a role in my current organisation made up of exactly the type of work I love to do. I have been able to articulate my professional brand, where I want to be in the long term, and absolute clarity on what I need to get there. This has meant I haven’t had to switch companies or search for a new position.
I used to question the value I brought to a situation. But now I realise my value. And, as a result, I’m more courageous. I know I have the capability to influence change throughout my organisation. I am saying yes to opportunities to courageously put myself on the line to lead, without waiting for permission from anyone else.
It has been rewarding experience to work with Jane. Clarity does indeed bring momentum. I have experienced so many growth moments. I’m ticking off things in my 180 day plan. New opportunities are presenting. I’m in control and having lots of fun defining my own journey. Sometimes I look back in disbelief that it has only been slightly over a year since I started working with Jane.
A shift in mindset to be more conscious and deliberate in choosing my career path. A shift in influence to remember that I am a leader. A shift in focus, with me at the centre, being proactive rather than reactive. These are the biggest shifts I experienced from The Leadership Connection.
With the combination of Jane’s availability and warmth and the regular contact through the in-person retreats and monthly calls, The Leadership Connection became the safe, supportive space I needed to explore who I am now, what I want and the unique value I bring to an organisation.
Thanks to the techniques and strategies I learnt in the program, and the support and insights from the other members, I’ve chosen to change how I show up in my current role as well as how to pursue the next one. I engage in a positive way, I take personal responsibility to improve my circumstances and I fully back myself and my capabilities.
To any woman ready to take the next leap in her career I would say – take some time out, invest in yourself, gather yourself and then make a strategic leap. The Leadership Connection will support you to do just that
Fran
When I first reached out to Jane I was in an acting management role but I felt like an imposter. I was frustrated and lacking confidence. I had established myself as a ‘doer’ not a leader and had no idea how to take my career to the next stage.
Jane has a special gift of seeing where you are at and what exactly you need to do to move forward.
I loved our monthly sessions which kept me accountable and the workshops where I made amazing friendships with the other women in The Leadership Connection. Seeing these women in similar situations, grow and become more confident gave me the belief I could do it too.
With Jane’s mindset techniques and leadership model, I have positioned myself as a woman in leadership, I have said yes to speaking on panels and I’ve become more confident in the way I lead. Not only have I grown, but my team has grown too because I now challenge them to think differently, just as Jane did for me.
If you’re serious about being a leader and wanting to develop in your career, you absolutely need someone like Jane in your corner.
Now, as I move forward in my career, I can hear Jane’s voice beside me telling me I can do it. She’s a powerful advocate and holds the belief in you when you don’t believe in yourself.
My only regret – not having reached out to Jane sooner.
I joined The Leadership Connection during a difficult period of job transition, a career plateau and burnout. I felt frustrated, stuck, alone and confused.
My last job had taken a terrible toll and I wanted to move forward in my career with clarity and purpose. I was badly in need of a safe place to land, unpack the past, recover, explore options, and create a better future.
I found this by joining The Leadership Connection. Jane provides practical guidance and focus areas to explore and illuminate while also having a special gift for holding trusted space enabling breakthroughs to regularly occur. The connection with a highly supportive group and incredible network of professional, intelligent, courageous and kind women was invaluable.
I have, in many ways, rebuilt my identity and found a greater sense of myself, my strengths, value and contribution in the workplace and been fortunate to become part of an amazing group of women.
JA
When I first began working with Jane I was burnt out. I had overextended myself, having spent six months in an acting CEO role on top of my already existing senior executive role. When I wasn’t successful in the permanent CEO role application, it made me question a few things, both professionally and personally.
I’d experienced burnout a few years beforehand but had not addressed it in a constructive way. This time, I knew I needed someone to guide me in a different direction.
In the first three months of the program, Jane and I focused on self care and creating a healthier work life balance. This included prioritising myself, exercise, diet and less dependency on alcohol as a stress relief. We worked on my mindset and feelings of being undervalued, and we addressed a limiting belief relating to my need to do more and work harder to get noticed.
For the remainder of my time in the program, we focused on how I lead my team through a successful government accreditation process. This was a huge project for both me and my team. We navigated it in a way that promoted team work and support while also keeping self care as a priority. And that’s where I started to see the work I was doing with Jane positively benefit not only me but also my team and the organisation.
Through Jane’s workshops, I worked on building my personal brand, networks and connections through LinkedIn. I became more visible in my industry and I do believe this partly contributed to me receiving two significant awards in the sector.
A good nine months on, I am still seeing the flow-on effects – I am generally a much calmer, healthier, happier and nicer person. And my team benefits with a clear thinking, supportive leader. And I continue to prioritise my self-care.
Jane’s teachings have given me clarity on my life goals, which are playing a much bigger role in my career and work decisions.
Heidi
When I first came to Jane, I was lost, closed, angry and disappointed. I had been labelled as ‘difficult to work with’ but when I asked for feedback on why, I wasn’t getting any answers.
With the help of Jane and the other women in The Leadership Connection, I was able to look at my communication style and start to understand my hard-wired responses to situations, some of which were the result of my cultural background. Being in a safe environment created by Jane and the group, I began to experiment with different approaches in how I communicate.
