Women inspiring women—the power of working together

Women inspiring women—the power of working together

For International Women’s Day, our Director of Operations Gemma Khairi shares her leadership journey and inspires other women to move into leadership roles.

Being a female senior leader is a rewarding yet often challenging experience. Women historically have and are underrepresented, but we are seeing progression as more women are breaking through the barriers to lead at the highest levels.

My personal journey to senior leadership has been a combination of unique experiences, a value led approach and an innate passion to make a difference. This has helped me build resilience and self-belief.

I have always had passion and drive and being a young carer to my brother in early life really shaped my commitment to helping others. During my university years, I volunteered for seven years while studying, realising that I would need more than academic results to be given an opportunity in the field I wanted to be in.

I was relentless in my approach for every organisation I worked at and stayed true to my values, which drove each and every decision I made.

I chose diverse roles and made myself step outside my comfort zone. Working in a high-pressured child protection environment and assessing high levels of risk and being solely responsible for decisions around risk to life, abuse etc made me recognise how important the right culture was and that to function consistently at a high level, you had to have self-reflection and self-awareness.

As I progressed, I quickly understood that if I wanted to make a significant positive impact, I would need to have more autonomy and freedom to create strategies, lead teams, and make a real difference. I had so many ideas and a real clarity in the vision I had for services that I felt energised to make that next step.

Women face many obstacles in trying to step into leadership roles, often grappling with gender bias, balancing work and personal life, and often have much more limited networks than men, leaving them with fewer opportunities to make strong connections. We also question ourselves as to whether we deserve to be there.

With more women now stepping into senior leadership roles, the challenges remain. The one I personally have wrestled with has been ‘imposter syndrome’ where I have questioned how am I here, how did this happen, should I be here? I think this comes from putting myself under pressure to perform at exceptional levels at all times. This, of course, is not sustainable or healthy and through positive self-reflection and self-dialogue with myself, I have managed this over the years.

My advice for women aspiring to senior roles.

Embrace your strengths and be yourself

Your leadership style develops differently for us all and we often bring a unique blend of empathy, emotional intelligence, collaboration and value-based approach. Don't feel you have to conform to traditional leadership stereotypes.

Connect with others from a wide and diverse network

Networking is crucial to professional and personal development, and as a female leader, it’s essential to surround yourself with a network of supporters and mentors. Seek out both male and female mentors who can offer advice, guidance, and valuable perspectives. Partnership working and collaboration are key to success. You are always learning, ensure you are open to new ways of working, perspectives and be humble always.

Believe in yourself

I have seen many women struggle with self-promotion and downplay their successes. However, it’s important to confidently own your achievements. This relates to self-worth and how we see ourselves. Acknowledge your hard work and the value you bring to your organisation. This is not about arrogance; it’s about showing your team and your peers that you believe in yourself and your work.

Develop Resilience

Senior leadership comes with its share of setbacks, challenges, and criticism. Developing resilience is key to navigating these tough times. Embrace failure as a learning as it enables you to come back stronger. Failure gives you insights that you would never discover in any other way. Be positive and reset, focus on solutions, and keep moving forward.

Set Boundaries

This is something I take seriously and live by. Work-life balance can often be tricky, especially the busier we get. Setting clear boundaries is crucial for your well-being and effectiveness as a leader. Learn to trust others and delegate, say no when needed, and establish healthy boundaries in relationships, whether it be a peer, stakeholder or partner.

Set a good culture

As a senior leader, you have the ability to influence the culture of your organisation. Use your position to advocate for greater diversity and inclusion, ensuring that your workplace is equitable for all. Embed values such as respect, honesty and accountability. Listen to those around you, give people the space to share.

Get comfortable with change

Change is often uncomfortable, but as a leader, you have the ability to influence lasting impact, so be agile and adjust when you need to. It’s important you bring the team along with you and not only reassure but give them a snapshot of what the projected success or outcome will be.

Celebrate Other Women

One of the most empowering things you can do as a female senior leader is to lift other women up. Support and encourage your female colleagues and peers, whether by offering mentorship, speaking up for them in meetings, or helping them navigate challenges. When women support each other, we create a stronger, more inclusive leadership community.

Women in senior leadership positions have the opportunity to shape the culture of their organisations and serve as powerful role models for future generations. The power of representation cannot be understated—when women lead, they inspire others to believe in the possibility of achieving leadership roles themselves.