Forget self-protection and ‘sleep on it’: Emma Bennison’s advice to young leaders

We asked a number of leading women who are speaking at the upcoming She Leads conference what they’d like younger women to know about navigating the career in front of them. Below, singer-songwriter and CEO of Arts Access Australia, Emma Bennison, shares her advice. 

If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right.

As a young person, I remember witnessing things which were wrong, but which I avoided taking action on. I felt I didn’t have the right to speak out due to my lowly status and for fear of losing my job. One of the things I’ve learned is that there’s no room for self-protection when you take on a leadership role. You have to call out issues, in a respectful and informed way. While this can be frightening, it can empower you when changes result.

1. Back yourself. I took on my first CEO role against a back drop of disunity and funding uncertainty. I had to convince the team I had what it took to lead. I first had to convince myself, despite having recently experienced knocks to my confidence. I had to work hard at replacing negative thoughts with positive ones about my leadership capacity. Over time, it worked, but remains a work in progress.
2. See challenges as opportunities. When your organisation loses a significant revenue source, your best team member resigns, or you come down with chicken pox during a major project, (this has happened to me), take the time to feel like it’s the end of the world. Then, consider the opportunities. Losing revenue creates opportunities to reconsider your strategic direction; loss of a team member could offer others a chance to step up; getting the chicken pox might force you to take a break. Whatever the challenge, be realistic about the implications, but remember the opportunities, and stay positive in difficult moments.
3. Sleep on it. It’s great to be passionate, but passion can cloud your judgment, particularly if you are disappointed or outraged by something, or if you are conflicted about a major decision. A good night’s sleep can clarify your thinking.
4. Maintain interests outside work. This is about achieving a healthy work/life balance, and an insurance policy against what is sometimes known as “relevance deprivation”. If you identify so strongly with your work that it becomes who you are, and you lose touch with other aspects of your life, what happens if, (for whatever reason), you can no longer do your job. A mentor said to me once that nobody will remember your work achievements at your funeral, or write them on your gravestone. They will talk about the love and compassion you showed to others. I’ve never forgotten that, though it is difficult to practice and I am still working at it.
5. It is not about you, it’s about the objective. In my view, the main goal of leadership is to identify future leaders who can continue to work towards significant objectives. Whenever I am offered an opportunity, I try to ask myself whether I am the appropriate person, and if not, who? If I decide to take it, I consider how I can share the experience with others. For instance, in 2014, I undertook research on disability leadership in the UK. I made a film about it to share the learning.
6. Seek input from people from all backgrounds and levels of experience. Leaders don’t have a monopoly on knowledge, nor do they have all the answers, so make sure others can make a contribution at all levels. Gaining a range of perspectives, including those you disagree with, is essential for meeting the needs of your markets. Otherwise you will miss out, both in terms of brand recognition and your bottom line. For instance, the recently publicised case in which Coles failed to make their website accessible to people who are blind or vision-impaired is a great example of how employing people with disability in executive roles could potentially have avoided negative publicity.
7. Cut people a bit of slack, next week you might be the one in need of some. We are all human and we all make mistakes. It’s important to own yours, so members of your team feel comfortable owning theirs. Mostly, I have found that this makes people more productive, because they have the freedom to take risk, knowing they will be supported. Above all, try not to engage in blame games, and always celebrate success.

Emma Bennison is speaking at the upcoming She Leads Conference 2015 in Canberra, supported by Women’s Agenda. Tickets are selling fast but still available here.