Women in Leadership – Heavy is the crown
Leadership

Women in Leadership – Heavy is the crown

Should we expect women in leadership roles to accept that they must represent the business and beyond at diversity and inclusion events as well as fit in their day job and personal life?   I spoke with a female board-level director about a career opportunity recently, she talked me through her incredible story, I was […]

November 12th, 2021
*

Abby.

Founder

A search expert making key hires for over twenty years.

Should we expect women in leadership roles to accept that they must represent the business and beyond at diversity and inclusion events as well as fit in their day job and personal life?

 

I spoke with a female board-level director about a career opportunity recently, she talked me through her incredible story, I was floored by all she had achieved both personally and professionally, I listened to every word captivated. She had a husband who was just as senior in his career as well as four children under 15, a dog and a lovely home that needed maintaining (would I mention the kids, dog, and house if this was a story about a man?šŸ¤”).

 

She told me that she loved her career and thrived in her role but recently had endured the increasing pressures of being a female board member and ambassador, I felt some disappointment that she was feeling this way and asked her to tell me more.

She explained that she was constantly being asked to represent the global business, other organisations, and charities in diversity and equality training and campaigns, often outside of her working day, and although she passionately supported women seeking leadership and senior roles, she was feeling burned out, overwhelmed, and was starting to develop imposter syndrome. She had less time with her family and to herself and felt she couldnā€™t call pause because she was proof it was all possible.

At a bit of a crossroads, she wondered whether she could keep the plates spinning for a few more years or perhaps it was time to tap out or step back. She believed that asking to take a pause from the public speaking events could harm her career, this felt unsettling to me, was anyone considering that she was feeling the extra pressure and that this added responsibility might be starting to harm her in some way?

 

Is it true that the trailblazers often pay the heaviest price? What can we do to support those lighting the way? Are we placing too much pressure on women? I would love to hear your experiences or thoughts.

To find out more about how to focus on your brand, get in touch today.
Want to hear about our other articles?
Looking to hire your next superstar?
Keen to explore our latest vacancies?
Yellow Bricks is a female-owned and led executive search firm hiring predominately for software companies with diversity and inclusion at the heart of our offering. To learn more, click here.
Related posts
Employment Law Reforms

Employment Law Reforms

Labourā€™s ā€˜once-in-a-generationā€™ reform will affect sick pay, maternity pay and rules around unfair dismissal. Under sweeping new laws, more than seven million people will gain the right to claim sick pay, Ā­maternity pay, and protection against unfair Ā­dismissal from their first day on the job. As a UK Recruitment and Staffing expert, our founder, Abby […]
Why leadership coaching is proving to be a game-changer in 2024

Why leadership coaching is proving to be a game-changer in 2024

The business landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, placing unprecedented demands on leaders. Todayā€™s successful executives must be agile, empathetic, and digitally savvy. This perfect storm of requirements has created a leadership gap that many organisations struggle to fill.   At Yellow Bricks, we understand the challenges of finding, nurturing, and retaining top-tier leadership talent. […]
How to Give Your CV the Edge

How to Give Your CV the Edge

Taking the time to craft your CV has never been so critical.   A CV is often the first glimpse of you that a company has to decide if they want to consider you for a new job opening – standing out as a good match for their organisation is important.   Getting your CV […]
Work is changing. Don’t get left behind.

Work is changing. Don’t get left behind.

The world is changing, and so is the workplace šŸŒ šŸ‘”Ā  From witnessing The Great Resignation, it is clear that now, more than ever, employees are seeking more from their jobs and the world of work is changing. Employers may be quick to assume a pay rise is the antidote.Ā  However, in 2022, money is […]
Helina’s Takeaways from MADFest, London

Helina’s Takeaways from MADFest, London

Last week, I attended MADFest in Shoreditch, London! šŸ¤© It was a jam-packed day with many amazing brands and speakers joining together to celebrate the world of advertising and marketing! Being new to marketing, it was invaluable for me to be amongst and hear from many senior and experienced marketers.   Here are some of […]
6 Gender Biases in the Workplace and How We Can Address Them

6 Gender Biases in the Workplace and How We Can Address Them

As humans, we have biases.   They can be deliberate or unconscious and can impact all areas of society šŸŒ   They stem from stereotypes and assumptions we have about different groups of people.     Why do we rely on stereotypes? We have a conscious and unconscious mind that works in two different ways. […]
8 Habits That Will Make You a Better Leader

8 Habits That Will Make You a Better Leader

Itā€™s the start of a shiny new year āœØ   Your people will be looking to you for guidance and reassurance as we enter more uncertain times.   Building strong foundations by adopting helpful habits will help you to be the best leader you can be.   Here are our top 8 habits that will […]
6 Tips for Working In Hot Weather

6 Tips for Working In Hot Weather

As the UK declares a national heatwave emergency with temperatures set to exceed the record set in Cambridge in 2019 of 38.7 degrees, we provide some useful tips for getting through a day of work in the sweltering heat. With the huge rise in people working from home, access to industrial-sized, state-of-the-art air-con units for […]
UK Labour Market Trends: What you need to know

UK Labour Market Trends: What you need to know

Overview of the Current Labour Market The UK labour market is experiencing a notable shift. While still robust compared to pre-pandemic levels, job vacancies and employment are declining. This cooling trend, evident in recent ONS data, signifies a changing landscape for employers and job seekers.   Employment and Unemployment Trends The employment rate declined to […]
Abby’s Takeaways from London Tech Week

Abby’s Takeaways from London Tech Week

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending London Tech Week. I really felt it should have been called UK Tech Week to represent the huge amount of talented Tech organisations flourishing across the country. With over 6000 in attendance, it was great to be in a room with so many like-minded tech enthusiasts.   […]

Join 2,500+ forward-thinking leaders.

People. Culture. Growth.
Unlock your leadership potential with our biweekly newsletter. No spam, only gold.