The Farm Girl Who Cares

The farm girl who cares

I’m a leadership coach for mid-career women who want to step up to the next level of leadership … without burning out or selling out. I’ve spent my career in the corporate space working with incredible people across the country.

However, my first ‘job’ was not even remotely corporate. It was helping Mum and Dad out in the paddocks mustering stock or in the sheep yards drafting sheep. Yes, my work wardrobe of grossly unflattering hospital and retail uniforms or corporate suit and heels was a far cry from gumboots!

My first pay check didn’t come from working in McDonald’s or the local café, but rather from selling my pet lambs and calves at market, that I’d hand feed each day before and after school.

I’m a farm girl, born and bred.

People are sometimes surprised when I share that I grew up on a sheep and cattle farm. I’m not exactly sure why. I know there are a lot of misconceptions about what farm life actually is. There are those romanticised depictions of rural serenity, a slow pace, an Old MacDonald-esque life that’s all about animals and hard work.

Of course, these aren’t inaccurate, but in reality, farming is all about people. Farming is teamwork, everyone pitches in when there’s a job to be done and farming communities are well known for their sense of … well, community.

My career off the farm actually started out in the health sector as an Occupational Therapist – firstly in the UK and then back in Melbourne.

Next came working for 2 INCREDIBLE young women in a fast-growing, award-winning service-based business – where my role was to negotiate win, win solutions to support injured workers return to work.

From here I moved to the corporate world in the space of health and safety, traveling to big cities and smaller towns across Australia to work with leaders and their teams.

I’ve written about my path to leadership coaching here, but when I reflect on my career, theoretically leagues away from the ‘industry’ of farming, at the core of my work is people, specifically a deep care for their wellbeing within the context of meeting their potential.

Every role, from that of graduate OT through to leader in the aforementioned ugly hospital culottes to the suit and heels, has, to put it mildly, involved creating the environment for humans to flourish.

My work today continues to encompass this.

Having experienced the polar opposite of flourishing, aka burnout, my work is now centred around women avoiding the pitfalls that come with being a high achiever without a roadmap to a successful, fulfilling and rewarding career.

I help women achieve their goals and aspirations in a way that doesn’t involve them working harder. On the whole, the women I meet are already working ridiculously hard with phenomenal work ethics. I show them how they can have a much bigger impact at the leadership table by actually “Doing” less.

And I’m passionate about supporting women to “Lead Their Way.” This means digging deep on their values, their aspirations, the way they see themselves and aligning their professional life to this, and not the other way around. It’s also about finding a leadership style that works for them – rather than trying to fit into an outdated or overly masculine style of leadership that is out of step with who they are at their core.

So, in a nutshell… my farming girl start in life has led me to the work I do today.

I help mid-career women to up level their career in a way that enables them to flourish, not just survive. If I’m the leadership coach/farm girl to help you get to where you want to be, please reach out. I’d love to work with you!

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

February 27, 2023March 12, 2023

Know you need to build better boundaries? Here’s how.

Time for a truth bomb: You won’t get what you want. You get what you tolerate. Harsh, I know, but it’s so true.

It’s an easy fix, relatively speaking. It’s time to put up boundaries. Not wishy-washy, ‘here if you need’ tentative boundaries, but firm, don’t mess with me boundaries.

I like to call them barbed wire boundaries!

(There’s that farm girl coming out again!)

There’s a fundamental practice and perception shift when we move from an implementer role (the DOER) to one of leadership. We no longer have the dopamine hit from the to-do list and so we need to replace it with leadership practices that give that hit, but not in a way that holds us back and keeps us stuck in the busy. What better way to protect our greatest asset, our time, than by metaphorically encircling it with barbed wire?

Boundaries create structure and protect us from scope creep and overwhelm. They allow us to focus on what matters most, and in leadership it’s that deep focus time and space.

I have many strategies that bring to life my barbed wire boundaries concept to enable women to move into the visionary, change-making work that signifies their leadership.

Here are a few strategies for building and maintaining Barbed Wire Boundaries.

First up: my world famous (in my IGNITE circle anyway!) 90 minute white space strategy.

This is 2 x 90 minute blocks of time within a weekly schedule that are untouchable. These are for deep thinking and high level work. Nothing, nothing can encroach on this time. There is no excuse big enough to remove it from the schedule, pending fire, flood or locusts. (Or perhaps a specific urgent request from the CEO!)

During these protected 90-minute periods of deep thinking time, it is a really good idea to have the phone on do not disturb because every notification ping equals a loss of focus. My clients have achieved some incredible work from my 90 minute white space strategy, including:

Mapping out a team strategy day
Overhauling a customer experience process that was actually causing a poor customer experience
Completing their annual performance review – focusing in on how they would position themselves for a pay rise.

We teach people how to treat us and what we tolerate.

