Ita Buttrose has achieved many ‘firsts’ – starting from the age of 23 when she was appointed the youngest ever women’s editor of the Telegraph.
From there, she went on to become the founding editor of Cleo, the youngest ever editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly, the first female editor of a major metropolitan newspaper and the first woman on the board of News Limited, among other things.
All through it she’s known that “nothing is ever going to be handed to a woman on a plate” and there’s no such thing as luck in acquiring such opportunities.
Buttrose made the comments while receiving the NSW award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership at the recent Women’s Leadership Australia Symposium.
She used the address to urge women to promote their ambitions and success – and to realise that money is not a dirty word.
“What frustrates me is that so many women don’t realise just how good they are. We are not blessed with a male ego. Women are more circumspect with their abilities,” she said.
“Women often say they’ve done well because they’re lucky. Nonsense! We are lucky because we work hard. Luck has nothing to do with a person’s talent or success.”
Buttrose also told the audience to get over a fear of failure, saying she’s experienced plenty of it in her career.
“Rock the boat. Take a risk. Do something you think will work, so what if it doesn’t?” she said. “It’s not the worst thing that can happen to you … I have never let the fear of failure stop me from having a go.”
Buttrose said integrity and a desire to keep learning have also helped her career. “The moment you stop learning is the moment you stop going forward,” she said. “And in order to succeed at anything, you must keep your word”
And given women can’t expect anything to be handed to them, she urged women to take what they’re after.
“When all is said and done, we alone have the responsibility to shape our lives,” she said. “Life’s rewards appear at the end, not the beginning of the journey.”
Asked what’s driven her to continue, she said it was simple: life. “We’re only here once. I want to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way.”