Mentorship & Coaching

I once sat in a performance review where a female colleague received feedback like, "You need to soften your tone in meetings." Meanwhile, her male counterpart got advice about honing his skills in digital marketing to drive better results. This wasn't an isolated incident. Women are often given feedback on their style—how they speak, how they present themselves—while men are given feedback on their skills and performance. This difference is subtle but significant. When we tell women to adjust their style but don’t offer specific, actionable guidance on improving their roles, we hold them back from real growth. It sends the message that success is about fitting in rather than developing the skills that actually move the needle. The impact? Women miss out on critical opportunities for advancement. They don't get the feedback they need to improve in measurable ways while men are groomed for the next significant role. We need to change this if we want to see more women in leadership. It starts with giving women the same actionable, skill-based feedback we offer men. Instead of vague critiques, we need to focus on growth areas tied to business outcomes. For example, rather than saying, "You need to be less direct," say, "Deepen your analytics knowledge so we can optimize our strategy." Clear, actionable feedback empowers women to build the expertise they need to move forward. It’s how we help them close performance gaps, earn promotions, and contribute to the organization's growth. We all have a role to play in this. Giving women the feedback they need isn’t just about helping them—it’s about strengthening the entire team and creating a more equitable workplace. What’s one way you can provide actionable feedback today? Tired of watching women get vague feedback that holds them back? Subscribe to the ELEVATE newsletter for no-nonsense advice on giving women the feedback they need to grow, thrive, and lead—because it's time we start getting real about progress. https://elevateasia.org/

Ladies, we’ve been sold a lie We’re told that if we just work harder, be more visible, or dress for the job we want, the doors will open But then we watch it happen: a less experienced colleague slides into the role we’d de facto assumed for the last nine months Let me assure you: You don't need fixing You don't need to work harder to get your next promotion This isn't a talent gap This is about organisational power Organisational power isn't just a title on a door. It’s the invisible currency of influence, access, and advocacy. It’s knowing who holds the social capital and understanding that decisions are often finalised long before the formal meeting even starts The most critical decisions about your career, your promotion, your budget, your next big project, are happening right now in rooms you don’t have access to Which is why I say, you don't need to change who you are or the way you dress The power systems are working exactly in the way they are intended to work By learning how to make the broken system work for you, you can change your career trajectory and change the system along the way Here's 3 ways to rebalance power dynamics: 1. Role model open access in the workplace: Invite a woman who is in a lower grade role into senior level meetings so they can see how decisions are made. Or set up reverse mentoring sessions so they understand early on how to navigate power dynamics 2. Build a Backchannel: Network High stakes decisions are made in the informal nodes of a company. Identify the five key sponsors who have the ear of the decision makers. Socialise your ideas with them individually before the presentation. By the time you’re in the meeting, the "yes" should be inevitable. 3. Engineering the "Vouch": Hard work doesn't speak for itself; people do. Use Strategic Visibility by ensuring your victories are shared by others. When a peer or mentor mentions your success in a senior meeting, it carries ten times the weight of you saying it yourself. As Barack Obama once said, it's not that people from under represented groups can't lead; they lack access to the rooms where these decisions are made. I’ve laid out the full strategic roadmap for navigating these power dynamics in my latest article for the AllBright everywoman network. Link in the comments

“Optimise tax across the family group.” Sounds logical, right? Pretty standard tax planning? Until it quietly sets her up for financial ruin. For years in public practice, I watched tax strategies be delivered that did exactly this. Tax positions structured to reduce the overall burden across the family group. Leverage the lower-income earner’s position (often her, esp during baby season) to achieve a more “efficient” outcome. It was efficient. Smart. “Best practice.” Except when it wasn’t. (TW: DV and VAWG) Because here’s what I didn’t see back then - and what I can’t ignore now: - She’s made sole director of a company she doesn’t run. Never really told what that means IRL. - Income from a trust is “distributed” to her for tax purposes - yet she never sees a cent. - He gets the benefit of lower tax on his business income, while she gets no super, the motherhood penalty, and two-thirds of the domestic load. And when the family unit breaks down? She can be left with the debt. The tax bill. The Director Penalty Notices. All decisions made without what I’d now call informed consent. We wouldn’t let a doctor operate without explaining the risks. >>Why is it okay in financial advice? To my fellow accountants, advisers, and tax professionals: We’ve 👏 got 👏 to 👏 do 👏 better. This isn’t just about technical compliance. As trusted advisers I believe we have a duty of care to our clients, which includes avoiding perpetuating and enabling financial abuse, or circumstances that can be leveraged as such. And if that makes us sound “alarmist” for questioning whether the family unit might change one day? So be it. Because ignoring this reality isn’t neutral. It’s negligence IMO. The world’s trying to sweet talk women into having more babies. Meanwhile: >>Bodily autonomy is under threat. >>Gender pay gaps persist. >>And we’re still planning tax around the assumption she’ll always be safe and supported financially. Let’s not pretend that’s good planning - it’s protection for one, exposure for the other. In the comments below is a must-read from Women's Agenda on proposed reforms to tackle economic abuse. Financial professionals - this is our cue to step up.👇 What’s one change you think we, as a profession, need to make to better protect women financially? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #WomenInBusiness #FinancialIndependence #AccountingEthics