This can happen by default or accident, or we can mindfully and intentionally craft this. If we’re always available and ‘on’ then we’re always available. My 90 minute white space strategy only works when it’s untouchable. That means it’s not OK for people to waltz into your space to ask you about something during those 90 minutes.

Obviously, when you’ve been the go-to girl, there’s some bad habits to break. People will expect you to be accessible, but you know what? They’ll get over it. I asked some of my Ignite Ladies how they enforce barbed wire boundaries around their 90 minute white space blocks as well as their broader work.

This answer cracked me up:

‘Noise cancelling headphones. Not those tiny little AirPods that are invisible until someone’s up close, but the big, over the ears, ‘back off’ ones.’

Another likes to … ‘Head to my local café. I grab a coffee or two and immerse in thinking, planning and problem solving.’

Beyond my white space strategy, boundaries are important across all facets of our leadership.

As we know, there’s no ‘I’ in team, so stop putting your hand up to people’s requests for help.

One of my clients has a strategy where she’s asked her team to present issues in a way that’s not simply hand balling them to her to fix. Instead, when sharing an issue, it’s in the structure of 1 problem/issue, 2-3 solutions and 1 recommendation. Boom!

When it’s time off, it’s time off.

I encourage women to take time away from work, and this means really stepping away. The phone must be off, emails unchecked. On this – I’ve had clients take the step of removing their email from their phone, initially as an attempt to have a holiday, and then leave emails permanently off as a strategy to protect their boundaries. I like it!

Another woman who had previously been known as the go-to girl … for just about everything from creating beautiful Powerpoint slides, solving pesky tech issues to facilitating the most difficult, high level global consultation processes, made it clear that she was 100% UNAVAILABLE when she took an entire month off at Christmas. Issues came up but she didn’t rush in to fix them. The team handled it all and nothing broke in her absence.

If you do need to be contacted, communicate your preference as to how! If you hate after hours phone calls and would prefer an email, communicate that clearly with your team. More importantly, don’t answer the phone! Your email signature is also a good place to set boundaries. I’ve seen signatures with messages that detail clearly when people can expect a response, beautifully setting expectations and role modelling barbed wire boundaries.

How are your boundaries?

Are they flimsy and susceptible to falling over? Or are they impenetrable, protecting your time, headspace and your wellbeing? If you’d like some help with creating barbed wire boundaries, please reach out.

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

January 23, 2023January 22, 2023

The danger of the shoulder tap

The problem with this is it’s a really passive way to build a career.

Waiting to be tapped on the shoulder can work well in your earlier years. It certainly did for me. For about 15 years I worked in a large corporate business where I found an abundance of opportunities.

Or should I say the opportunities found me.

Every couple of years there would be a major business restructure, landing me in a new role, a new department or a completely different part of the business. I didn’t need to look too far for the next promotion or challenge to come knocking on my door.

All I needed was to put myself in the right place to be seen and wait to be tapped on the shoulder. And just like a cat with 9 lives – when the dust settled, I always found myself in a better position than before.

I’ve spoken to many women who tell me that their career has been one of default rather than design – with new opportunities being offered to them even when they aren’t really looking.

But something seems to happen in mid-career. The opportunities tend to dry up and many good women are left feeling overlooked and thinking they are on the fast track to… well… nowhere, really.

They are still doing really great work – but they have fallen into the trap of believing that working hard and striving for excellence is enough to take them to the next level of leadership. But it’s not. At this level of leadership, doing great work is expected. It’s a given.

What it takes to be seen as the obvious candidate for your dream executive role is not your hard work… but rather your leadership!

Being helpful, useful and reliable was what got you into your current role – but being valuable will get you to the next.

So, if that’s what you want, it might be time to get out of the passenger seat (or even the boot) and back into the driver’s seat of your career. You need to be in control, managing your reputation, building strategic relationships and positioning yourself for what you want.

Leaving your career at the mercy of people noticing you is hugely problematic. In the words of Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

There are THREE major problems I see when women set their career on autopilot.

1. Reliance on others

Leaving your career progression in the hands of others is fraught with danger. No one should care more about your career than you.

I have seen far too many smart women who are waiting for the shoulder tap, being overlooked. They have allowed other people to make decisions and value judgements about their capacities that are based on generalisations or inaccuracies.

No-one in my Leading Ladies group is surprised when someone discloses they’ve been overlooked for their dream role because ‘someone’ decided they wouldn’t be interested because of their family status or because they are already super busy or because they never shared their aspirations for a more senior role. Ugh.

2. Opportunity blindness

Waiting for or relying on the shoulder tap can make women blind to opportunities. They’re simply not in the habit of actively seeking them out. When you know what it is that you want, you’ll start seeing opportunities all around you. But it starts with getting really clear on what you want and taking action steps towards that goal.

