Category: News

Join us on International Women’s Day

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Friday 8th March marks International Women’s Day.

We’re making the most of the incredible range of events at the Southbank Centre with a She Leads Change trip to the Women of the World festival.

Why not join us, for any or all of it?

12.30pm: lunch at Le Pain Quotidien on the Southbank

2-5.30pm: WOW: What now? (please book your own ticket via the Southbank Centre)

5.30-8pm: Music & drinks in the Queen Elizabeth Hall foyer – we’ll be to the left of the stage area

8pm onwards: Informal continuation of the evening with dinner and drinks

Please drop Laura an email if you would like to join us. We look forward to seeing you on International Women’s Day.

12 Months of She Leads Change

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1 – WE ARE ONE

Just over a year ago we had a series of requests for coaching, from these came the idea for a curated programme of peer-led support.. that has led to a growing community of connected, confident changemakers.

2 – KINDNESS

Radical generosity is a core value of She Leads Change.

“I’d like to thank you all for your kindness – at every touchpoint of the programme there is a brilliant, caring, intelligent, passionate woman who genuinely cares about your journey; who wants to help you plant those seeds because she knows that once you start doing so you’re going to grow something amazing…because she believes in you.” – SLC participant

3 – IMPACT

In our first year, we’ve had more than 50 brilliant, brave, beautiful women on She Leads Change, supported by 45 coaches from all over the world, 3 great facilitators and a dedicated core team. We’ve witnessed transformation and growth – both personal and professional. We’ve seen people step up into positions of increased responsibility, change their work culture, take on new challenges and be braver, more confident and more purposeful.

“I’m much clearer about my purpose and far more confident about living it.” – SLC participant

4 – GRATEFUL

This is not one story, it is OUR story and we give a very special thanks to Antonia, Steph and Jo who were there at the beginning and have given so much of their unique gifts to co-create She Leads Change. We are also grateful to our incredible group of facilitators, coaches and advisors – you give us confidence to do the work and make the change possible.

5 – SUPPORT

She Leads Change provides a supportive and safe space in which to undertake self-exploration with help from others.

“…spending time with women you would otherwise never cross the paths of, who bring entirely new perspectives and experiences to your life while sharing a powerful journey together is something truly valuable and rewarding.” – SLC participant.

6 – CO-CREATION

This idea underpins all of our work together. People don’t only join – they create together. We are excited at the way our SLC community has grown: gathering on a regular basis to support, encourage and empower one another. If you’re passionate about leading change and want to invest with us into the future of She Leads Change, let us know what you can offer – what you’d like to co-create – we’d love to hear from you.

“I’d like to lead change for millions, and I think I can – but not alone” – SLC participant

7 – CONFIDENCE

We have heard how participants have greater appetite to step into opportunities, rather than waiting on the sidelines until ‘ready’; how they are less afraid to get out there and be their best selves.

“I’m now more confident to step up, to hold a room. I’m more aware (and sure) of my strengths, and where I want to spend my (emotional) energy. I feel more content with myself and what I have to offer to the world.”

8 – PASS IT ON

Who do you know, who could do with a dose of brave?

Could you introduce us to your corporate, friend, colleague, family member you feel would benefit from our transformative leadership programme?

Do you have someone in mind, you could sponsor? We have started a sponsorship programme to ensure we have the type of diverse group to create transformation at scale.

9 – INFLUENCE

The companies that some of the participants are from have contacted us to send more people. They have seen big changes and have joined our journey.

“I am more aware of my strengths, of my relationships and of my own journey. How I have been shaped and of how I want to shape my own future. I feel more influential and more central to my own story, and know more about my values.” – SLC participant

10 – COMMUNITY

We are launching a community of women co-creating and enabling change in the world. Curious? Get in touch if you’d like to join the movement.

“It really has helped me show up differently. There hasn’t been a a big a-ha moment, but a wonderful journey where I’ve discovered so much more about myself, how I’m being, and how I want to be.” – current SLC participant.

11 – SELF DISCOVERY

It’s a space for self discovery and to take some time out for yourself.

“…and to realise that everyone is going through a certain amount of the same issues and challenges as you, makes you feel less alone.” – SLC participant

12 – LEAD CHANGE

If you are a woman working to create positive impact, the world needs you to be your most powerful self, to operate from a place of confidence and abundance.

“You encouraged a room full of women from a variety of backgrounds and at different places in their lives to dig deep, stare at our wounds, own our fears, and grow…we have been opened and exposed and now with the knowledge that we are enough, we go forward because we lead change.” – SLC participant

Find out more and apply here. Or say hello@sheleadschange.org if you would like to speak to us about a programme for your company or have any great ideas for how we could work together!

Could you be our digital, web and comms manager?

