Lead to Soar

Lead to Soar is a multi-platform resource for ambitious women on a leadership journey and for organisations serious about closing the leadership gender gap. We support women and organisations in 5 ways; The Lead to Network: https://lnkd.in/gZniXTWF The Lead to Soar Podcast: https://lnkd.in/dPfdRrTd  The Lead to Soar Summit: https://lnkd.in/g697s-pZ Women’s Leadership Programs: https://lnkd.in/gPc_fVJE DEI Consulting & Advisory: https://lnkd.in/gJBkCPGh If you want to stay up-to-date with us, follow our Page.

Why Do So Many Top Executives Start in Accounting & Consulting? Insights Every Woman in Leadership Should Know Many C-Suite executives—from Telstra’s Vicki Brady to AMP’s Alexis George—began their careers in accounting and consulting firms like PwC, McKinsey, and KPMG. These environments build technical expertise and provide a unique foundation in Business Intelligence (BQ), strategic exposure, and stakeholder management—skills critical for advancing in complex business environments. Here’s why this is so powerful, especially for women looking to accelerate their leadership paths: 🔹 Business Intelligence (BQ): Successful leaders possess high BQ—the ability to understand the business of the business, strategically analyse organisations, industries and economies, and make data-driven decisions. My Leadership Compass book emphasises that BQ is essential for driving growth, managing risks, and guiding organisational change. Women must develop BQ early on, as it provides the analytical and strategic foundation that is often the missing link in women's representation at the executive level. 🔹 Complex Problem-Solving: Consulting and accounting demand rigorous problem-solving, often in unfamiliar and high-stakes situations. This discipline trains leaders to analyse business fundamentals—costs, market dynamics, and ROI—creating executives who can confidently shape strategic decisions. Developing this depth early on can be a differentiator for women, especially in fields where strategy and analysis are still heavily male-dominated. 🔹 Stakeholder Management: Success in consulting hinges on effective communication and relationship-building. Leaders learn to convey complex ideas clearly (Executive Presence and The Language of Power!), build influence, and navigate tough conversations. This skill set enhances confidence and credibility and positions women as trusted advisors, even in challenging or traditionally male spaces. 🔹 Teamwork Under Pressure: Collaboration isn’t optional in these firms—it’s fundamental. Leaders quickly realise they’re only as strong as the team, reinforcing empathy, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to elevate others. This is especially important for women, as solid team dynamics can lead to influence and recognition in larger organizational structures. 🔹 Courage and Bold Decision-Making: Firms like BCG foster a culture of bold thinking and the confidence to drive impactful change. Grant McCabe from BCG Australia highlights that consulting leaders learn to “be bold and tell the truth in a very respectful way.” For women, mastering this approach early in their careers can build resilience and a strong voice within executive circles. Continued in First Comment #Leadership #Consulting #TheLeadershipCompass

#ThinkLikeACEO “Be very good at what you do. Be curious about how the business works.” - Ruby Yadav #LeadToSoar

Women, Want to Network Like a CEO? Start by Rethinking the “Old Boys’ Club” Playbook Research from Kellogg shows that women gain the most in networking when they don’t just copy traditional male-dominated strategies. Instead, the best results come when women focus on strategic alliances with other women — but with a twist. This study is more than a “fix the women” story; it highlights systemic gaps in career networking that women can actively navigate and reshape. Here's the playbook for women that I recommend: 🔹 Go Beyond “Visibility”: Central networks matter for everyone, but women benefit most from building connections that share private insights essential for navigating biased structures. These insights, often from trusted women colleagues, can make all the difference in understanding workplace nuances, including the politics and protocols that are frequently unsaid. 🔹 Diversify Close Connections: Avoid echo chambers by connecting with well-networked women who bring unique perspectives from other workplaces, industries and sectors. This diversity amplifies exposure to insights outside of a narrow view, enabling women to approach career challenges with a broader, more strategic lens. 🔹 Invest in a Balanced Network: Successful businesswomen cultivate visibility and depth in their networks — relationships that provide access and specific, actionable guidance. Women can follow this approach by building wide-ranging connections and trusted relationships, offering invaluable, gender-specific career advice. 🔑 Leadership Call to Action 1. Support strategic networks that give women access to public and private information. 2. Host events that encourage diverse, meaningful, strategic mentorships and sponsorships. 3. Coach women to prioritise networking as a core career-building activity—strategically and persistently—because effective networks don’t just happen; they are cultivated with purpose. 4. Provide women with training on building and leveraging a strategic network, in person and online. Further Resources in first comment👇 #Networking #Mentorship #Diversity

How's your #personalbrand travelling? One of the many things we're great at in Lead to Soar is curating quality information and actionable insights from other experts. We highly recommend reading this piece by Trevor Young, who has consistently and generously shared his expertise for a long time. Yep, that's his PB => expert, consistent, generous. https://lnkd.in/gmwcsNsq

Final Call for registrations for this quarter's Leadership Compass Bootcamp! The first of three weekly leadership training workshops kicks off on Friday, October 25th (Thursday, October 24th for US participants), and the first of three group coaching sessions happens on Thursday, October 31st (Wednesday, October 30th for US participants). All sessions are facilitated by Michelle Redfern, a globally recognised gender equality, diversity and inclusion strategist who advises organisations in the business and sporting sectors on DEI strategy development and implementation and works directly with women leaders to advance their careers. Michelle wrote "The Leadership Compass: The Ultimate Guide for Women Leaders to Reach Their Full Potential." During the boot camp, participants will benefit from the research and insights in the book. More info and registration here: https://buff.ly/4eGRSOZ

Women are told a lot, far too much for us, that they should be more confident. Well, Lead to Soar is calling B.S. because telling women to be more confident fails to address the underlying causes of a lack of confidence, of which there are many. #Leadership #WomenInLeadership #LeadtoSoar

Here is a Lead to Soar episode featuring Michelle Redfern and her book, "The Leadership Compass." Have a listen, then we would love to hear from YOU! 🔍 What did you find most inspiring about the episode? 📈 How do you apply the principles of BQ, EQ, and SQ in your leadership journey? 💬 Share your thoughts in the comments. Your insights today could shape our episodes tomorrow! Join the conversation and join a community dedicated to empowering women in leadership at Lead to Soar dot Com. 🔗 in Bio #TheLeadershipCompass #WomenInBusiness #LeadToSoar

🏉 Throwback to when we enjoyed interviewing Charlotte Blair, a BRILLIANT Gallup strengths coach. Charlotte shared her inspiring journey from a corporate career to becoming a strengths-based coach. 🚀 Key Takeaways: The power of self-awareness in career transitions. The role of Gallup's StrengthsFinder in reshaping leadership. Strategies for leveraging personal strengths for career growth and team dynamics. Tune in to gain valuable insights on enhancing your leadership skills and team performance. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the best in the field! 🌟 Lead to Soar dot Com #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #StrengthsFinder #TeamEffectiveness

Did You Know? The most successful leaders schedule time for reflective practice. They know that people who regularly make time to stop, breathe and think are 23% more likely to be high-performing leaders. So why don't more of us do it? Maybe we haven't learned how or found the right method. Download our free guide to learn about reflective practice and make it part of your leadership toolkit. Download via Link in Bio #StopBreatheReflect #Leadership #LeadToSoar