Without this, you can be put up for roles that you’re highly suited to, well within your capabilities, but is there room for growth? Is it a role you’re actually attracted to?

3. Land in the wrong place

Across the corporate world, people are identified as ‘high potential’ talent and offered space in leadership programs without being asked if they actually want to lead other humans, or offered roles that they can do but aren’t exactly passionate about.

If you’ve found yourself down a career path that doesn’t fill you with excitement – then perhaps it’s because it’s not actually aligned to your greatest strengths and your deeper vision values. You may have moved into the role to fill a need the business had rather than stepping into a role that was a great fit for who you are and what you truly want to be doing.

Of course, being tapped on the shoulder feels amazing and is a valid career growth strategy.

It means you have people ready to open doors for you and advocate for you to executives you may not have access to in the same timeframe or with the same level of ease. But it’s important to notice when it’s your only strategy. Waiting to be tapped on the shoulder takes you out of the driving seat of your own career.

It’s a much more beneficial and rewarding process to decide what you want and go after it!

Don’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder – my work with mid-career women is all about making informed choices. I help women achieve success as defined by them, on their terms, without burning out or selling their souls. Shall we chat about how I could help you design your career? Let’s do it!

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

November 21, 2022January 20, 2023

From doing it all … to not!

When you cast your mind back to when you first stepped into a leadership role, it’s possible you remember the feelings of excitement and pride, mixed with fear and trepidation.

What’s required to excel as an effective team member is different to what’s required of us as a leader. It involves a massive behavioural shift which, according to the tenets of Emotional Intelligence, also requires a corresponding shift in self-perception and identity.

So much of what we ‘do’ is tied up in how we see ourselves.

Making the shift to seeing ourselves as a valuable leader can sometimes be difficult for women who’ve held the busy label for many years. However, in leadership, and in life in general, busy is the highway to burnout. No thanks!

The shift in activity that comes with a leadership role, from doing to leading, can feel seismic, especially for those women who have made a career out of being known as the woman who gets things done. This reminds me of that infuriating quote/meme:

‘If you want something done, ask a busy woman.’

It’s such a patronising, manipulative ethos designed to simultaneously stroke a woman’s ego and leave her in the lurch of taking on the heavy lifting. At the risk of repeating myself, no thanks times infinity!

While it’s not necessarily easy for a woman to step away from doing it all, it’s not impossible.

In fact, it’s one of the most remarked upon outcomes of my work with mid-career women. Once they stop doing the busy, out of leadership scope work, women have the space and the capacity to tackle – and embrace – their leadership role of thinking, driving, leading and (depending on their leadership style) serving aspects. They can be visionary and strategic. They can guide rather than do.

By definition, leadership is about thinking. The traits of good leadership are almost all conceptual rather than activity based. It’s analysis, facilitative thinking, enabling, communicating and decision making, generating and bringing to life opportunities. Deep, strategic, critical thinking, not (necessarily) the execution or the doing. A big picture perspective becomes essential to this process.

In ‘busy’ doing work we can’t see the big picture. We’re stuck in getting sh*t done mode, ticking through the list. The result is a disproportionate workload that makes us feel like rubbish. It also leads to disengagement, stress and potentially even burnout.

Getting caught up in the busy work often means we’re doing work that’s not taking advantage of our capabilities nor our potential. It’s often soul destroying and erodes self confidence.

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should!

When we spend time after hours and on weekends doing the ‘stuff’ that didn’t get completed in business hours we erode our boundaries which are designed to protect us.

A side note: so many times I see ‘taking one for the team’ accompanying this ‘doing’ mode of operandi. This does us no favours and is a massive breach of our boundaries.

Want an example?

Picture a meeting room, and someone says ‘who wants to take the minutes?’ Of course, no-one wants to take the minutes. Who would? There’s a few moments of uncomfortable silence and then a woman raises her hand. So instead of contributing her expertise, experience and smarts to the discussion as a leader, she’s recording it.

I think it’s important to note that this type of behaviour, ie not having allocated roles for meetings ahead of time, is really symptomatic of a poor organisational culture, but it doesn’t change the fact that rather than step into her leadership, a woman has relegated herself down the ladder. Sadly, this isn’t an isolated incident across the many, many women I’ve worked with.

On this – as a leader you have an obligation to be a good role model. We all know that there’s gender inequality in the workplace. Statistically, women are more likely to put their hand up to volunteer for work that won’t progress their career. What message are you sending the young women sitting around the table?

When you don’t automatically volunteer to take on the “housekeeping” jobs you are role modeling for the young women at the table that they don’t always have to either. And you never know… you may just allow space for a bloke to put his hand up.

So, how to make this transition from doing it all to not?

We could ask the workplace to step up – ha!

Change is always more embedded with long term stickiness when it’s self-directed.

I’m a big proponent of what gets measured gets managed. Have you ever tried time tracking? It’s illuminating. You can’t argue with data that tells you exactly how much of your working day is spent involved in tasks that have no bearing on your leadership.

