To ask you for your female role models and what you learnt from them?

[Purplefoxes]

Are there any particular women you look up to in business or in the media for example who have inspired you career wise or life in general?

What was it about then that inspired you and why?

Background to this (before anyone accuses me of being a journo!) is I am looking to take a step up in my career but I realised I don't really have any female role models to aspire to (male dominated work sector!). I've always struggled with being assertive as a woman and having a role model might help me. I'd also like to be a role model myself for other women (one day!). I'm therefore very interested to hear yours and why you think they make a good role model. Posting here for traffic. Thank you in advance 😃

JK Rowling. I admire her grit and honesty.

Ditto - JKR. I admire her courage, integrity and imagination. I was a fan of her books before I ever realised what a great woman she is quite apart from her writing.

Mo Mowlam. She listened she was tenacious, she worked tirelessly and she made a huge difference my life and the way I saw women in politics. I wish she was here now.😥

RIP Mo.🌹

Personally I look up to: Lyse Doucet, Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Ada Lovelace, Michelle Obama
Friends say: Jane Austen, Deborah Meaden, Margaret Thatcher, Marie Stopes, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Elizabeth Blackwell

I was going to say Michelle Obama too. When I'm feeling cross, flustered, uncharitable etc I try and pretend I am Michelle for a moment.
She comes across as dignified, principled, kind, wise, confident, good humoured and warm. I love the way she seems like a team with her husband rather than playing second fiddle or basking in the reflected glory.

Not a famous woman but I had a mentor at work who was a Partner.

I was saying I didn’t see myself as a senior manager / director (I was quite junior at the time).

Her view was that her motivation for getting Partner was so junior women could look up to her and see it was possible.

if women self select out of promotion because of imposter syndrome, the senior roles will always be filled with older, white men. Believe in yourself and aspire to be a role model for future generations.

Not a mentor, but Boudicca.

Dorothy Hodgkin.
A great inspiration that women really can be scientists (Im 61 and was the only girl in my science A level sets so it wasn't obvious back then) and that crystallography is cool.

Kate Adie and (if I'm allowed a fictional character) Ellen Ripley. No nonsense, fearless and wonderful.

At least two women I can think of in two different careers I’ve had, both of whom were very senior. I think the things I learned were that they both dressed in a way that was comfortable and understated (think jackets, trousers and flat shoes) when other women were still dressing in a more eye catching way, and that they spoke quietly and in a considered fashion, but with an authority that made people listen. I learned a lot about projecting (and having) gravitas from them.

Ellen Ripley absolutely, except her obsession with her cat

😁

Margaret Rutherford.

Deborah Meaden
Caitlin Moran
Joanne Harris
Alison Weir
Mary Beard
Lyse Doucet
Jacinta Ardern
Mhairi Black
Jess Phillips
Izzie Balmer
Anita Manning
Anna Wardley (Google her, she's awesome)

Michelle Obama
Rosa Parks
Elizabeth Bennett
Samantha Jones
Jane McDonald

I know some are fictional and not in business but to me they all possess qualities I hope I have now or will develop over time. Just brilliant women in many different ways.

Quite a few votes for JK Rowling. She certainly has stood up for what she believes in even in the face of harsh criticism. Lot of respect for her, she's self made.

I found a mentor after taking on some board work and meeting her through that. She's very successful and just super impressive. I shamelessly asked her to mentor me - she wouldn't have the time now, but mentioning her because when you do find these amazing women around you it's worth celebrating them.

Yes good call, an amazing women tragically taken too soon. She wasn't flashy, she seemed to me to truely care and be 'real' unlike some politicians even in her own party. She helped change history.
Tribute here:

I'll admit I had to look some of those up! Interesting how a few crisis zone corrospondents have come up. I like to think some of the historical figures mentioned would have received the greater recognition they deserved if they were alive in these times than they probably received at the time when women were considered lesser status.

That's a very good observation. She has a quiet confidence and was never overshadowed by her husband. She was able to be passionate without appearing aggressive.

She sounds like a good mentor and it's nice to hear of a woman who has made it encouraging the next generation of female leaders! Unfortunately I've witnessed a female director do the exact opposite with a past employer, I'm determined not to be like that! Did she give any other pearls of wisdom on how she got there? @Mushroo

@Purplefoxes she was (is) incredible. Her advice was to be yourself as much as possible.

she also told me to identify my ‘stakeholders’ so who did I need to impress to be promoted. Then any where I wasn’t making an impact or being acknowledged, work out a plan to improve that - be it more exposure or new projects.

She was also an advocate of ditching ‘busy work’ that takes up time but generally, doesn’t help with promotions (things like, organising secret Santa, or redeveloping a spreadsheet for the sake of it).

That's interesting you mention dress, because for men it always seems easier, dark trouser suit and smart shirt and shiny shoes=promotion material whereas for women if you show any individuality or wear colour it's almost frowned upon- at least in the corporate sectors. However I can see that you also don't want your outfit to detract from your message. Can you still be a female role model/leader and be stylish? I'd say Michelle Obama is a good example on that front probably. I always thought gravitas you just had to be born with, it's something I'd love to learn!

Another vote for JKR - she's so inspirational. She could have stayed quiet and had an easy life, but she chose to use her platform to stand up for women.

Coretta Scott King
Sojourner Truth
Hattie McDaniel