[New] WOMEN in Leadership

The Herts Chamber aims to

In 2022, the Chamber held its second women in leadership conference and it will be hosting its third conference on Friday 3rd March 2023, at the luxurious Sopwell House in St Albans. The Chamber continues to work with many women in leadership to inspire, motivate and empower other women and male allies.

The Women in Leadership events are exceptionally popular with the Herts Chamber Members and Non-Members, encouraging others to follow their career dreams and aspirations.

Sally Burton DL High Sheriff of Hertfordshire 2022-2023 www.highsheriffofhertfordshire.org.uk

Sally Burton DL was declared High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in April 2022. It is a role held for one year.

There have been High Sheriffs for at least 1,000 years. Appointed by the Monarch to be their representative in the county in matters relating to law and order, High Sheriffs are independent, non-political and privately funded, but are hugely influential despite also playing a ceremonial role. The first lady High Sheriff was appointed in 1967, and in 2022 for the first time there are equal numbers of men and women High Sheriffs.

The traditional role of High Sheriff is to support the Judiciary, Police, emergency services and all other agencies involved in crime prevention and the administration of justice. But there is also the opportunity to recognise, promote and thank those who work in the charitable and voluntary organisations, to make a difference to people’s lives, listening, reassuring and supporting, even inspiring them.

Sally’s main focus has been to raise awareness of the challenges created by the pandemic, especially to the vulnerable and those affected by problems caused by addiction to drugs and alcohol. As High Sheriff she has been able to bring agencies together, linking the Courts and Judges, Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Probation, Social Services, charities and voluntary groups, encouraging dialogue and actions which will help to make Hertfordshire a better and safer place in which to live.

A Symposium on Drugs and Alcohol in Hatfield on 7th and 8th February 2023 is intended to launch a platform for debate, understanding and ideas on the way forward.

Now over halfway through her year, Sally has attended nearly 300 events, using each one as an opportunity to make lives better where she can. Her determination to highlight the needs of the vulnerable, the suffering of those caught up in the cycle of addiction to drink and drugs and the recognition of the heroes in Hertfordshire will continue.

Alecia Esson Founder & CEO - NxSteps Group Ltd

Resilience is a word often heard when it comes to leadership, but I don’t think I understood what that meant until I started NxSteps Group Ltd, a company aiming to solve the global multi £billion burden of lower-limb MSK injuries and chronic diseases through validated IoT wearable technology.

In 2021, amid a pandemic and facing the woes of product development, I wondered “Is it possible to be too resilient?” Since then I have learnt that time and patience are great teachers. In the moment the struggles and disappointments can be overwhelming, but with perseverance, they can also be great tools for self-reflection and development.

Self-acceptance and being my authentic self has been an important part of this.

Sometimes it’s easy to fall into the traps of being a female founder and what that looks like through the lens of others, but knowing and being myself allows for better connections and relationships which in turn has a net positive impact on business growth.

Finding communities that can provide guidance and support is just as important. Being a part of communities like Hertfordshire Chambers and University Business Incubator and TechNation has kept me accountable, helped with problemsolving, and opened many doors.

It has also been crucial to find circles with similar backgrounds, that can understand the nuances of being a black woman in tech and have the experiences and knowledge to navigate difficult situations.

Building NxSteps has been a great learning and growth opportunity, however, without tuning and strengthening my internal self in preparation to face the needs of the external world it felt like being at sea without a sail to guide my decisions. I now understand that resilience is a muscle that as a leader I need to continuously build in order to guide myself, team and others.

The position of Sales Director is a much coveted role for a sales professional but when you consider that this position is held by just 12% of females it feels like a small but exclusive club.

The role I have within Cawleys - the region’s largest independent recycling and waste management specialists - is to make my team as successful as they can be, with a highly personal managing style, I challenge and praise where necessary.

My journey into sales began with a customer service role for another waste management company, facing regular challenges, I celebrated some very quick wins by being there for the customers and giving feedback to management on how they could improve.

Providing feedback in an open forum, seeing it acted on, and directly impacting the bottom line, gave me confidence. Ever curious of expanding my skills, I went from this role to a field-based customer facing role, quickly progressing to managing an operational depot within two years.

Proving extremely successful, this role enabled me to develop my skills in managing my piece of a large multinational company. Inspired by strong female role models in various aspects of the business pushed me further, without these it may well have been a different story.

Attracted to Cawleys by its strong reputation for nurturing talent and clear career progression, I continue to work with inspirational female leaders and be inspired daily by their achievements. Providing an incredibly supportive working environment, my role at Cawleys has developed my skills and experience further, always striving to be the best, stay humble and listen to others.

There are various barriers for Women in Leadership and one sometimes has to navigate around these in order to move upward but believe in your abilities and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Six tips to successful leadership

By Helen Gray

As the Foundation Director for Hertfordshire Community Foundation, Hertfordshire’s largest non-statutory grant making charity, it is humbling and rewarding on every level to meet with businesses and individuals who wish to give back to their communities.

Reflecting on my job, and what I have learnt as a women in leadership I would share the following tips:

1 Recognise the talents within your team

I don’t profess to be an expert in everything, and I know colleagues are more knowledgeable on certain topics than I am. I have learnt to recognise the broad range of skills within our team, and I regularly tap into expertise when required.

2 Create an open culture

Almost by stealth, HCF’s culture has evolved in recent years, in part due to growth and team changes. Making a more conscious effort to influence and shape culture can create a more productive, more engaged and higher performing team.

3 Seek continual development

At a time when recruitment is so challenging, investing in your most valuable resource is key. Targeted training has the potential to reduce staff turnover and increase job satisfaction.

4 Admit when you are wrong.

No one is perfect and I am convinced it is much better to speak up. It isn’t a sign of weakness and it helps to create a trusted and open culture.

5 Be confident in your own abilities. When someone challenges you, be prepared to stand up for what you believe and don’t assume that other people’s opinions are more valuable than your own.

6 Celebrate success.

This is something I need to develop! When everyone is so busy it is even more important to step back and acknowledge successes.