Kirstin Ferguson on #CelebratingWomen

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“We know every woman is a role model, we just never hear their stories.”

Dr Kirstin Ferguson is an Australian company director who started her career as a military officer, then went on to become the CEO of a successful global consulting business. Kirstin has a PhD in leadership & governance, has been named one of Australia’s 100 Women of Influence, is a Sir Winston Fellow, and was recognised by Women in Leadership Australia with an award for excellence in women’s leadership. She co-wrote Women Kind with Catherine Fox, about the viral #CelebratingWomen grassroots campaign she launched in 2017.

What We Cover:

• The lesson in trusting your gut and just going for it
• How a shandy and a holiday sparked an entire movement
• The four questions of #CelebratingWomen, a movement that inspired 757 from 37 countries to share their stories

1. How would you describe what it is you do, without using a position title
2. What did hope to do when you were at school
3. How would you describe you life to date in three words
4. Who do you hope to inspire and why

• The time Kirstin took a personality test at work and all the traits were typically ‘male’ traits, her emotional response to that, and reframing the word ‘bossy’
• The four stages of gender awareness coined by Holly Kramer:

1. Obliviousness to gender issues
2. Denial, and the belief that any issues are the individual woman’s issue, rather than systemic
3. Awakening to the real, undeniable barriers
4. Advocacy, and attempting to change the system

• That you don’t have to be in a position of power to advocate for change
• The power of collective action, and the book’s theme of women supporting women
• Forgetting about the ladder – it’s designed for only one woman – and instead replacing it with a fishing net so we can all rise together
• The power of the networks of women supporting women that we have in our lives, and the amplification effect of helping make all women’s voices heard
• The invitation to make a conscious effort to share your achievements, and to acknowledge, share and like other women who are making changes
• The measurable impact on women attending a conference – doubled the likelihood of receiving a promotion, and 78% felt more optimistic
• Letting go of working-mother guilt

And most of all… You are not alone.

Resources

We mention some resources throughout the conversation, here is where you can find links to them all!

• Kirstin’s website: https://www.kirstinferguson.com/
• Her book Women Kind
• #CelebratingWomen on Twitter
• Bill Shorten’s #MyMum speech

 

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