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Steph Landymore

Have you got some spare time and a real enthusiasm for what She Leads Change is building? Having been involved as a core team member since the beginning, and had a fantastic experience as a participant too, I’m stepping back from the core team and looking for someone fabulous to pass my baton on to as She Leads Change looks to future possibilities.

We’d love to welcome someone who wants to stretch and develop their good foundation of digital and communication skills to join our core team of volunteers at this exciting time in She Leads Change’s existence.

If you believe in what She Leads Change is setting out to achieve and want to be a part of its success please get in touch by emailing hello@sheleadschange.org and tell us how you fit the role description below. There’s no deadline but be quick! We’re looking for someone ready to join in as soon as possible. Here’s a bit more about what you could get up to.

Role purpose

Keeping She Leads Change running online and digitally behind-the-scenes, and supporting Operations Manager Laura Stone who coordinates and runs the day to day for the participants, coaches and core team. There is plenty of scope to expand the role to help She Leads Change reach and engage even more women to help us grow, depending on your time and availability.

Key skills and abilities

We’re looking for someone with an understanding of the principles of digital communication and marketing, who can run a website and make sure we’re on top of best practice when it comes data protection and transparency. If you want to get involved and you have some but not all of the skills below, we still want to hear from you – I’ll be able to give some support and training to help as you take things over.

Responsibilities

  • Digital literacy: Manage the billing, structure and content of a wordpress-hosted website and GSuite account; source, edit and manage website images; video editing
  • Responsible data collection and management: manage GDPR compliance and MailChimp email lists and delivery; support data collection and participant follow-up from Open Session events; advise on best practice around data collection, processing and use.
  • Brand and communications: Create and upload engaging web content, blog posts and Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin content; manage She Leads Change’s visual identity.

Ways of being

  • Resourceful: Be perceptive in seeing what is needed, identifying issues and taking action
  • Organised: Attention to detail, thorough and takes pride in work
  • Pro-active: Offers suggestions, connecter of people with can-do attitude.
  • People skills: Kind, supportive, firm and authentic.
  • Professional orientation: Sets own time management skills and priorities, communicates boundaries clearly.

Commitment & benefits

The commitment is about four hours per week on average, which varies according to what’s going on. As a core team member, you’ll be able to join the next open programme for free, something we’d really encourage you to do. And of course, you would be joining a wonderful team of driven women helping make She Leads Change happen!

Our programme has already had a phenomenal impact in the 12 months it’s been running, welcoming and supporting almost 50 participants and a wonderful wider community of coaches, facilitators and supporters. We know we’re serving a real need amongst women and our participants feedback tells us how much She Leads Change is helping them step into what they want to be achieving. Our one year birthday is a good time to pause and reflect on what we want to achieve over the next 12 months, and we’d love to have you on board in time to join us in doing so.

Live Big!

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Don’t live in the basement of your potential! We love this quote. It makes us think of what’s possible when we decide to move out of our basement and into our living area: that space where we can invite others to join us. Where connection happens, where conversation takes place and where collaboration is possible…It’s not always easy to throw open our front door and invite others in…it can feel uncomfortable, it requires bravery, it calls for vulnerability and it takes guts.

But, it opens up possibility, it creates opportunity and it builds community.

This is an open invitation to join us for an informal evening of connection, conversation and collaboration with some like-minded, courageous, purpose-driven change-makers!

Come and meet those involved in She Leads Change – either as a past participant, coach, mentor, advisor, core team member – future participant – or even curious friend! Do spread the word…we’d be delighted to meet you, to understand both what you are looking for and what you could bring!

Come. Join.

Live big. Our door is wide open.

Places are limited, so registration is imperative and please, if your circumstances change and you are unable to join us, let us know so we can open the space for another…

Sign up here: Open Session Registration

Five fists bump together in a star shape, over a desk covered in laptops, phones, coffee cups, notepads and files. The people whose fists these are have clearly been working together around this desk.

We have a mailing list! Do sign up…

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She Leads Change began with a big idea and a small group of women in November last year. Our community has grown, and we’ve welcomed incredible people from all spheres who are participating, mentoring, advising and supporting the programme’s inception and growth.

So we’re delighted to share that we now have a mailing list! Many of you have been following us through our news blogs; we’ll now be able to communicate more effectively, as well as keep you up to date with our events, new cohorts and invitations to get more involved and shape She Leads Change as we grow.

You can choose what you’d like to hear about and sign up here: http://eepurl.com/diMmlf. Please do!

 

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Applications for April 2018 now open

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We’re delighted to be bringing you the news that the next cohort of She Leads Change will be starting in April and applications are now open!

The programme is a mixture of coaching and community, building confidence and connection through a structured peer learning and mentoring programme. Find out more about how it works →.

So what change are you making in the world? And what’s holding you back? Join the April She Leads Change cohort to find your purpose, build your courage and unleash your potential.

