Christine Nixon and Amanda Sinclair share their personal experiences in this book, which, refreshingly, provided inspiration for women leading, together with sensible leadership advice that would suit anyone.

Particularly, Christine Nixon offers valuable and detailed insights from her experiences in two extremely tough jobs as police commissioner as well as leader of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority following Black Saturday in 2009.

The book highlights the power of leading using good communication, compassion, and humour.

Quote from the book:

“The main obstacle women face is the one in the minds of the head-hunters, selection panels and boards that second-guess when women might fall pregnant or think they won’t want to take a promotion that involves moving. With these mindsets, they then fail to appoint women to leadership roles. It is not the women who are making these decisions. What has been termed the ‘motherhood penalty’ exists, with one in five women experiencing discrimination around the time they become or might become parents. For example, even though it is against the law, evidence indicates that decision-makers routinely act on assumptions about women and their plans and ambitions that are not considered when it comes to men. Women are therefore excluded from the promotion pools or subtly dropped down the list of eligible candidates. Or employers make it very difficult for women to return after maternity leave at an equivalent managerial level or in a part-time capacity. It is organisational cultures and conditions that are the problem, not women’s biology or their desire to have children.”

Women Leading
Christine Nixon and Amanda Sinclair
Published: 2017