There was so much compassion and love shown from the women in the program. It’s a non-competitive environment where your success is everyone’s success. Hearing the other women talk about similar challenges and journeys helped me to relax into my own. It felt completely safe to express when I was struggling or needing help.
Ultimately, the work I did as part of The Leadership Connection helped me to show up in new ways in all aspects of my life.
I am now excited to be in a new more senior role with an organisation I have long wanted to work with.
Katy
I had just left a very toxic work environment and I had no idea what was next. When The Leadership Connection ladies told me “You might need to take some time and space” I realised they were entirely right.
I have always been a motivated person, moving from one position to the next without any space in between. The Leadership Connection gave me permission to take the time I needed to consider what’s important (both in and outside of my career) before rushing into the ‘next job’.
Over the last few months, Jane and the other women in the program have asked me insightful questions about where I want to go, given me objective opinions and feedback, helped me to uncover my natural strengths and talents and align with my values.
The masterclasses, group coaching and regular contact with Jane has kept me accountable, focused, on track and moving forward.
Knowing I was not alone when self-doubt arose and having the non-judgemental insightfulness from such a diverse and talented circle of ladies, boosted my confidence.
Jane’s approach and the whole program is gentle, considered, thoughtful and warm. I now have a kit full of useful tools and a network of amazing women to support me as I prepare to take the next step.
Sally
When I first joined The Leadership Connection, I was in the space between becoming a leader and being a leader. I was lacking in confidence and clarity about who I was, my strengths and the kind of leader I wanted to be. But most of all, deep down, I didn’t believe I had leadership capacity.
The experience that women have in leadership roles in the corporate world is very different from men. We often underestimate and second-guess ourselves as leaders. I was surrounded by many remarkable leaders but I was craving more female role models to draw from.
Joining Jane’s Leadership Connection was a pivotal moment in my leadership career. The women in this program felt like my own personal group of mentors I could learn from, providing me with feedback and helping me to see my strengths. Jane created a hugely supportive, non-judgmental and safe environment for the learning to unfold. From the group calls where I experienced big ah-ha moments to the in-person workshops where monumental changes and shifts occurred in my thinking.
Now I have more clarity about who I am and what leadership style I’m most suited to. I’ve got more confidence to call out my positive attributes and run with them in the workplace. The senior leadership team have commented on my new-found self-assurance and capabilities. I am seen as the right person for leadership opportunities and I step into these with dignity and certainty. Leading is now at the forefront of what I do.
Melissa
When I first spoke with Jane, I was incredibly upset. A project I had been working on had been put on hold and my self-esteem and confidence had taken a big hit – I came out feeling like I didn’t have impact or had added any value.
Jane helped me to see I was sitting at a ‘doer’ level but what I really wanted to be was a change maker. And to become a change maker, I would need to move into a different role and profession.
I had good reasons for not taking the next step – I needed a steady income and I valued the sick benefits… but as I explored this more, I came to see that these reasons meant nothing without me being happy in what I do.
I started to accept that I didn’t want to continue on the career path I’d been on for the last 25 years. And as my prioritisation shift occurred, I began to understand that my happiness was just as important (if not more important than) a consistent pay check.
With the help of Jane and the other experienced, wise and knowledgeable women in the program, I started to explore and have conversations about what my next steps would look like.
With this wonderful network of connections as my sounding board, I developed the clarity and courage to step fully in and back myself. I found the courage to leave my long-term career path and establish my own consulting practice.
Having taken the time, invested in this program and myself has been incredibly empowering. To look towards the future, make a plan for myself, and create a career that aligns with my values, skills and experience has been life changing.
Mags
I decided to be part of The Leadership Connection because I wanted some support and additional insight into my thinking and decisions as I moved into a new stage in my career. I knew I wanted to use my skills and passion at work in a different way as I was feeling stuck and under utilised, so I signed up and made a commitment to myself about carving out the time to do it.
I found the accountability and the regular check ins, webinars, coaching and face to face sessions. It wasn’t a pressure but it was a way to measure my progress forwards. I noticed changes in the other members of the group and they were able to tell me what they saw in me too. It is so helpful to have a group of women who are rooting for you right there on the journey with you.
I have been able to achieve my goal of working for myself because of the program, and I did it in a shorter space of time than I thought I would be able to. I worked out why I needed to make a move and that understanding clarified everything for me. I was able to confidently make a plan and go for it! I haven’t looked back and am getting clearer every month on who I am and what unique abilities I have that help others too. I know what my why is and how I’m expressing that in my work. And I’m really happy!
I’m not very good at asking for help but once I did, my progress accelerated. I have some fantastic new friendships now with people who are ambitious and vulnerable like me. I am still involved with Jane after my experience of TLC and continue to grow and develop through this relationship. It’s a fabulous journey.
Clare
Jane does it again! I have worked with Jane for over 10 years but I always learn something new every time I meet with her or participate in one of her courses. She delivers relevant and practical guidance.
Sarah
The in person retreats allowed me to see where I am “overfunctioning” which is allowing others to under function. It allowed me to see where I need to let go of the doer and advisor aspects I have been holding on to, to free up space for leading and change making.
I had a light bulb moment about the different conversations I need to have with my CEO!
I also really loved the discussion on the unique value of both feminine and masculine traits of leadership. It helped me identify that I bring a diverse number of these traits to the leadership table, but more importantly how I can bring that with intention.