10W London — Highlighting Impressive Women Leaders
In one of the world’s oldest and greatest cities — with a history spanning nearly two millennia — London is Britain’s economic, transportation, and cultural centre. Here we found daring entrepreneurs, world travelers, champions in public health, leaders in data science, and talented artists.
Underlying the glamor of their accomplishments, the diverse women of 10W London exude kindness, thoughtfulness, and intelligence in leadership and motherhood.
From serving in Africa during the Ebola outbreak, to founding a woman’s health company saturated in passion and research, now it is more important then ever to anchor ourselves into shared wisdom, community, and hope.
Curious on how to grow self confidence, harness creativity and boost your motivation? 10W London shows us how.
What’s a challenge you’ve faced in your career and how did you overcome it?
Anita-Mai Goulding — XD Strategic Development, International at Adobe
I’ve always had a bad case of ‘imposter syndrome’ and I have, at times, felt that I wasn’t smart enough to be in the room. I struggled at school and had to repeat a year during my degree. Finding out I was dyslexic when I was 20 helped me develop coping mechanisms.
From being called ‘Miley Cyrus’ during my first job (for being too animated) to joining Management Consulting (with jet black hair sporting a black ‘power suit’), on numerous occasions I have been made to feel that I was lacking something.
I have always felt the need to really prove that I am smart so that people might take me more seriously. I very quickly learnt that in order to be successful you simply have to be yourself, and master something you absolutely love.
Rachel Keane — Co-Founder Women in Data
Everyone faces challenges, with mine being self-confidence. Being a single mum for the last 15 years, I always felt that I had to over-achieve to be taken seriously. Something I later learnt was that it was all in my head, and no one else’s!
I overcame this by investing in a smaller trusted network of people that I have met along the way in my career to guide and mentor me. On occasion, they have forced me to pause and recognise my achievements to date — allowing myself some time to appreciate the present without running onto the next thing!
Abi Mohamed — Co-founder of Community Growth Venture, Program Manager at Tech Nation
As a black woman in tech, I sit at the intersections of overlapping systems of discriminations which have made my journey into tech very difficult. I don’t just face “racism” or “sexism.” I face “racism and sexism.” For example, not having access to friends/family networks for warm introductions to a job opportunity or not being heard in meetings and having my male colleague repeat my suggestion and receive all the praise.
I practice a lot of well-being and mindfulness to help me stay in the right mental state to overcome these challenges. Also, I recommend finding likeminded people in your field where you feel safe and vulnerable to share best practices and tips.
Oluchi Ikechi — Managing Director, Accenture
Failure. A client complained about one of my teams in the year I was being supported for a promotion. Staying calm and resilient was key, not only for my team and client but also for my sanity! Get perspective. After speaking with the lead manager in my team it was clear there were two sides to the story. Trying to be pragmatic I noted down what worked well and where improvements were required on both sides, and then held a meeting to hash it out and be clear in next steps for success.
I was also conscious not to aside any blame or frustration on my team, but instead to take a collaborative approach with them to ensure their spirits were high — as egos were already bruised. The client appreciated the pragmatic approach and also felt listened to as we agreed to make some specific actions on both sides. Not only did my awesome team turn things around but they also helped secure us a place as one of two sole providers for the next very significant phase of work! It was a great turnaround story.
How do you stay motivated?
Venetia Furbert — Climate Change Researcher, Creative and Re/Insurance Professional
I indulge in creativity. Whenever I feel restless or face uncertainty, I turn to beading, writing, or nature to make sense of a situation or how I’m feeling. Being creative in other areas of my life grounds me professionally and has helped me develop into a more intuitive leader.
Rachel Keane — Co-Founder Women in Data
I love to run early in the morning, which is an amazing way to start the day both positive and motivated. Surrounding myself with positive people is a must, and avoiding as many “mood hoovers” as possible! Finally, taking time away from work focusing on personal projects and spending time with my daughter Grace.
Dr. Nneka Abulokwe OBE — Founder, Board Director and Public Speaker
I’ve always leaned into things that have been an interest or a strength so that my brain isn’t going against the tide. Doing what I love helps me stay motivated. When I have to do dull tasks, I think about the end, the why behind what I’m doing.
Do what you love. Find what drives you. Because you can’t hide passion. It drives you. You have to follow what you love and the motivation will come. My passion is about impact. Not success. I want to make an impact for BLM. I’m a massive proponent of diversity because in my career, I’ve had diverse advocates. I’ve had many woman and white men as advocates so I see the value that brings to the table.
What’s a turning point in your life that’s contributed to how you lead?
Viktorija Grigorjevaite (aka Sane Seven) — Portrait & AD Photographer
One of the defining moments was my mistaken belief that there were some general principles of success that applied to everyone. I quickly learned it was not the case when I started attending various business courses and programs focussing on leadership and business success.
What struck me was that the course leaders knew what they were going to say to you and what advice they were going to give you before they met you. This is like trying to instal the same piece of software into a Mac and a PC, then concluding that one of the computers is broken since the program doesn’t work.
Dissatisfied with such an approach, my partner and I decided to find out what leaders were like by meeting and learning from the leaders directly. We met 33 respected leaders that ranged from Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy to The Earl of Derby to find out what they had in common, and we learned that beyond the traditional shared notions of hard work or risk-taking, the differences in the context, stories, personalities, and circumstances were much greater than any similarities that could apply to everyone. We published their stories in a book titled “None of Us are Superman” and that experience has changed greatly how I approach leadership and success.