Start with building better boundaries

Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries. These are not flippy floppy boundaries – but boundaries protected with barbed wire! Without barbed wire boundaries, there’s simply no time or space to effectively lead. Enough said.

Boundaries in place? Great! Now we enforce them.

Don’t be the first to ‘just get on with it’ or volunteer to do something just because nobody else is stepping up. Either delegate if that’s within your remit or politely decline.

This applies to your personal life too. I was recently chatting to someone who was having a mini-grumble about a friend cancelling a lunch because they had to dole out basketball uniforms for their local community club. Here’s the kicker – the uniform coordinator’s kids had long stopped playing yet she was still stuck in that role!

And now for a word on delegation.

It’s an art and a science in itself, or it could be. Allocate the task, check understanding and then let people do their jobs! Clear communication of your expectations is key. Clarity will get the best and the most out of your team and will help them stay on track and focused on delivering your strategy or vision.

This brings me to the concept of trust.

Trust your team, allow people to get on with it, scaffolded by your clearly communicated expectations.

Being helpful, useful and reliable – focused on doing the do may have supported your career progression up to this point. But sadly, from this point forward it’s going to hold you back.

As a leader you need to move from the role of do-er/implementer and shift your focus to be one of leading others to do that execution.

Leadership is about enabling, and at the core? It’s a conscious decision on how you want to show up as a leader. This is not something you need to explore alone – let’s have a conversation about how I can be of support as you transition from a reliable doer to an exceptional leader.

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

November 13, 2022November 20, 2022

My story, amplified

My story, amplified

Over a decade ago I launched my consultancy, Jane Benston, delivering leadership coaching to women in mid-career roles looking to step up the corporate ladder without burning out or selling their soul, two critical caveats to success in my world view! So, how did I come to be a women’s leadership coach?

Like all good stories, the journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. I help women dig deep from a place not just of expertise but also from experience. I’ve felt that sense of career frustration and resentment. Let me tell you my story…

My about page shares some of the not-so-pretty details about my own personal career journey and path to my role now as a leadership coach for women. I thought I’d share a bit more of the story of how a girl from a sheep and cattle farm in central Victoria came to be working with incredible women from across Australia achieving remarkable feats in their careers, and more importantly, loving their work.

I’ve worked extensively as a women’s leadership coach, corporate trainer and career strategist since starting my business in 2011. Prior to this, I had over 15 years’ experience working in corporate leadership. I experienced first hand the impact of strong, female leadership both on the bottom line of a business as well as from a workplace culture perspective. Today, I absolutely love that I continue to play a part in nurturing female leadership.

My career started as an Occupational Therapist before quickly transitioning to working for 2 incredibly talented strong women in a small but rapidly growing dynamic business, negotiating return to work solutions for injured workers.

Next came my step into the corporate Health and Safety space.

For the first fifteen years or so in the workforce I had regular promotions and new opportunities as I followed a path and climbed a somewhat predictable career ladder. I loved my work, I loved making a difference and I really, really loved how easily the pay rises and promotions came my way!

I was proud of how my income was affording me a wonderful lifestyle – enjoying fabulous holidays and adventures overseas and independently purchasing my first home. My role also included a ton of interstate travel which, again, as a farm girl, never stopped being a ‘pinch me’ moment. My parents also took it as confirmation that their girl had made it!

As my career progressed, my leadership skills and strong results were recognised more and more. I had incredible mentors and cheerleaders who were in my corner, supporting me, advocating for me and encouraging me.

As a single woman without children, my work was incredibly important to me and was closely attached to my sense of self. I was fiercely independent, I wanted to make a real difference and I knew I had the skills and expertise to do that.

Everything was going according to plan, my plan, until it wasn’t.

Enter a corporate takeover which saw me working in a position and a role that just wasn’t me. It didn’t fit. I didn’t fit. I was that proverbial square peg in a round hole, or to use one of Dad’s favourite farming sayings, I was flogging a dead horse. I lost my mojo, my sense of direction and all belief in my skills. With that loss followed my sense of identity. The result? My confidence was in tatters.

Every time I walked through the office doors my heart would sink. It’s a feeling that’s difficult to describe, but one that’s familiar to anyone knowing intrinsically that they’re not where they should be. It was like walking around with a boulder in the pit of my stomach. Happy, fulfilled and engaged at work? I think not!

Here’s the thing with psychological stress – very rarely does it restrict itself to a mindset issue.

Hello burnout!

My health fell apart. My brain was foggy. My joints ached. My sleep was disturbed, I experienced unexplained dizziness. I’d cry for no good reason. I was EXHAUSTED. Put simply, I felt like crap. All the time.

