Inspired by this week’s engaging woman Hayley Baillie and her role as a board member?
Although her extensive tourism experience led to her being approached for the role there’s no reason we can’t forge our own path.
If you want to dip your toe into the world of boards consider where your experience could make the most impact and research available courses.
I’ve interviewed many accomplished women who have found an organisation which is happy to pay for their course.
Women’s Leadership Institute Australia is a fantastic resource and advocate for increasing the representation of women in leadership positions, you should definitely head to their website here
Founder Carol Schwartz says,
“WLIA is committed to Australia’s women. We are bold in our desires for women to be better represented in leadership positions and know that Australian women are also bold in their desires to harness their capabilities into these roles. We are dedicated to breaking through the barriers of expectations, unconscious bias and structural issues to ensure equality of opportunity for women into leadership positions.
There are many issues, many preferences, many stakeholders – and all need to be mindfully yet intelligently addressed. Recognising this complexity we know that there is no one person, organisation or perspective that can break through on giving women an opportunity to have a seat at the table: it needs to be a collaborative response. Our conscious efforts need to be applied on many fronts. We therefore may choose to not agree with all nor act as expected, yet we will expect that respect for the principle of equality of opportunity will be revered.”
‘Women on boards’ offers advice to get your CV board ready, more over here.
Then there’s The Australian Scholarships Foundation a national program to improve gender balance on Australian Boards. More info over here.
You may like to take a course, YWCA’s around Australia run short women’s leadership courses or you could shoot for the top by taking a Board directors course.
Don’t forget many grassroots organisations including sporting clubs, kinder and charities are all looking for expertise. It’s a clever way to keep a hand in while you are at a cross roads.