Intelligent CXO Issue 07 | Page 29

FEATURE
Hayley Brightmore , Director and Co-Founder , Knight
Transaction Services
anything from your team that you wouldn ’ t be prepared to do yourself . Those are real leadership qualities . that I could get to the top , but there was still that niggling voice that made me doubt myself .
In general , men are better at quashing any selfdoubt that might hold them back – while women think everyone else in the world is holding it together except them . I ’ m over-simplifying , of course , but the point is that it ’ s often about tweaking our mindset . Fake it till you make it is a cliché , but it ’ s only the same as saying ‘ visualise where you want to be and act like you ’ re there ’ – the latter just sounds better .
Substance over style
There is no right or wrong leadership style . Again , this is a common misconception that can hold women back . We should be focusing on substance rather than style .
Respect is earned , not allocated by means of a title . Stay true to yourself and never expect
Female managers can also lead by example when it comes to flexibility . We have a huge opportunity to drive change here . COVID-19 may have altered the way we work forever and there ’ s a growing realisation that being chained to a desk all day , every day , may not be the only way after all .
In financial services , working long hours can be the norm . And , of course , there are deadlines that need to be met and those deadlines aren ’ t always sociable .
But leaders need to trust their teams to manage their own time , as long as the work gets done to a high standard .
That raises the ceiling for people managing different circumstances outside of the workplace – single parents for example – and gives them the opportunity to work at the highest level .
This will be a big deal for female career paths . Historically , women have often been the ones forced to make difficult career decisions when starting a family .
As leaders , we can empower the next generation of women by giving them both responsibility and flexibility . Presenteeism can shut the door on its way out as far as I ’ m concerned .
STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF AND NEVER EXPECT ANYTHING FROM YOUR TEAM THAT YOU WOULDN ’ T BE PREPARED TO DO YOURSELF . www . intelligentcxo . com
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