I made the difficult decision to put my health first and walk away from my corporate career, saying goodbye to a great salary and job security. With my confidence already shot, it was incredibly scary to make that move, but I knew I needed to make a change. I also knew I didn’t want to make that change alone.

My first step was to find a coach to guide me through this huge transition. I didn’t want to just survive, I wanted to thrive… and I knew I was going to have to bare my soul, so the coach had to be someone that could give me a safe space.

The coaching process led me to the world of self-development. I was fascinated by the amazing world of neuroscience, and I invested a ton into my own personal development. I buried myself in every book and course I could find, as well as throwing myself into learning about human behaviour and the importance of empowered feminine leadership.

I learnt the secret code for controlling the inner critic and boosting confidence. I discovered simple language structures for becoming an influential communicator and recognising behaviours that get in the way of success. I applied everything I learnt to myself and in response? Everything changed.

Investing in myself paid off, big time, across all measures.

I was happier, healthier and more fulfilled than I had been in years. I found more confidence, more clarity and more direction than ever before. I loved the person I was becoming – and, for the first time ever, I believed with absolute certainty that I could achieve anything I wanted.

Fast forward to today… and not only am I reaching all my goals, I’m helping other women to do the same.

My corporate experience is backed up with qualifications in behaviour profiling, executive coaching and neuroscience. My approach is fresh, warm and energetic, and I believe in making every coaching experience fun and transformational. I’ve worked with some of the biggest names and brightest minds in Australian business, and helped hundreds of women to believe in themselves, to find their perfect next role and to lead in a way that’s congruent with who they are.

I love helping driven women unlock their limitless potential – both personally and professionally – and I’ve dedicated my career to doing just that. I work with women to get the results they deserve. I’m rarely without fresh flowers on my desk, a candle nearby and a glass of bubbles on hand for when women bring their aspirations to life.

To find out more about working with me, please reach out.

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

September 21, 2022September 21, 2022

What the Queen taught me about unconscious bias

What The Queen Taught Me About Unconscious Bias

As I sat on the couch this week watching the Queens funeral, I was transfixed by the pomp and ceremony of it all. There’s no doubt the Pom’s know how to create a sense of occasion.

Here we were, witnessing history.

This is going to be one of those moments we will talk about in years to come and ask, “where were you when you heard the Queen had died?”

I will always remember the gorgeous Airbnb in Brunswick Heads in Northern NSW – because just like when the twin towers came down… I was on holidays.

How about you? Where were you when you learnt the Queen had died?

I will also remember my surprise at the degree of sadness and loss I’ve felt.

Not just for the 70 years of this amazing woman’s life of leadership and service – but also for the pure fact that here was a woman ahead of her time, excelling in her leadership role long before it was common for women to have a place at the leadership table.

She came to leadership not by choice but through duty. At just 21 she was thrust into a role so few of us would want, let alone excel in. Yes, she has made mistakes – but haven’t we all.

What struck me most while I watched her funeral, was my disappointment as I realised we are unlikely to have another female monarch for at least the next 3 generations. Our new King and the next 2 in line were all on display for us to see. All men.

And here’s the lesson for me.

My own unconscious bias… towards a preference for a Queen rather than a King as the head of the monarchy.

We’ve got so accustomed to the style of leadership the Queen brought to the role. For 70 years we’ve seen no other leadership style. We’re become comfortable and familiar with having a woman in the role.

Is it possible the new King – a man – will do a great job too?

Probably.

However right now, I’m having a hard time seeing Charles as the head of the monarchy. Not only because I don’t warm to him. I don’t see him having the same caring touch, poise, grace or sparkle of the queen – all qualities I’ve come to expect from the Crown.

But we are going to have to let go of what we’ve come to expect and allow him to Lead His Way. His leadership style will be different. He will bring not only his own strengths, passions and quirks – but also the male perspective.

Just like any new leader – we need to give him a chance to find his way.

Which brings me back to unconscious bias.

As we strive to bring more women to the leadership table – we need to be aware of the unconscious bias that is undoubtedly playing out each and every day in workplaces across the globe. Until recently, senior leadership roles were almost exclusively held by men. We became comfortable and accustomed to the style of leadership they brought to the table – just like we became accustomed to the style of leadership Queen Elizabeth demonstrated over such a prolonged period.

Today, as I’ve pondered the Queens final farewell as she was finally laid to rest, I’ve been shocked by my own unconscious bias, and it’s left me wondering about the degree of impact unconscious bias continues to have on hiring managers around the world.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Image source:Steve Parsons/Pool Photo via AP

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

January 10, 2022January 9, 2023

New year, New Job, New You

New year, new job, new you

You’ve had time to reflect over the summer break and you’ve come to the decision that a new job is on your list of goals for the year. Good for you!

Perhaps you’re looking for greater job satisfaction, more money, better corporate culture, more variety, more flexibility, a leader who inspires you or to have a greater impact. Whatever the reason… you know that it’s going to take time and energy.

