#WomensMonth | What happens after we get a seat at the table?
This year marks 70 years since that historic march, and today women are sitting in boardrooms, leading businesses, running agencies, building teams and shaping the industries we work in.
But I think there is another conversation we need to have: what happens once we're sitting in the seat we fought for?
Because being in the room is one thing; influencing to shape what happens in that room is another.
Being in the room isn't the same as having influence
In marketing, advertising and digital media, women are everywhere. We are strategists, managers, creatives, media specialists, performance marketers, data specialists and business leaders, making decisions, solving problems and driving commercial outcomes.
But representation alone doesn't tell the whole story. Having women at the table is different from genuinely trusting them to shape the decisions being made. Being invited into the conversation is not the same as having your expertise heard, valued and acted on.
For me, this is an important conversation about women in marketing leadership. We have made progress in getting women into the room, but the next step is ensuring they have the authority and recognition to influence what happens once they're there; and sometimes that influence comes with an added layer of expectation.
There can be a strange balancing act when it comes to how women are expected to lead. Be nurturing, but not too soft. Be assertive, but not too difficult. Be passionate, but not emotional. Be confident, but don't come across as intimidating.
Sometimes, the same behaviour that is seen as confidence or decisiveness in a man can be interpreted very differently when it comes from a woman, and I don't think the answer is for women to change who they are to fit a particular idea of what a leader should look like.
Leadership doesn't have to look one way
I've learnt that my own leadership style is rooted in being a servant leader. I want to give people the tools, context and support they need to succeed, but that doesn't mean I lead from a distance.
I like being in the trenches with my team. Working in marketing means getting close to the work and understanding how it is being done. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to identify where the real problems lie.
My experience reinforced something I continue to believe about leadership: being nurturing and supportive doesn't take away from my expertise.
It is part of how I lead and who I am. I can be empathetic and still be decisive. I can care about my team and still hold people accountable. I can listen to different perspectives and still make the final call.
Nuturing Africa’s creative voice
At Special Effects Media, I also think about this through the lens of our purpose: Nurturing Africa's creative voice.
For me, nurturing that voice isn't just about creating great work. It's about creating an environment where people have the space to contribute, develop their expertise, and have their ideas taken seriously.
If we're serious about nurturing Africa's creative voice, then we need to make sure women aren't simply present within that voice but helping to shape it.
Ambition shouldn’t require constant availability
One of the biggest lessons I've had to learn is that my career isn't my entire life.
Working in this industry can make switching off difficult. There is always another deadline, client, campaign or problem to solve. But being capable doesn't mean you have to be constantly available or sacrifice everything else.
Relationships, family, personal goals and time to care for ourselves outside of work matter too. Acknowledging that doesn't make us any less ambitious.
4 pieces of advice
If I could give aspiring women in marketing and advertising a few pieces of advice, it would be this:
- Know your expertise
Own what you're good at, while staying curious and open to learning.
- Know your leadership style
You don't need to become someone else's version of a leader. Find what works for you and keep developing it.
- Know when to step back
You don't have to be constantly available to prove you deserve your seat at the table.
- Close the laptop and have somewhere else to be yourself
Make time for people and spaces that help you switch off and exist beyond your job title.
#WomensMonth | Why women need to be thought leaders
We honour the progress made before us by continuing to make space for women, while recognising that we don't have to become someone else once we get there.
We fought for this seat. Now we get to decide how we sit at it.