Apply today

Not intending to apply this time? Help us spread the word

We’d love you to help us get the word out far and wide to the women you know She Leads Change would be perfect for. Here are some sample lines to help:

Calling all ladies wanting to make a difference in the world! @SheLeadsChange applications open for April 2018 cohort. Meet like-minded amazing women using peer-learning to build confidence, resilience and reach their potential. Please sign up now and share with others! http://www.sheleadschange.org     Tweet this [Tweet this]

Feeling a bit stale? Things holding you back? Supercharge your career with the wonderful @nicolamillson and @SheLeadsChange peer-mentoring programme: a collection of inspiring women making change in the world. Secure your place for the April cohort here: http://www.sheleadschange.org     Tweet this [Tweet this]

For LinkedIn:
She Leads Change is a six month peer-mentoring programme where purpose-driven women become more confident, build resilience and form powerful connections. By supporting and connecting change-makers, the team amplifies and accelerates the positive social impact women are making in the world. April cohort now open. Sign up here: http://www.sheleadschange.org @SheLeadsChange

Women from all sectors are coming together to explore their power to make a difference. A new peer mentoring programme called @SheLeadsChange is making waves in the social sector, breaking down barriers and helping women be the best they can be. Unleash your potential. Application for the April cohort now open: http://www.sheleadschange.org

For Facebook:
Want to share an amazing programme called @SheLeadsChange. Met some inspiring women who are helping me to remove the blocks to my potential! This is an essential path for women looking to make change in the world, but that may have lost their way! They’re taking applications for the April cohort now. Check it out here: http://www.sheleadschange.org

We’re incredibly excited about growing our community to include this new cohort. Thank you for your support!

Photo by Bruce Mars from Pexels

She Leads Change launches in January 2018. Sign up!

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On Tuesday 28th November 2017 20 women came together to meet, explore and experience the idea of ‘She Leads Change’, and shape the programme. We shared a common sense of having or seeking purpose in our work, a variety of challenges as well as hope and excitement around She Leads Change.

Collectively we discussed the proposed format for She Leads Change and start date: find out the full proposed shape of the programme in the ‘About Us’ section. The evening confirmed that we have enough interest to run two groups concurrently!

If you want to be part of one of these two groups of 6-8 people starting in January sign up to She Leads Change here now.

If you couldn’t make the session, or if you still have questions you want answering, we are running an online session on Friday 15th December from 15:00-16:30pm – sign up to the She Leads Change online Q&A on Eventbrite.

An experiment in peer mentoring

During last Tuesday’s session, we tried out a peer mentoring and deep listening exercise. Why not give it a go yourself with a friend?

Process

  • Choose something that happened recently which left you puzzled or disgruntled
  • Take 7 minutes to talk to your friend:
    • What was the situation?
    • Think about what you are holding onto about it. How is it a pattern? What are deeper underlying issues?
    • What advice would you give yourself on how to resolve it and/or do things differently next time?
  • Your friend will listen closely as you speak, and at the end of the 7 minutes, should spend no more than 3 minutes reflecting back what they heard you say.

MIT lecturer and co-founder of the Presencing Institute, Otto Scharmer, lays out four levels of listening:

  • Downloading – “yeah, I know that already…” re-confirms my views.
  • Factual (listening with an open mind) – picks up new information, notices differences
  • Empathic (listening with an open heart) – “I know exactly how you feel…” sees something through another person’s eyes
  • Generative (listening with an open will) – “I can’t explain what I just experienced…” listening that leads to a shift in sense of self and identity
  • As the friend, you have an active role in not giving advice, or responding, but simply ‘holding a mirror up’ to what you’ve heard.
    • Notice if you are comparing what you are hearing to your existing knowledge or beliefs (downloading)
    • Consciously soften your mind and focus on the other person’s lived experience (factual & empathic listening)
    • And if you’re up for it, see if you can sense the space beyond, the future perspective ‘wanting to emerge’ (generative listening)
  • At the end of the first 10 minutes, switch places and repeat the exercise

Reflection/What did you notice?

  • The exercise forces you to properly listen to yourself, and hear someone else.
    • What did it feel like to give yourself advice out loud?
    • What did you appreciate most? What did you find most challenging?
    • Would you give someone else the same advice if they were in your situation?
    • Did you hear anything that surprised you?
    • Was there anything that particularly stood out, that you’ll apply going forward?

What are we hoping for with She Leads Change?

We closed the evening by writing down hopes for ourselves, for the future and for She Leads Change. It is our intention that the pilot programme begets offshoots run by the participants in other cities and countries, like a spider plant, if you will.

We each took home another’s hope, and a blooming rose, saving our hopes for She Leads Change – and for the future – to share here:

   

What are your hopes? Sign up for January 2018, and let us know.

 “These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to be climbing.”
– Najwa Zebian