ROLE MODELS IN BUSINESS

Judi: Being identified as a woman in industry does matter. It’s an endorsement of the achievement of women who have overcome challenges over the years to triumph in being able to take on these roles. Women have only been allowed to become lawyers in the last 100 years. But there is still a way to go and to inspire and empower women. We represent nearly half of all solicitors, yet at senior levels only 27 per cent of women account for partners. At WSP Solicitors women account for 67 per cent and we have more women as lawyers and in senior positions. That is not a deliberate policy but just how we have evolved which reflects positively on the previous leadership of WSP Solicitors to recruit and promote on merit.

Linsey: Everyone is trying to achieve equality and fighting to be treated the same. We should be celebrating the successes of men and women in business. I say this however, from a view of someone who has never experienced any issues or barriers. My perspective on this may have been different if I had experienced any issues. I do think it is important to encourage women into higher level roles and if this is the way we do it by showing them other females who have managed to do it, then I am not against that.

Lynis: I have worked in male and female dominated environments. I believe it is important to act and showcase your success as a female in order to inspire others. I have been fortunate that I have never felt that my gender has worked against me, if anything I have made it work for me. There are advantages and disadvantages of finding success in the workplace as a woman. As a woman I believe it is good to focus on the advantages and find other ways to approach or deal with any of the disadvantages.

LINSEY TEMPLE – Chief Executive at Gloucestershire Engineering & Training, based in Gloucester.

LYNIS BASSETT – Founder and Chief Executive of Cheltenham-based educational consultancy, Class People.

All of them have completed management training programmes with QuoLux. Linsey has undertaken LEAD, GOLD, GAIN and did an MBA with QuoLux.

Judi completed LEAD, two of her managers have completed LEADlight and 18 WSP staff are currently going through Planning2Win.

Lynis and her daughter Naomi, who is Managing Director of Class People, have completed LEAD.

Were any challenges you have faced in your career associated with being a woman?

Judi: I hadn’t really considered being the next Managing Director at WSP Solicitors, and I was daunted by the thought of it. Rather than dwell on why, I seized the opportunity to do a Lead management course with QuoLux. It boosted my self-belief and inspired me to improve my performance, and that of my teams and the business.

Linsey: I have never faced criticisms about my gender (or my age, as I was young, 30 years old, when became CEO). My biggest challenge was with myself and building my confidence to be in a room with men, generally in the older age range. I do think, however, that sometimes I am invited on to working groups or panels so that there is a good gender balance rather than necessarily being there based on my views and experience – again that is an assumption of mine.

Lynis: The teaching profession is a female dominated one. Male figures are in high demand in the teaching profession for many reasons. In my teaching years, it appeared a male figure would fast-track much quicker than a female teacher, whatever the competencies.

Are there any benefits to being a woman and doing the job you do?

Judi: Being a good listener and having an open door is invaluable. Being able to understand and care about a client or helping colleagues develop their own potential, such as encouraging them to go on QuoLux’s Leadlite or take part in other training has really made a difference. Whether these are because I am a woman or just because this is how I approach my role is difficult to say.

Linsey: From a sector point of view I find that the men are more polite and mindful of their language around me because of my gender but I am not sure I would call that a benefit.

Lynis: having been a teacher in a femaledominated environment, it allowed me to understand challenges that other females may face within the environments we work. As a leader I don’t believe it makes any difference to my leadership style. After all, we don’t say, “this is how you lead as a male, this is how you lead as a female.”

Did you always aspire to do the type of job you do, or did your role come about through seizing a new opportunity?

Judi: I have always wanted to practice law since I was at school. I left the firm where I did my training because I felt there was a glass ceiling and moved to WSP Solicitors where I was tasked with building the Family Team. That was 22 years ago and now the team is seven-strong.

I was offered a partnership in 2000 when I was 29 and pregnant. Such a position wasn’t on my radar, but I became a partner nine months after my son was born. Four years ago the previous Managing Partner had been in the position for 10 years and wanted a change. After completing QuoLux’s Lead training I felt more confident in leading a business. I have always been able to blend work with family life successfully. I know that this has not been an experience all woman have enjoyed. That isn’t to say it hasn’t been hard work – there are long hours and juggling responsibilities with running a home and bringing up a family.

Linsey: I started as a business administration apprentice and just made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves which has resulted in where I am today. I never had the ambition or desire to be a leader of a business and probably didn’t have the self-belief that this was possible when I started out in the world of work. I had an extremely supportive boss who encouraged me every step of the way and kept telling me I was capable.

Lynis: I qualified in 1997 as a teacher (mature student), and I was inspired to be a head teacher. The job I do today was never on the radar. However sometimes in life you find yourself on an unexpected path. Frustrated with the teaching profession and all the bureaucracy, I did supply work while I considered my way forward. While doing supply I saw an opportunity. Although 17 years on there was never a plan to be where we are today. Over the years I have invested in leadership development through QuoLux’s LEAD programme which has allowed me to develop professionally and personally and bring many learnings into the workplace. Having built this business today I now understand why I was never going to conform in the classroom.

Do you still have career goals?

Judi: As Managing Director at WSP Solicitors I am at the “top” of this tree but that doesn’t mean to say I don’t have career goals – these focus on inspiring and encouraging colleagues to develop themselves and become the best they can be. I also continue to love the client work I do.

Inspiring belief to take the lead

Jo Draper, Director, QuoLux

Sadly, women are still underrepresented in leadership teams across the UK – even though evidence shows that a more balanced representation of women in top leadership positions produces better financial results.

We’re bucking that trend here at QuoLux. Our board of three includes two leading women, with our head of operations also flying the female flag.

Reassuringly, it’s a similar theme that’s emerging through our leadership programmes. Women make up half of those undertaking our GAIN and MBA programmes and 40 per cent on our GOLD programme.

LEAD is the first step in the series of our leadership programmes and we know from benchmarking against recent research that we have more than a third of ladies than those on typical national programmes, which is great, but it’s a long way from being 50/50. So, why the discrepancy?

We find that confidence is often key. The Women in Leadership Report (2019) revealed that 75 per cent of women felt that they had experienced a “lack of confidence” that had held them back at some stage of their careers. In fact, many of the women we first speak to about leadership often don’t have the self-belief to see themselves in that role, even though they are, invariably, already leading. Unlocking this confidence comes through reflection, collaboration and support.

Linsey: There is still a lot that I want Gloucestershire Engineering and Training (GET) to achieve so more business goals rather than career goals. I have worked at GET for 24 years and have never really thought about working elsewhere (at least until a point where I think the business could run effectively under someone else’s leadership).

Lynis: I want to continue to develop my leadership and link my professional and personal goals to drive the company into its next chapter. My greatest pleasure is in seeing the younger generation within the company develop. Today we are a family business. We have solid succession planning and again the support of QuoL ux and its LEAD programme has allowed us to put this in place and work towards it.

We see it first hand on our LEAD programme where, by bringing together peers from other companies to learn, share, reflect and support one another as they work on real life business issues they feel better equipped, and more confident, to deal with whatever is thrown at them. They inspire belief in one another.

Linsey, Judi, Lynis and her daughter Naomi have all been through our LEAD programme. With access to tools, techniques and frameworks through the course and that powerful community of support, each of them was able to explore and reflect on their leadership skills, building their confidence and ultimately supporting success. We’re incredibly proud of all that they’ve achieved and to watch now as they “pay it forward” developing their next generation of leaders in their businesses.

www.quolux.co.uk