Archive for the ‘Women in Leadership’ Category

A Wedding, a Funeral and your Personal Brand

Posted by Bronia Szczygiel

As a caller with the Craigievar Scottish Country Dance Band we’re privileged to play at what is for many one of the happiest days of their lives. As I write this I’m waiting in the ante room before we go on, listening to the groom’s speech and it strikes me that its one of the few times that people are truly positive about everyone.

I was at a funeral recently and of course that’s the other time. At that point, those we love proclaim our footprint to the world in it’s very best light. It’s the sort of feedback we just don’t normally get in our everyday lives – Performance Appraisals simply don’t cover that sort of thing.

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The Duchess of Cambridge public speaking – building on your strengths in presentations

Posted by Liz McKechnie

So, at last, Kate Speaks!

What’s the verdict? Any feedback for her?

The Duchess of Cambridge makes her first public speech on her own. With the world’s press hanging not only on what she looks like but, now, on the words she utters, and indeed how she utters them. She only gets one stab at this. No pressure there then…

Bearing in mind this is something she’s going to have to do a lot more of, what would be most helpful to Kate as she progresses along the rocky road of presentations and public speaking?

Do we criticise or do we praise?

Have a look and see how you think she’s doing……honestly….

Whatever your thoughts, there are some things that work well and others that don’t work so well.

The thing is, what will be useful to her to hear? Read more

Bridging the Gender Gap – One woman’s story

Posted by Bronia Szczygiel

I was having lunch with friends recently. Elizabeth is a successful woman engineer in her late sixties. She has run her own company for many years, having worked for the MoD, Ferranti and other big engineering companies.

We got to talking about the work we do at Aspire Leadership with women in general and engineers in particular. Elizabeth and I have never seen quite eye to eye on this subject so it was a lively discussion.

The way any individual woman tackles her journey through the engineering field varies. Some steadily challenge the status quo, some quietly establish a reputation and others confidently blaze a trail. There are many different paths and who’s to say which is best for any individual?

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