SEEK research found that 75% of Australians take up to six months to find and secure a new job (source).

But there are some key things you can do to make your job search easier, faster and help you to land your ideal next role.

And it’s not all about jumping into action.

Not yet. Hold your horses for a moment ladies.

First we need to set the foundations; do the ground work and set you up for success.

Here’s where to start

Clarify what you want. Ok so I hear you saying… that’s my problem Jane, I’m not sure what I want.

There may be lots you don’t yet have clarity on – but let’s start with what you know you do want.

What type of tasks do you want to be doing each day? What key skills do you want to be using? Do you want to be leading a team? Do you want the opportunity to work from home? Do you want travel to be part of the role?

Be clear about what you don’t want. This is equally as important as knowing what you do want.

Perhaps you have become known to be good at a task or role that you really don’t enjoy.

Some years ago, I became known as the expert/go-to-girl in managing the annual self insurance safety audit. I may have been really good at it … but I loathed this task!

I was really good at influencing the key stakeholders throughout the business to be involved, providing the necessary documentation and to prepare them to effectively answer the auditor’s questions.

But I was terrible at all the attention to detail required in the three-month long project. PLEASE poke pins in my eyes before I have to do this type of project again!

How about you? What would you rather not do in your next role?

Understand your strengths. This step is key. Be really really clear about what your key strengths are.

I ask this question of smart, professional women every day… and almost every single time they struggle to answer. And if they do manage to get out a couple of dot points, I’m rarely convinced they believe these are their strengths.

Ladies … you have to get clear and comfortable to SELL who you are and what it is you would bring to your next role.

Know your value. You are so much more than a list of attributes or the jobs you’ve held in the past. Yes, these are part of the story but not the complete picture.

You are unique and have a special value to bring to your next role. What is it?

For example: Susan’s unique gift is that she is a master at uniting a team to deliver way beyond the business expectations. Carissa is a genius in taking a complex idea and bringing it to life in a no nonsense kind of way. Katy is known within her industry to be invaluable in the negotiation phase of multi million dollar IT projects.

You have a unique value to share. It’s time to own it! Make it clear in your CV, LinkedIn profile and during the interview stage that you would be an impressive asset to the right employer.

Decide you’re worthy. Because you are. You know you are capable of so much more and you want to contribute in a bigger, more significant way.

But let me tell you … the most likely thing standing between you and your ideal next role is YOU. I know, harsh but true.

If you don’t believe you’re worthy of the types of roles you really aspire to…. no one else will believe you either. Your lack of self belief will seep through in your job applications, your networking efforts and in your interviews.

Ladies, it’s time to embrace all of who you are and the value you have to offer.

——————

Like some support getting clear on how to go about accessing your next ideal role? Book a Leadership Support Session here, and together we’ll create a plan for your success!

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

November 29, 2021November 28, 2021

Your ultimate guide to making the most of the silly season

Your ultimate guide to making the most of the silly season

The days are getting warmer and the evenings longer which means we are on the downhill stretch to Christmas, the silly season and the end of the year.

And with restrictions finally lifted – it’s time to get out and about and connect… in person.

But this does not mean that it’s time to put your career aspirations on hold, swan off with a cocktail in hand or slip into your summer sandals and head to the beach for that long awaited break. Not quite so fast, my friend. That time will come but not quite yet.

Here’s what I suggest you focus on first.

As I’ve discussed with many high-achieving women over the last couple of weeks, this is the perfect time to get out and about connecting and positioning yourself for the types of roles you would like to be considered for come the new year.

And with the Great Resignation ramping up – there are plenty of amazing opportunities out there. They may not all be being advertised, but they are there and the way to access them is through your connections.

In just the last 2 months 6 of the ladies in The Leadership Connection (my inner circle membership for Mid Career Women) have secured amazing new roles.

So, ladies, it’s time to dig into the back of your wardrobe, pull on some real clothes and head out for a pre-Christmas drink, coffee or lunch. Look through your contact list and pick up the phone to colleagues from years gone past.

Go into this festive period with an intention to have some fun, while also making the best use of the opportunity to strengthen key relationships, build your profile and seek opportunities in the hidden job market.

Yes… I’m suggesting you be a little bit strategic.

As I’ve discovered, through many discussions with women over the last couple of years … knowing how to have these conversations and exactly how to position yourself can be bewildering.

Here are my 5 best suggestions for making the most of the festive silly season.

Relationships first, business second.

Focus on building genuine robust relationships. No one likes to be taken advantage of or used. So, look to develop authentic connections and be willing to give even more than you would ultimately like to get from the relationship. And remember, a handwritten, heartfelt note to those people you are grateful to have in your life will go a long way to raising your profile as a genuine professional worth supporting.

Own your accomplishments.

