{"id":22662,"date":"2025-03-11T10:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T10:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/?p=22662"},"modified":"2025-03-11T14:09:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T14:09:38","slug":"leading-with-confidence-lessons-from-women-in-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/2025\/03\/leading-with-confidence-lessons-from-women-in-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading with confidence: lessons from women in leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>On Friday 7 March, 2025, Kent Business School hosted a powerful, hybrid MBA Guest Lecture in celebration of International Women\u2019s Day. Entitled &#8216;Permission to lead: overcoming self-doubt as a woman in leadership&#8217;, the event brought together an inspiring panel of women leaders who shared their personal journeys, struggles with imposter syndrome, and strategies for making their voices heard in leadership.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Organised by Kent MBA students <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kent.ac.uk\/kent-business-school\/mba\/our-mba-community\/1485\/kait-austin\">Kait Austin<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kent.ac.uk\/kent-business-school\/mba\/our-mba-community\/1423\/jodie-devlin\">Jodie Devlin<\/a>, the panel featured:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/connsonlocke.com\/\">Professor Connson Locke<\/a>, Professor of Management, London School of Economics<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bossylikeme.com\/about\">Rene\u00e9 Blanchard<\/a>, Entrepreneur and former owner of Church Alley Coffee Bar<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nova-marshall-3b91662b\/\">Nova Marshall<\/a>, Visual Artist, Creative Producer, and Director<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kent.ac.uk\/kent-business-school\/people\/2407\/evans-samantha\">Dr Samantha Evans<\/a>, Senior Lecturer in HRM and EDI Lead at Kent Business School<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The discussion aligned with this year\u2019s International Women\u2019s Day theme, #Accelerate Action, focusing on closing the gender gap in leadership and overcoming self-doubts, and also addressing questions from the 50-strong audience.<\/p>\n<h3>The confidence gap: breaking through self-doubt<\/h3>\n<p>One of the central themes of the discussion was imposter syndrome, something all the panelists had experienced at some point in their careers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you don\u2019t view yourself as a leader, nobody else will,&#8221; suggested Professor Connson Locke.<\/p>\n<p>Professor Locke shared how, early in her career, she believed men and women faced the same challenges \u2014 until research and personal experience proved otherwise. &#8220;If you\u2019ve ever felt imposter syndrome, it\u2019s because you\u2019ve had a success,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;Take that as an opportunity to pat yourself on the back.&#8221; She recommended keeping a \u2018smile file\u2019 \u2014 a collection of positive feedback and achievements \u2014 to counter self-doubt.<\/p>\n<p>Nova Marshall recalled a defining moment when she was invited to present at the UK Parliament. &#8220;I remember thinking, \u2018Why do they want me to speak?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cBut when you\u2019re passionate about something, that passion is infectious. You have to eat that anxiety and just say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22604\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22604\" style=\"width: 1342px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/files\/2025\/02\/Professor-Connson-Locke-sq.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-22604 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/files\/2025\/02\/Professor-Connson-Locke-sq.jpg\" alt=\"Professor Connson Locke\" width=\"1342\" height=\"1342\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22604\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Professor Connson Locke<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Making your voice heard in leadership<\/h3>\n<p>For many women, stepping into leadership means overcoming the challenge of being heard in male-dominated spaces.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWomen don\u2019t negotiate as well as men \u2014 unless they\u2019re advocating for someone else,\u201d noted Professor Locke. \u201cWe can use this to our advantage by framing leadership as serving others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr Samantha Evans, an expert in equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), emphasised that leadership is about advocacy: \u201cI push for change because of my values \u2014 fairness, justice, inclusion, and belonging. It\u2019s not just about me, but about those I represent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For some, the best approach was to redefine leadership altogether. Nova Marshall noted, \u201cI got tired of asking permission. I created my own leadership space where I didn\u2019t have to seek approval.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>The role of resilience and risk taking<\/h3>\n<p>Confidence is often built through taking risks \u2014 something the panelists strongly encouraged.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have to do things scared,\u201d said Rene\u00e9 Blanchard. \u201cFear and self-doubt don\u2019t mean you\u2019re making the wrong decision. Often, we just need to push through the discomfort.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Professor Locke, who has worked in multiple industries and countries, acknowledged that every major career change she made initially felt like a mistake. \u201cThe first six months after a big change, I\u2019ve always regretted it,\u201d she admitted. \u201cBut then it settles, and I realise I\u2019ve grown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nova Marshall shared how she surrounds herself with a &#8216;fan club&#8217; of supportive voices: \u201cWhen self-doubt creeps in, I go to my top ten people who remind me of my wins.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22606\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22606\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/files\/2025\/02\/rene-blanchard.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-22606 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/files\/2025\/02\/rene-blanchard.jpg\" alt=\"Renee Blanchard\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22606\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rene\u00e9 Blanchard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Structural barriers and the path forward<\/h3>\n<p>Beyond individual challenges, the panel also discussed systemic barriers to women in leadership, including workplace biases, the gender pay gap, and caregiving responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Evans pointed out how workplace cultures often reward traditional male leadership styles while overlooking women\u2019s contributions: \u201cWe need to challenge these perceptions and redefine leadership to be more inclusive. The best leadership styles \u2014 transformational, participative, inclusive \u2014 are traits more commonly associated with women. We need to start valuing them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The discussion also touched on the &#8216;glass escalator&#8217; effect \u2014 how men in female-dominated fields (eg. nursing) are often fast-tracked into leadership. Professor Locke explained, \u201cMen are encouraged to move into leadership roles because leadership is seen as more \u2018agentic\u2019 \u2014 a traditionally masculine trait. We need to recognise this bias and ensure leadership roles are awarded based on ability, not gender.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/files\/2025\/03\/MBA-Guest-Lecture-WIL-2025-3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-22671\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/files\/2025\/03\/MBA-Guest-Lecture-WIL-2025-3.jpg\" alt=\"Speakers and attendees at the lecture\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1371\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Some final advice on leading with confidence<\/h3>\n<p>To close the event, each panelist shared one piece of advice for women struggling with self-doubt:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rene\u00e9 Blanchard<\/strong>: \u201cGet to know yourself. Learn how your body reacts to different situations. Fear is a signal, not a stop sign.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Professor Connson Locke<\/strong>: \u201cThink of confidence like a muscle \u2014 it strengthens with use. The goal isn\u2019t to eliminate self-doubt, but to make that voice so quiet that it doesn\u2019t stop you.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dr Samantha Evans<\/strong>: \u201cTalk to other women. You\u2019ll be amazed at what you get back when you share your experiences.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nova Marshall<\/strong>: \u201cFind your fan club. Surround yourself with people who remind you of your strength.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This event served as an important reminder that while challenges remain, women\u2019s leadership journeys are rich with resilience, passion, and impact. By supporting each other, redefining leadership, and pushing through self-doubt, we can accelerate progress and build a future where women in leadership is not the exception, but the norm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Friday 7 March, 2025, Kent Business School hosted a powerful, hybrid MBA Guest Lecture in celebration of International Women\u2019s Day. Entitled &#8216;Permission to lead: &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/2025\/03\/leading-with-confidence-lessons-from-women-in-leadership\/\">Read&nbsp;more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79181,"featured_media":22670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[177066,9875,124],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22662"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79181"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22662"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22686,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22662\/revisions\/22686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/kbs-news-events\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}