Post by Annemieke Mensink

The 30th Melbourne Business School Women in Leadership Dinner was a powerful reminder of how far female leadership has come — and how far we still have to go. Listening to extraordinary leaders like Deshani Ganegoda , Tal Karp , Amanda Sinclair, Belinda Lyone and Margaret Jackson share their incredible stories was both grounding and uplifting. From the 1970s tales of being asked to leave lecture theatres for wearing “flower power” outfits, to separate floors for women’s bathrooms, to the metaphor of pineapple conversations — spiky on the outside yet sweet on the inside — there were so many powerful lessons in how we show up and need to show up as female leaders. Deshani’s reflections on empathy in leadership particularly resonated. She spoke about positive empathy — the joy we feel when others succeed — a quality we don’t have a word for, yet one that, in my opinion, defines the best of modern leadership. Rejoicing in others’ success, especially that of other women, is how we keep moving forward together. Here’s to those leading from the front — and to the next generation of trailblazers who continue to redefine what leadership looks like. #mbswild