When someone asks you how the year has been, speak of what you have achieved and what has made you proud this year. No more hiding in the shadows or skipping over the wins. This is all about positioning your skills and talents and developing your personal brand.

Be open to new opportunities.

At this time of the year people will ask you about your work, what you’re doing and if it’s been a good year. If you’re on the job market… let people know (with discretion of course.) If you don’t know exactly what is next for you then share that you are exploring opportunities that will allow you to use your X, Y and Z skills and further develop your interest and passion for A, B and C.

Ask for introductions.

Your next role is most likely to come through an introduction or a recommendation from someone in your network. So, let’s expand the network. Ask your connections whether there is anyone within their network that may be valuable for you to connect with. Remember, you will never get what you don’t ask for.

Have fun.

Let’s face it, it’s been a tough year and you’ve worked hard, so let’s take some time to enjoy the festive season. A positive, optimistic and fun attitude during the silly season will do wonders for your soul and boost your chances of a fabulous opportunity coming.

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

November 15, 2021November 15, 2021

Your energy is contagious and your reputation is at stake

How you show up at work matters. The type of energy you bring to your work impacts your effectiveness while also shaping your professional reputation. It’s not something many of us give much consideration to, but it can absolutely influence our outcomes and whether or not new and exciting opportunities come our way.

So let’s pause and reflect on the type of energy you bring to work every day – whether that’s in the office or while working from home.

Imagine for a moment that you are encased in a bubble and in that bubble is your energy. That energy could be positive, energetic, loving, inspiring, compassionate, caring or it could be negative, stressed, anxious, angry, sharp, abrasive or abrupt.

And as you move through your day … your energy is bumping up against other people and is having either a positive or a negative impact – regardless whether you’re working in person or virtually.

Your energy will absolutely shape the opinion others have of you and influence the mood and the morale of the team.

Recently, I caught up with a senior leader whose energy was tuned into the land of frustration, crankiness and in a constant state of fighting against the system. At every turn, all they could focus on were all the things that weren’t working and how a particular global decision was negatively impacting on them and their team.

They shared with me that they were constantly tired and feeling like they were in a “battle”. They weren’t sleeping well and there is no doubt that they were gaining a reputation for being a negative influence throughout the business.

This was so unlike the bright, bubbly, solution-focused energy they usually brought to the leadership table.

So my question to you today is…

What energy are you known for?
Are you having a positive or a negative influence on those around you?

Your energy is more contagious than the common cold!

The energy and attitude you bring to your work will rub off on your team and colleagues and influence how they show up and interact with you.

Your energy also impacts your personal productivity, the decisions you make and the effectiveness of your communication. It’s pretty difficult to think strategically or creatively or to build effective relationships with people when you are in a really crappy mood!

And most importantly, how you show up every day will absolutely be influencing your professional reputation.

Everyone you come into contact with will be silently judging whether they like working with you and whether they see you as an effective leader based on your energy and attitude.

So let’s put on our big girl pants and take a little responsibility.

It’s time to be more conscious of our energy and agree that there may be times when we’re not bringing our best selves to work.

HERE ARE 3 ENERGIES YOU ARE BEST TO BANISH FROM YOUR BUBBLE.

Overwhelmed Crazy Women. Yep … this is the crazy woman who is about to go into meltdown. I know that you know her. Maybe you know her rather too well.

If you are familiar with this women, you know that it’s like her brain has been hijacked by an alien. She is unable to function effectively and she emits a chaotic energy. Her decision making powers have gone out the window along with their usual calm, rational efficiency.

Generally the trigger will be an unusually high workload that has spiralled out of control and ironically her response makes getting through her growing “to do list” almost impossible to complete.

Negative Nelly. Unfortunately this energy is all too common in many workplaces. I know her well… she chose to show up in me for a time some years back. Ugly but true.

She genuinely loves to get involved in idol gossip that has nothing to do with her. She is fuelled by wingeing and complaining and has an incessant focus on problems outside of her control.

The glass is always half empty and she has every reason under the sun why things won’t work. The Negative Nelly loves to blame others and make excuses… and rarely takes any responsibility.

Don’t Come Near Me … because I’m about to snap. Ahh… scary! If you are taken over by this energy, look out. You are about to get a reputation to be hard to work with and may well find your colleagues giving you a wide berth.

Some of your team will be scared of you, some won’t trust you and some will choose to avoid you as best they can.

This angry ant is like a pressure cooker, on the verge of exploding. She can at times say things she doesn’t really mean but once they are out… she cant take them back.

And the choice is entirely yours…

We all have the choice of how we show up and how we respond to situations around us.

If you recognise that you have let one of these unresourceful energies out to play a little too often… think about what impact it is having on you, your work performance, your team engagement and ultimately your reputation?

Perhaps it’s time to upgrade the energy in your energy bubble!

