When I read recently that Michelle Obama feels a fraud and imposter and feels she shouldn’t be taken seriously, I wondered where that left the rest of us. She is one of the most admired and inspirational women in modern times. She drew audiences of 6000+ people as she promoted around the world her book “Becoming”. Yet in spite of her constantly feeling that way on the inside she presents as an empowered and empowering woman on the outside.

I realised how big an issue this is for us as women. Most of us have had that feeling, or carry it around with us as unnecessary baggage. We doubt ourselves often even when we are successful and accomplished at what we do. So we don’t seize opportunities that would enhance and accelerate our careers.

A DDI Report that gathered data from 10,000 global leaders found no difference in the competence of men and women around the business drivers they examined, but it did reveal that women are less confident and less likely than men to rate themselves as highly effective leaders.

You’ve all heard how women won’t apply for a job unless they have at least 8 out of the 10 KPIs, whereas men will apply if they have 3 and will bluff their way through the interview about their capabilities with the other 7.

In the 2019 Women’s Agenda Ambition report, of the 1800+ women surveyed, 50% believed that lack of confidence in their abilities could hinder their career ambitions.

And another research project reported in the Harvard Business Review found that it had never occurred to two thirds of the women surveyed that they could be a CEO until someone else told them.

That’s why I am conducting this Group Mentoring Program for women in the Melbourne CBD, commencing in February 2020, and why I want all you readers of my blog to come on this journey with me. We, together, can break through this lack of confidence and self-belief, learn how to self-promote in a way that fits your values, find your voice and negotiate the future career you want. These are absolute essentials we need as women to accelerate our careers and become empowered and empowering leaders. In the group mentoring process I facilitate the sharing and deepening of not just the ideas of the women in the group, but also the energy of the group. In fact, it’s the energy that can be so powerful. We, and I use “we” deliberately, do it together because women helping and supporting one another is powerful.

Mentoring is the fastest way to accelerate your career. While I have mentored women individually for more than 20 years (see some of the testimonials below) I have had a strong belief for some time now that there could be even greater benefits for women if the mentoring took place in a small group where the women validate one another’s experience and insights and I facilitate the interaction. So I am going to make it happen early in 2020 and I’d like you to come and join me.

If you would like to talk it through with me before you register or want to find out more, email me and we can arrange a mutually convenient time for me to meet you for a coffee. I can also help you to have the discussion with your manager to see if they will invest in you by paying for the mentoring program.

The 6 month program begins with a half day workshop. If you register and decide after that half day that the program is not for you, I will refund your money less $220 for the workshop. If you register on the early bird reduced fee (December 31, 2019) and decide to withdraw before the January 10, 2020 cut off, I will refund your complete registration.

More Information and Registration Details are here – the Group Mentoring Program commencing February 6, 2020.