I was at the EDGE of my Emotions That EDGE made me manage it well though So what is this EDGE The EDGE model of emotional intelligence is a structured approach used to develop and enhance emotional intelligence (EI). It stands for Evaluate, Decide, Generate, and Enable. Here’s a breakdown of each component: 1. Evaluate: This step involves assessing your current emotional state and the emotions of others. It requires self-awareness and social awareness, allowing you to understand what emotions are present and why. 2. Decide: After evaluating the emotions, the next step is to decide how to respond to these emotions. This involves considering the best course of action and how it will impact both yourself and others. 3. Generate: This step is about creating an appropriate emotional response. It’s the process of managing your emotions to align with the decision you’ve made, whether it involves calming yourself, expressing empathy, or motivating others. 4. Enable: Finally, enabling involves using your emotional intelligence to facilitate positive outcomes. It means applying your understanding and management of emotions to enhance relationships, solve problems, and drive successful interactions. The EDGE model is often used in leadership development and personal growth, helping individuals to harness the power of emotional intelligence in various aspects of life. #emotionalintelligence #corporatetrainer Dr.Shivani Sharma

The most successful executives I coach are terrible at time management. They're brilliant at time protection. Most leaders who don't have time think the problem is not having enough hours. Or not delegating enough. But the real problem is that their calendars are driven by other people. In my coaching work, I see this pattern every week. Overwhelmed executives can't find time for strategic planning, developing their team, or preparing for board meetings. But the ones who are scaling their impact do. They blocked those activities first, before anyone could grab those slots. The difference isn't skills or brains. It's the discipline to protect what moves the needle. Here's what reactive calendar management looks like vs. proactive time protection: ❌ "I'll work on that initiative when I get a spare minute." ✅ "I'll create a recurring Thursday 9 a.m. meeting with myself to work on that initiative." ❌ "I'm in back-to-back meetings all week, but I'll try to squeeze in time to coach my high performers." ✅ "My one-on-ones for my high performers are locked in. When I focus on them we all have more impact." ❌ "I haven't talked to our top three clients in months. I'll reach out things settle down." ✅ "The first Wednesday of every month is for my key client calls. Staying connected with them is one of my top jobs.” Your calendar is either designed by you or designed by everyone else. Stop reading this post. Open your calendar right now and block two hours next week for your most important priority. Pick the time slot first, then defend it like it's your most important meeting. Because it is.

The room decides without you. Only 23% of employees have a sponsor at work. That means 77% are trying to advance on performance alone, hoping someone notices their results and promotes them accordingly. But here's what I see happen: talented women collect mentors, implement feedback, refine their leadership presence. Promotions still go elsewhere. Skills aren't the issue. Access is. A mentor helps you prepare for opportunities. A sponsor creates them and puts your name forward when you're not in the room. Women with sponsors are 167% more likely to land high-profile assignments. The kind with bigger budgets, C-suite visibility, strategic impact. The projects that demonstrate executive readiness. Without someone fighting for you in closed-door discussions? Those assignments go to someone else. Yet formal sponsorship programs for women dropped from 31% in 2017 to just 16% in 2024. Companies are cutting these initiatives exactly when women need them most to break into senior leadership. The numbers: Women make up 51% of individual contributors but only 30% of C-suite roles. The drop happens in the middle, where sponsorship matters most. Real sponsorship looks like this: → Someone with power amplifying your achievements to decision-makers → Recommending you for visible projects → Connecting you to influential leaders → Defending you against biased evaluations It requires them to spend their credibility on you. That's why it feels scarce. When I built Ellect, I kept seeing the same pattern across industries and continents... women receiving advice while men received advocacy. Mentorship was abundant. Doors stayed closed. Ellect exists to change that. We create direct pathways to leadership and board opportunities because advice alone can't close the gap. Doors open from the inside, you need someone to unlock them. So ask yourself: who is fighting for you in rooms where you're not present? If you're a leader with influence, who are you actively sponsoring? Are you recommending women for stretch assignments, using your credibility to open doors? The gender gap in leadership requires people with power to use it differently. https://lnkd.in/gUxH-qkT

𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸: 𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of #mentoring some brilliant women professionals, who are not just talented but deeply dedicated to their work. Yet, many of them have approached me feeling demotivated, not because of a lack of skills or opportunities, but because their contributions were being overshadowed or outright claimed by others. This isn’t just about #confidence; it’s about #fairness & the #courage to set #boundaries. One mentee, a high-performing manager, shared how her ideas were routinely presented as someone else’s in meetings. Another was disheartened after months of leading a project only to see the credit given to a peer. Their stories resonated deeply because 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲. According to Harvard Business Review, 82% of professionals experience credit-snatching, & for many, it directly impacts their career progression. Through the mentoring process, I've helped them develop strategies to reclaim ownership & ensure their contributions were recognized. Here are some strategies that worked: 1. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 One mentee began sharing weekly progress emails with her manager & team, clearly outlining her contributions. This simple step not only increased transparency but also ensured her work was visible to key stakeholders. 2. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗨𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 During a team meeting, another mentee confidently reclaimed her idea when someone else tried to take credit. She said, “I’m glad this was brought up, it’s something I explored when I worked on XYZ. Here’s how I think we can take it forward.” It wasn’t confrontational, but it was firm. 3. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 I guided another of my mentee to cultivate allies; peers who could amplify her voice in meetings & advocate for her when she wasn’t in the room. This not only boosted her confidence but also created a stronger team dynamic. 4. 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 Many women hesitate to showcase their achievements, fearing they’ll appear boastful. But 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. I urged a mentee to volunteer for presenting team results at a leadership forum. Her presentation was so impactful that she became the go-to person for similar opportunities. The transformation in my mentees has been inspiring. From feeling sidelined to becoming confident advocates for their work, they’ve proven that taking ownership is empowering. 𝗕𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲: There's a thin line between standing up for self & self promotion. However, remember that you deserve to be seen & acknowledged for your efforts. As mentors, leaders, & colleagues, it’s on us to foster a culture where no one has to fight for what they’ve earned. #Mentorship #WomenAtWork #Leadership #CareerGrowth #Goals2025

Emotional intelligence isn’t a “soft skill,” it's so much more than that. It's one of the keys to leading and living at your best. And in leadership, it's a superpower and the foundation for trust, resilience, and influence. Here are 7 practical ways to strengthen it every day: ✅ Pause before reacting. Create space between stimulus and response. ✅ Name your emotions. Label what you’re feeling — clarity drives control. ✅ Seek feedback. Ask, “How did I show up in that meeting?” and listen. ✅ Practice empathy. Try seeing the world through someone else’s lens. ✅ Notice triggers. Identify patterns that derail you and reframe them. ✅ Communicate with curiosity. Replace assumptions with questions. ✅ Reflect daily. End the day by asking, “What did I learn about myself today? Building emotional intelligence isn’t about being perfect or overthinking each decision. It's about being intentional and having greater self-awareness. Leaders who commit to this daily practice create cultures where people thrive. What’s one way you’re building your emotional intelligence this week?

Emotional intelligence is often spoken about as a soft skill, yet it quietly shapes how we lead, collaborate, and influence. It is less about being expressive and more about being aware. The four quadrants shown here form the core of how we show up in professional and personal spaces. ✅ Self awareness The ability to understand what you feel and why you feel it. When you can name your internal state, you gain choice in how you respond. ✅ Self management The capacity to hold that awareness and still act with intention. It is the pause between emotion and action that defines maturity. ✅ Social awareness The skill of reading what is happening around you. Teams speak in tone, silence, and energy as much as they do in words. Listening deeply is a leadership tool. ✅ Relationship management The art of building trust, repairing trust, and strengthening the bond that allows teams to move together with ease. Here is a simple way to work on these four areas • Begin by noticing your emotional patterns across a week • Take one situation a day to slow down your response • Observe how others feel before you speak • Ask one thoughtful question in every conversation Growth in emotional intelligence is not dramatic. It is steady, grounded, and deeply personal. Yet the change it creates in leadership is visible to everyone around you. #Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #Coaching #SelfAwareness #Communication #Growth

A lot of women rely only on their Manager to grow their career. And there's a problem with it. The view can be siloed.  They can't be unbiased,  at least not openly.  If there's no growth left for you in the company, it's hard for them to say that to your face. Here’s what I learnt over years: 3 kinds of mentors will fast track your career- saving you years of trial & error and thousands left on the table. 1. Internal mentor Someone typically inside your company. They understand important stakeholders, dynamics, and timing. They tell you which projects actually get noticed, when to push for a raise, and how decisions are really made. This mentor helps you get paid properly where you already are. 2. Industry mentor Outside your company but in your field. They anchor you to market reality.  They're the ones to spot:  "that role is underpriced" or "in the market, this skill pays significantly more." 3. Strategic Career coach The most unbiased voice in the room. They help you zoom out, spot blind spots and think proactively. They help you decide when to stay, when to negotiate, and when to move without emotion clouding the decision. The financial reality of this? Mentors can collapse timelines. Less figuring it out yourself means faster promotions, better negotiations and fewer years stuck at the wrong pay level. Time saved in your career is money earned. Careers don't compound in isolation. Neither does income. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is Part 7 of my series on Building Wealth with your 9-to-5, a series I created to show women practical strategies to earn more and build real financial freedom from their careers. Previous parts are on my profile. If you want a full guide covering everything in this series, link is in the first comment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next up: the conversation most women are too scared to have, and exactly what to say. #careerdevelopment #careercoachforwomen #womenofcolour #mentorship #corporatewomen