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

November 1, 2021October 18, 2022

Hit a mid-career plateau? 5 assumptions that will keep you stuck?

Is it possible that you are your worst enemy when it comes to progressing your career? Are you playing small, ruling yourself out or holding back from stepping up to the next level of leadership?

I see smart, super talented, ultra-experienced professional women languishing in middle management roles. They have what it takes to excel as a senior leader, but they get stuck. It’s frustrating and demoralising for them and a sad waste of exceptional talent.

If you can relate – I’m sure you’re not doing it consciously. I don’t think any of us mean to hold ourselves back.

You don’t set out to undermine your own success. You’re not deliberately underselling your brilliance or letting the best opportunities pass you by… but I’ve seen it happen.

So how does it happen?

It’s when we unconsciously hold beliefs that are at odds with our goals and ambitions. We make automatic assumptions that prevent us from taking bold action, raising our profile, speaking about our aspirations or applying for the ideal next role.

Are any of these 5 common beliefs keeping you stuck at a mid-career plateau?

1. I’m not ready yet.

Research shows that women tend to grossly underestimate their abilities and rule themselves out of more senior roles even when they are more qualified or experienced than the eventual winning candidate.

The truth is, it’s likely that you are ready. You don’t need more experience or an MBA or validation from whoever you think knows you better than you know yourself. You are way more capable than you think and the only way you’ll truly know you’re ready is by giving it a go!

2. It’s not the right time.

The last few years have been tough. You may even feel mentally drained. I get it we’ve all been dealing with a LOT. But a new role or an exciting challenge may be just the thing to get you out of your rut and motivated to do your best work again.

3. I’m too busy.

The epidemic of busy continues to zap our time and our energy but to what end? If you were to do a quick 60 second audit of what has kept you busy today – has your busyness contributed to your health, happiness, fulfilment or professional growth?

Are you busy doing what is most important to you, your team and your organisation?
Are you busy doing what will bring you joy, fulfillment and meaning?
Are you busy doing work that will contribute to your career progression?
Or have you become stuck in the busyness of life and checking off your to do list?

4. I might fail.

Yes, you might! But you might also excel! Imagine that! And even if you do stumble, you are way more resilient than you might at first think.

We have a choice of settling for the status quo or to take a chance on ourselves.

If the fear of failure comes up for you – ask yourself “If I did, could I handle it?” Undoubtedly the answer is almost always YES.

5. I can’t afford it.

Sometimes a financial investment is the best way to fast track career progression or to open up new opportunities.

Have you ever found yourself saying…

I can’t afford to attend the conference I really want to go to.
I can’t afford to take that holiday that would really help me to pause, reflect and decompress.
I can’t afford to invest in a development program or mentoring that would really help me to up level.

When we say we can’t – we make it true, and we immediately shut off the opportunity.

Imagine instead asking the question; “How might I make this possible?” This one simple question opens up possibility and choice.

Which of these beliefs ring true for you? Could it be the reason you’ve hit a mid-career plateau?

Self awareness is the first step towards change and getting unstuck.

Good luck.

Click below to…

Join “Leading Ladies” – a private FREE Facebook group of over 1600 other mid-career professional women to inspire and support

Join the newsletter list for weekly tips and strategies showing you how to ignite your career, lead your way and accelerate your success.

Watch The Next Level Training to breakthrough to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.

Get my best tips on working smarter not harder

Read my latest blog post.

Book a FREE leadership support session with me.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact my team.

The farm girl who cares

Similar Blog Posts

Know you need to build better…

Jane Benston

The danger of the shoulder tap

Jane Benston

My guiding word for 2023

Jane Benston

Click below to…

Know you need to build better boundaries? Here’s how.

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

The danger of the shoulder tap

Jane Benston

My guiding word for 2023

Jane Benston

Click below to…

The danger of the shoulder tap

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

Know you need to build better…

Jane Benston

My guiding word for 2023

Jane Benston

Click below to…

From doing it all … to not!

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

Know you need to build better…

Jane Benston

The danger of the shoulder tap

Jane Benston

Click below to…

My story, amplified

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

Know you need to build better…

Jane Benston

The danger of the shoulder tap

Jane Benston

Click below to…

What The Queen Taught Me About Unconscious Bias

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

Know you need to build better…

Jane Benston

The danger of the shoulder tap

Jane Benston

Click below to…

New year, new job, new you

Here’s where to start

Click below to…

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

Know you need to build better…

Jane Benston

The danger of the shoulder tap

Jane Benston

Your ultimate guide to making the most of the silly season

Here are my 5 best suggestions for making the most of the festive silly season.

Click below to…

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

Know you need to build better…

Jane Benston

The danger of the shoulder tap

Jane Benston

Your energy is contagious and your reputation is at stake

Click below to…

Similar Blog Posts

The Farm Girl Who Cares

Jane Benston

Know you need to build better…