Time to talk about and celebrate the resilience of small business leaders

It’s time to talk about and celebrate the resilience of leaders across all roles in small businesses

resilience

Know an emerging female leader making waves? Nominations are now open for the 2022 Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards. Nominate yourself, a friend or a colleague today. This year, we’ve introduced the Small Business Leader Award, supported by CommBank Women in Focus. The goal is to elevate and celebrate women leaders in businesses of less than 100 people.

There are many traits required in small business leadership: tenacity, courage, and confidence, just to name a few. But rarely do we acknowledge the resilience it takes to lead and support the growth of such a venture, and to keep it going through sometimes unprecedented challenges.

Rarely do we acknowledge the fact that small businesses are the biggest employers of Australians, and the leaders within them directly impact the lives of their team members and the experiences so many have at work. These leaders also usually do so without the existing policies, procedures and resources of larger businesses.

And yet, over the past two years, these leaders in small businesses have been asked to step into new roles. They’ve been asked to lead or support their businesses through incredible periods of upheaval and change.

Natural disasters, including bushfires and floods, as well as a raging global pandemic and inflation have pushed thousands of businesses in Australia toward the brink of collapse. Many have already lost the battle, with the number of businesses falling into administration spiking last month, with economists warning the local economy has been pushed towards an ominous “turning point”.

For women who run small businesses, and women leading across small businesses in different ways, the challenges have been even more profound.

These women have seen new balls appear in an already unrealistic juggle; including the introduction of home-schooling through many months of the pandemic, as well as increases in domestic labour and other care responsibilities. Couple this with inflation and recently rising interest rates, and you’ve got the perfect storm. For many, finding the passion, motivation, money and time to keep ventures going throughout this, has been close to impossible.

And while the government at least acknowledges financial fallout for many, with a number of grants and special funds announced in recent budgets, we need to get better at celebrating the remarkable achievements of women in small businesses who show up every day and keep going.

That’s why this year, we’ve introduced a new category to The Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards thanks to the support of CommBank Women in Focus.

The goal is to not only celebrate the founders, but also women working as CEOs as operational managers, as HR managers and so much more. Those women in businesses of less than 100 people who so often find themselves wearing many different hats in such roles, and bringing in new processes and procedures as the business grows.

Small Business Leader of the Year

Awarded to an emerging or established leader working in a small business in Australia (less than 100 people), this award will acknowledge businesses which have best demonstrated growth, resilience and inclusivity since January 2021.

Founders, CEOs as well as emerging and established leaders across different roles in such businesses are encouraged to apply, and we call on applicants to highlight how their leadership has contributed to the resilience of the business, the industry and the people within their organisation.

If you know a woman who fits the bill (and I suspect we all do), make the time to nominate her today.

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