A lot of our success depends on the combination of our personality, people that we are compatible with, and specific place and time in the context of all the things happening in the world. Because of this, we must be ready to embrace a lot of uncertainty, instead of trying to mimic someone we read a book about.
Dr. Helen O’Neill — Biogenetics Professor and Founder of Hertility
I think it is fundamentally important to watch and learn from those you respect, but equally to take lessons from those you don’t. People in a position of power should never make you feel bad, inadequate, or vulnerable. It’s their job to lead, teach and guide. I realized that if you cannot find a great mentor, you can still be a great mentor.
Lisa Spencer-Arnell— Treasure Seeker & Intuitive Leadership Coach
In 2006, I was running my business and my largest client (95% of my business) went into liquidation; owing me thousands of pounds. The owner did this without telling me or any of his team, and it was very painful and such a shock.
Overnight most of my income was gone and I didn’t know how I’d be paying my bills the following month. I had to make a big decision between going out and getting a new job, or rebuilding my business. I took a breath, dug in deep, and chose to rebuild and take the learnings. I have never looked back.
At the liquidation meeting I met one of the people who I’d trained in coaching and he invited me to do some work with him in Lithuania. We went on to write a book together on Emotional Intelligence Coaching. I strongly believe there’s a gift in everything, even in really tough situations.
What’s a life-hack you do that helps you be successful?
Viktorija Grigorjevaite (aka Sane Seven) — Portrait & AD Photographer
Success is like a stock exchange. We know that Apple will do well as a company, but it is pointless to invest in it because everyone else knows it too and its stock price reflects that expectation already. On the other hand, companies that very few people believe in (like Apple as a startup) can bring a very unexpected amount of success.
This applies to our conventional knowledge of success. If we stick to what we know already, we cannot expect unexpected surprises because our knowledge probably reflects the amount of success we can have with it already. We will keep answering our questions using the same answers. This is why we need to embrace the unknown as the source of unexpected solutions and ideas that can drive us forward.
The greatest source of such unexpected answers to our questions is accidental connections and unplanned encounters. We often assume that we know what we can get from other people and which people are important to our career. This is a big mistake because the world that we don’t know anything about is much bigger that our view of the world. I have learned that the contacts I never planned to have turned out to be more valuable than the contacts I thought I needed.
As such, there are no irrelevant events or people. There are only unexplored, unexpected opportunities to meet someone who could change your life.
Denise Kelly — Health Advocate and Entrepreneur
Meditate — Every day. It helps free your mind and give you space to create what is right. When you have your own business life can get pretty busy. “To still the mind” is essential. I also paddle board as much as I can. For me being on the water offers a tranquil space that helps free the mind clutter.
I am also really interested in other successful people and how they have made things work. You can learn something new every day. I read and listen to podcasts when I have time.
I never really had a plan as such, but just kept a deep rooted love for what I do. Passion is everything. In personalise and work life, and I believe every day is a gift. So we should truly make it count.
Venetia Furbert — Climate Change Researcher, Creative, and Re/Insurance Professional
Intentionally build a tribe; you will not just find them. I was fortunate to start my career on my native island of Bermuda. The re/insurance industry there has been a bedrock of the risk market, having supported economies internationally in the wake of large-scale catastrophes. As a result, my home-grown career has been very much international.
However, after I left this environment to transition to academic life, I had to take a more deliberate but organic approach to building a system of people around me. With this aim in mind, I participated in a broad range of activities from professional retreats to poetry readings.
The relationships gained over this period have organically grown into a network of people who have challenged, nurtured, and sponsored me. I am grateful for the sum of these relationships — ‘my tribe’.
Oluchi Ikechi — Managing Director, Accenture
I write it down. I keep journals and online notes for my own learnings and tips. It helps me gather my thoughts and remind myself of key points when needed. I generally also remind myself of 3 things: how i think is more important, how others see me is reality, how I engage others is critical and memorable. Lastly I clear out space on my calendar each week to think! I also have space in my calendar for the things I’m really passionate about outside of work, that’s my sacred time!
What’s one of your favorites quotes/mantras?
Dr. Helen O’Neill — Biogenetics Professor and Founder of Hertility
“Ní neart go cur le chéile” that’s Gaelic for “there’s no strength without unity.”
Abi Mohamed — Co-founder of Community Growth Venture, Program Manager at Tech Nation
‘“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
Lisa Spencer-Arnell — Treasure Seeker & Intuitive Leadership Coach
“If we did all the things we’re capable of doing, we’d literally astound ourselves” by Thomas Edison. Another mantra I live by is ‘be who you are, love what you do, do what it takes.”
Anita-Mai Goulding — XD Strategic Development, International at Adobe
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” Eleanor Roosevelt
Dr. Nneka Abulokwe OBE — Founder, Board Director and Public Speaker
Maya Angelou — ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ Find a way to make a lasting impact.
Studies show you are 42% more likely to accomplish your goals if you write them down. We hope this advice inspired you to take a next step towards achieving personal and professional growth.
From tenacious leaders, forward thinkers and culture setters, these women brought tangible wisdom to 10W. Thank you to the London group for sharing your insight!
Throughout 2020, we’re highlighting many cities around the world. Please nominate a leader you know HERE.
