August provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge those who marched on the Union Buildings in 1956. While this was a significant day, sadly there has been no significant, documented progress in the past decade in terms of women occupying leadership roles.
Part of the privilege of my work is guiding leaders in developing their brands, personally and professionally, and I witness how reluctant women are in embracing the role as icon of a brand. Few are naturally confident and comfortable in putting themselves “out there”, intimidated by the thought of moving into the public eye.
Is this a factor limiting their progress into executive positions? A brand is not just a look and logo, it is an experience. It is based on perceptions. Are women creating the right perceptions for “Brand Woman”?
A highlight of my career was conceptualising and managing the Woman of Worth community awards in the Western Cape, for a decade. It was inspiring, humbling and life-changing to meet these unsung heroines who were making a positive change and having enormous impact on their communities.
With few resources, other than their enviable tenacity, indomitable spirit, drive, determination and positivity, they moved heaven and Earth to make a difference in others. I remember hearing elderly Mama Lumka’s tales of how she would collect disabled children in a wheelbarrow to take home to her shack, care for and feed them each day, while their mothers went to work.
The alternative was to have these children fend for themselves in isolation, locked in a room. Michelle Ohlsson was a mother who started an organisation to find missing children. Her 9-year old son had wandered into their yard, and the last sound she heard from him was the garbage bin lid clanking closed. She never heard or saw him again, but through her anguish and sorrow, found the means to help other parents in similar situations.
These women changed my perception of Brand Woman. They are women who talk little and do a lot, incredible community leaders with vision. They supported their talk with action. They had not been educated or prepared for leadership, but their ability to lead from the heart, to be authentic role models and to genuinely make an impact made a difference.
l Jenny Handley is a brand, high-performance and leadership specialist who offers individual consultations and team workshops. For information on her books and courses, visit www.jennyhandley. co.za.