Violence against women might seem like an unusual topic to follow on from last week's theme of women on boards… however it's important in the context of our attitudes towards women and authority.  So let me ask this: are you on Facebook?  Did you know that 60% of Facebook’s one billion users are women?  Do you remember the campaign last year for gender balance on the Facebook board - and the response by Zuckerman et al that suggested Facebook knows enough about women to ensure their interests are served.  Really?  Given this appalling campaign of violence that was allowed to continue unfettered after repeated requests by the victim of the online attack to shut it down... I just can't believe that.
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One last word on Women On Boards: I really liked this piece from ForbesWoman and thought it worth sharing for it's tips on HOW to create real change for gender balance (thanks Carol for sending the link!)  The articles links to Ernst & Young’s corporate governance database and recently launched report, Getting on board: Women join boards at higher rates, though progress comes slowly.  It's top tips include focusing on advancing women at all levels: targeting talented women for promotion and providing active sponsorship programs for women to increase the future supply of talented female director candidates.  In addition to these actions, following are some questions for boards and audit committees to consider:  Read More

To wrap up this week’s theme of Women on Boards I’m attaching the 2012 Census of Women in Leadership produced by the Gender Equality in the Workplace Agency (formerly the EOWA) and launched on 27^th November – so you may have already seen the results but it’s worth revisiting just case.  In a nutshell, the Census has been tracking the number of women on boards and in key executive positions in Australia’s public companies for the past decade, and for the first time ever the number of women on ASX200 boards has reached double digits – coming in at 12.3 per cent.   Read More

I've received this shoutout from Australian Womensport & Recreation Association and I thought for such a worthwhile cause, there must be someone out there reading this blog who can help....  So here it is:  In order to create a stronger, healthier Australian culture through the active participation of women and girls in sport, physical activity and active recreation AWRA needs an Executive Officer.  They're seeking like-minded people and organisations who also have a vision to create a stronger and healthier Australia. If you have any ideas on how to make an Executive Officer real ... please make contact as soon as you can. For us, no idea is outrageous, and every idea opens another opportunity, so please contact us with your ideas, thoughts and of course, we won’t say no to cash!!! Read More

And now for some good news:  there are more women on Australian Government boards than ever before and with terrific initiatives like BoardLinks and the board readiness checklist at AppointWomen it seems the only way is up!  The latest Gender Balance on Australian Government Boards Report 2011-2012 shows that as at 30 June 2012, women held 38.4 per cent of Government board appointments. This is up from 35.3 per cent in 2011, demonstrating sound progress towards the 40 per cent gender balance target.   Read More

When it comes to gender diversity on boards, it seems that not everyone agrees on what the blockages and issues are to increasing female representation.  According to the 2012 Board of Directors Survey, conducted by Women Corporate Directors, Heidrick & Struggles and the Harvard Business School in 58 countries, men and women directors share similar views on economic outlook, political and regulatory concerns, and the business challenges facing their companies.  Yet when it comes to board diversity, opinions differ between the sexes. Read More

Continuing this week's theme of Women On Boards, here is your chance to be considered for Government board vacancies under the Boardlinks program.    Board Links aims to provide more opportunities for women to be appointed to their first board, to launch and further their directorship careers, and increase the number of potential candidates for Australian Government boards. Our good friends Ruth and Claire at Women On Boards have been asked to nominate 5 board-ready women to be considered for Boardlinks opportunities and anyone interested in a Government board position is invited to express interest. Read More

Welcome to 2013!  In my usual style, I've set a theme for the year and it's a theme that will permeate through everything I do including this blog: 2-0-1-3 it's all about Simplicity.  For the blog this means, simply, that I'll attempt to cover a different theme every week, in short sharp posts, starting this week with Women On Boards.  Much has been written in recent years about the importance of women on boards, how to boost the number of women holding directorships and whether it's time after all for quotas.  So my first post for 2013 examines this question: is a critical mass beyond which the presence of women on a board influences a company's performance? Read More

Blogging is a great way to build your business and professional reputation, your online presence and your personal brand.  Since I started my blog six years ago, I’ve created a readership of 50,000 page views per month, amplified my professional network to over 10,000 social media followers, been invited to travel internationally to speak at conferences and events, received business and blogging awards, made money from speaking engagements, product sales and advertising… and had a lot of fun in the process!  If this sounds like a fit with what you’d like to achieve in 2013, then come along to one of my brand new Blog Writing Retreats where you will be led through a process to:  Read More

With Christmas Eve upon us, and most of us embarking on a well-deserved break, my wish is that 2013 brings meaning, connection and energy in abundance, in your work and in life.  If you do have the chance for reflection over the break, I highly recommend this brief and concise read from McKinsey on Centred Leadership: How talented women thrive.  The gist of this piece is that successful leaders consistently demonstrate 5 dimensions of leadership: Meaning; Managing Energy; Positive Framing; Connecting; and Engaging.  Read More