Why your leadership identity matters – and how to claim it!
What does leadership really look like in 2025? If you attended our March Wisdom Well virtual session, led by WNA Ambassador & Partner Joanne Brooks, you’ll know we’re not talking about job titles or corner offices. Leadership today is about identity — yours.
As Joanne so powerfully shared during the session, “Leadership is not a title — it’s a choice.”
Whether you’re a sole trader, an entrepreneur, or an executive, the impact you make comes down to how you show up every day — not just for your business, but for the people around you.
Joanne’s own story is one of resilience, grit and courage. Starting her career in banking not by choice, but at her father’s insistence, she went on to build — and lose — a $30 million business with 110 staff.
It’s a story of leadership forged not through accolades, but through action, reflection, and determination to rise again.
Unlocking the Entrepreneur Within
This Wisdom Well session marked the beginning of a two-part leadership series, designed to help every WNA member uncover her own leadership identity.
Through interactive exercises and reflection, Joanne guided us to consider:
- What part of your personality shows up in your business… and what part are you leaving behind?
- If your business had to run without you for a year… what would still feel uniquely you?
These are big questions — the kind that invite transformation, not just surface tweaks.
The accompanying workbook prompted us to articulate our core values and turn them into actionable principles that guide our decisions, our communication, and the legacy we want to leave.
You Don’t Need to Be Ready — Just Brave
One of the most powerful takeaways from the session was this: bravery trumps readiness. Women often wait until everything is perfect — until the business card is printed, the voice doesn’t shake, or the video is flawless.
But as Joanne reminded us: “Confidence comes after courage. People follow presence, not perfection.”
And when you lead with identity — when your values, your principles and your presence align — everything changes.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Leadership is no longer reserved for people on magazine covers. It’s for all of us — women who choose to show up, speak up and lift others as we lead.
At Women’s Network Australia, we’re committed to supporting you as you grow into the leader you already are. Whether you’re leading a team, a household, or a solo business, we want to walk this path with you.
Don’t miss our April Wisdom Well session where we continue the leadership conversation with a deep dive into Heart-Centred Leadership.
Until then, ask yourself: what do I stand for? What am I building — not just for myself, but for every woman and girl who follows?
And most importantly… how will I show up this week?
