The Centre for Economic Policy Research and the World Economic Forum last year found that countries with a greater proportion of women in leadership had faster, more decisive, and more successful responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research highlighted the importance of diversity in leadership to build and sustain just communities.
It has been said we both shape and are shaped by the world in which we live, and for Loreto Coorparoo students, one of their greatest influences is their learning environment. If we want to see more female leaders in the future, we must actively shape a learning environment that promotes the belief that females have leadership capacity.
Girls learn by hearing other women’s voices and for Loreto students across the world, it is through the story of founder, Mary Ward, that our students develop the values that guide them throughout life: verity, felicity, sincerity, justice, and freedom.
Ward, an Englishwoman, born in 1585 into a staunch Catholic family during the reign of Elizabeth I, fought for women to teach and spread the gospel. She strove for independence and encouraged of women to own their actions and seek truth and knowledge. She believed only then would humanity know the fullness of God’s creation. In 1631 she was imprisoned as a heretic by the Church authorities, but her leadership and her courage saw her congregation as an institute of religious sisters approved in 1877 and in 1909, more than 270 years after her death, she was recognised as the founder of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), also know as the Loreto Sisters.
POWER OF STORIES
Hearing the voices of successful past pupils is also powerful. Their narratives resonate at assemblies, award evenings, International Women’s Day functions, inspiring students to build on the legacy of the previous generation.
The Ceremony of Excellence was introduced at Loreto College Coorparoo in 2019 and each year we acknowledge the accomplishments of a past pupil with the Alumnus of the Year Award.
Last year the recipient was Lorelle Hillman, graduate of 1996, who is a firm believer in Mary Ward’s adage that ‘women in time will come to do much’.
As the first female Head of Sales and Relationship Management in QBE, and previously QLD state manager for AIG, she mentors less experienced females in the insurance industry. Her acceptance speech was inspirational, helping our students to understand the importance shaping their careers and staying true to their personal values.
CELEBRATING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The College Leadership Team actively and openly supports and celebrates other females’ accomplishments, as do teachers. Modelling this support, helps grow a culture where our students learn to support the leadership journeys of their peers. They learn by hearing from the women in leadership positions at our school that to have leadership ambitions, and importantly, to articulate these, requires courage.
Female role models help shape the belief in girls that they can achieve, but the real challenge is building the capacity for leadership in every student. Should they wish to aspire to leadership now or in the future, they need have a mind-set or attitude in which they believe they are worthy, and they are capable.
At Loreto College Coorparoo, our Teaching and Learning Framework, HEART, is holistic. Each year we have an annual focus, and this year it is ‘A’ for Attitude.
INDIVIDUAL MENTORING
Each student is individually mentored by a teacher around their academic and personal goals. This new approach has required significant planning and teacher professional development. To create time for mentoring to occur, the timetable has been adjusted to include 30 minutes per day that may be used for this activity, in balance with other pastoral related activities. Each student’s teacher-mentor uses coaching conversations to help students maintain optimism around their learning and future.
Teachers listen intently and recognise individuality. Students are encouraged to set goals and feel pride when personal progressions are achieved. By reflecting on setbacks, they discuss strategies to persevere, which in time, helps develops resilience. They develop a belief that ability is not fixed, and they can learn from past experiences, even mistakes, to pursue future success. They develop the courage to face challenges and accept feedback. They learn the path to success requires effort. They learn to take time to care for their wellbeing.
The coaching/mentoring experience creates space for self-reflection – an essential skill for anyone in leadership. Having experienced the benefits at school, our students will be more pro-active seeking out a network of mentors to provide diverse perspectives when they enter the workforce.
More importantly, when they are in a leadership role, they will be equipped with the skills to seek out their mentees, aspiring females, thus forming the next generation of girls who will not only lead from the head, but also the heart.
Lissa Gyte, is deputy principal – operations and school development, Loreto College, Coorparoo, QLD.
Image: Getty