Ellie Somers

At a time when gender equality is becoming a major qualifier of success for Australian companies, do women have to work harder to have their views heard? Here is an assertion that I hear from many Australian leaders, both male and female: Women need to speak up more at work. I am not saying there is no truth to this statement. I know many women who, like me, have spent their days beavering away at their to-do lists, assuming that their excellent work will speak for itself. But the idea that women need to speak up more at work ignores…

Today we are thrilled to be sitting down with Gemma Munro. She is the CEO Of Inkling Women. Gemma has a PhD in performance psychology and many years of experience working with leaders to discover their purpose, maximise their strengths and build careers that are as enjoyable as they are successful. THE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS… I have three! First and foremost, Inkling Women is driven by our belief that the world will be a much better place when 50 per cent of the most important decisions for our planet are made by women. Our mission is to inspire…

As Hillary Clinton becomes the first woman in U.S. history to win the nomination of a major political party, it’s worth asking where is the glass ceiling? In June this year, Hillary Clinton became the first woman in US history to win the nomination of a major political party, putting, in her words, “the biggest crack in the glass ceiling yet”. If she goes on to become President, she will join Theresa May and Angela Merkel as three female leaders of the G8. In the same month as the Democratic National Convention, I met several young women who told me…

To ensure women in leadership flourish you must focus on creating leaders with the willingness and skills to create inclusive teams. As the CEO of a business whose mission is to ensure that 50% of leadership roles worldwide are held by women, I have a large stake in ensuring women in leadership flourish. I also have a clear understanding of what works—and the mistakes organisations are making—in the bid to ensure gender diversity in the workplace. The biggest mistake I see involves frittering around the edges of policy and strategy, without making any concerted effort to develop and grow your…

Inkling Women offers programs that help women build the confidence and capability to step into more senior roles in business. It offers free video training, as well as leadership and coaching programs for current and aspiring female leaders. ShortPress sat down with the company’s award-winning founder and CEO, Dr Gemma Munro. ShortPress: Describe your small business in less than 50 words. Inkling Women: Inkling Women inspires women to lead. We provide Australia’s best leadership coaching programs for women, and we work with executive teams to ensure they are creating an environment in which both women and men can thrive. SP:…

Ask the right questions to get at the heart of what motivates your team. I recently ran a workshop with 15 high potential female leaders in financial services. Many of the 15 were struggling with their teams. They wanted to be leading teams that were motivated, capable and committed. Instead, their days were spent convincing staff to take responsibility for KPIs. I was told that it felt like pulling teeth. I gave these women one of my main tips for building a motivated team: Treat your team members like rubber bands—stretch them until they’re almost at breaking point. As you…

DR Gemma Munro from Adelaide-based training provider Inkling Women is ready to conquer America. Inkling Women has just been selected to take part in elevate61, a program to help Australian entrepreneurs fast track their growth into the US market. The Eastwood-based training provider, specialising in gender diversity, was one of 11 Australian businesses hand-picked for the accelerator program run by KPMG and Advance. Dr Munro will take part in a three-day workshop in Sydney in April to undergo mentoring and coaching on how to pitch to investors in the US market. This is followed by a 10-day intensive session in…

No matter how confident we are, we have all fought against the limits we unconsciously place on our own success. It’s time to move past self-sabotage. If I had to name the one thing that holds leaders back most, I would choose self-sabotage. No matter how outwardly confident we are, we have all fought against the limits we unconsciously place on our own success. To others, we may appear to launch fearlessly into new ventures. Internally, though, we often struggle with beliefs that suggest we only deserve this much money, this much happiness, this much recognition. And when we experience…

There was once a time when the greatest threat to feminism came from the entrenched patriarchal society in which women lived.  Today, however, it seems the feminist movement is most at risk from a much more unlikely source: women. In particular a young, vocal and growing movement, insistent on disowning feminism as unnecessary and antiquated. Sarah Hausler investigates. In the past year the #womenagainstfeminism hashtag has exploded. This is thanks, in most part, to the Women Against Feminism Tumblr page, where young women post images of themselves holding placards bearing statements such as “I don’t need feminism because I can…

Inkling Women rated #2 for encouraging female professionals in Australia. 10. Australian Centre for Leadership for Women The Australian Centre for Leadership for Women (ACLW), a virtual Centre was founded by Dr Diann Rodgers-Healey in 2000 to assist emerging and established women leaders and advance gender equality outcomes. ACLW has been the focal point of significant achievements, including the establishment of national awards recognising women’s advancement in workplaces and communities, research and extensive writing on key issues, submissions related to gender equality legislation, empowerment of women and women’s groups through coaching, mentoring, strategic facilitation, and giving women a platform to…

Even though women’s rights have improved since a few generations back, the gender pay gap is still very real. For a variety of reasons, on average, women earn far less than men – $298.10 per week less – and the national gender pay gap is currently 18.8%1. Whilst closing the gender pay gap is a complex issue requiring a multi-faceted approach from a wide range of stakeholders, including employers, there are some positive actions you can take to help ensure you are getting paid what you should be. Here, Dr Gemma Munro, career coach and CEO of Inkling Women –…

She may not look like it, but Gemma Munro is one of “Tony’s tradies”. Ms Munro would like to take advantage of the government’s new incentive for small businesses to spend up on equipment, by buying a car for at least one of her nine employees at her growing business mentoring company, Inkling Women. “It’s something I’m absolutely considering, even for team members as part of their salary package,” Ms Munro said. “For us it’s a little bonus to help with expenses. We’ve doubled ­almost every year since we started in 2011 and it’s almost a reward to help our…

Gemma Munro has set up a business mentoring women in business and leadership. Picture: Kelly Barnes Source: News Limited WOMEN have to let go of the need to be liked, because it is stifling their careers and standing in the way of their goals, says leadership consultant Gemma Munro. Munro, 36, runs consultancy company Inkling Women, specialising in training and workshops to help women gain confidence and take control of their careers. Business is booming, with more organisations wanting to help their female staff grow in confidence, stand up for leadership roles and ensure they are heard. “If women are…