Summary
Highlights
The speaker reflects on her career, emphasizing an enduring belief in 'anything is possible' with the right confidence and capability. She questions the prevalent focus on women in the workplace, wondering if it's to correct historical imbalances, help women overcome obstacles, or empower women to overcome self-imposed limitations. She believes the last decade has given women a voice, and it's time to move beyond the current approach.
The speaker observes a "gender equality bandwagon" leading to female entitlement and a sense among some men of being sacrificial lambs. She notes persistent sexist views (both conscious and unconscious) and companies focusing on gender equality merely for appearance, highlighting the disparity in leadership positions (more male CEOs named 'David' than women in UK's top 100 companies). She advocates for equal opportunity for all, regardless of gender identity.
The speaker argues that confidence, childcare, and capability, often framed as women's issues, are in fact, 'every person' issues. She challenges the notion that women inherently lack confidence, questions why parental leave is primarily seen as a woman's request, and suggests that women's networks, while beneficial, might be perpetuating a myth that women are less capable, rather than fostering universal development.
Recounting her career progression, the speaker admits to getting in her own way as roles became more senior, exemplified by a moment of self-doubt during a job interview. She highlights the positive impact of supportive leaders, both male and female, in her development. She then introduces four confidence personas – the Mouse, the Swan, the Peacock, and the Cat – to illustrate different levels of confidence and self-awareness, asserting that confidence is not a gender-specific trait.
The speaker shares her experience as a working mother of twins, struggling to balance leadership and motherhood. She and her business partner (a man) created a company offering flexibility, demonstrating that men also desire to be present fathers. She points out that parental leave policies in the UK are vastly unequal, with women receiving significantly more paid leave than men. She argues this creates a gender divide and that terms like 'working mum' are outdated, emphasizing that childcare is an 'every person' issue.
Initially, the speaker felt a women's network could help thousands of women balance career and family. However, she later questions if these gender-specific networks become 'gender ghettos,' preventing a holistic understanding of workplace dynamics. A crucial conversation with a male colleague highlighted the need to incorporate men's perspectives on gender equality, revealing themes of men feeling overlooked, penalized for taking parental leave, and even targeted in promotion decisions. She stresses the importance of involving men in the journey rather than creating a 'gender war'.
The speaker advocates for breaking recurring conversations and taboos, encouraging men and women to move forward together as allies. She envisions a future where confidence is universally owned and developed, parental leave is equal for all, and capability development includes everyone. She believes it's time to move on from gender-specific approaches to create a genuinely gender-equal workplace for all.