5 Key Learnings from our Corporate Roundtable

We hosted a roundtable discussion of amazing women who are excelling in the corporate sphere. In this article, we will share our five key takeaways that was gathered from this engaging discussion.

1. Pressure is everywhere...but how do we deal with this?

Pressure is prevalent everywhere and can arise from different aspects of our day to day life - from being in the workplace to family issues or existing financial worries. You may even find that pressure is a cumulative effect, with each stressor building on top of one another.

More specifically in the workplace, pressure can come from two main sources: from everyone else’s as well as your own expectations of yourself. Regardless, how we react and act to pressure in certain situations defines our character and this is important in making sure that we reach the purpose that has been called for us.

2. Are we becoming more diverse in corporate senior roles?

British society is becoming more multi-ethnic and culturally diverse which is evident in every aspect of popular culture from sports to fashion. Nevertheless, this is not reflected as much in the boardrooms or companies. We can see in terms of the power dynamics that there is a lack of female representation in more senior roles, especially those from ethnic minorities. Every person should be able to fulfil their potential no matter their background and so one way to see a change would be for companies and people within the organisation to provide greater transparency in terms of commotions and progressions. 

‘Fashion is a wonderful servant, but I never allowed it to become a master.’

3. What is your purpose in life?

Many feel that they must have their purpose discovered immediately - but this isn’t always true. For some of us, purpose in life is obvious and visible - we’re born with a set of talents and through persistent practice one can develop our skills into talents. However for others, our purpose may not come clearly to us. We need to recognise that sometimes our purpose can start off small with investing in the minute and often difficult steps, which can ultimately lead us to achieving our bigger purpose in life. 

4. What does it mean to be ‘Powerful’?

Even if you are an intern just starting at a firm or if you are of a more senior position, everyone has some form of power to influence and take action, probably more than we actually think and we realise. It is about maintaining a culture which gives more power and responsibilities to those who may be below you in terms of the career ladder, by providing them with greater opportunity. Through the empowerment of people within a firm, this can lead to ‘organisational success’, as a result of greater loyalty from workers to the employer as well as more productivity from employees.

‘It’s easier to believe in yourself when other people believe in what you’re doing.’

5. Journey, not a Destination

Finally, it's empowering to think of our purpose as a journey not a destination. Things will continue to evolve and change so take yourself on the journey as these experiences and circumstances that you may encounter, may influence what matters to you at different times in your life. And through this understanding it gives you the power from God to be able to achieve all things, including in the workplace.

From sharing greater insight into the importance of empowerment and discovering your purpose to understanding about your personal development and the harsh realities of females within the corporate sphere, these five key learnings resonated with those present in our corporate roundtable discussion and from reading this article, hopefully this will have also resonated with you as well. 

Words By

Chioma Abazie