How to be a role model
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Our offices are buzzing with anticipation for #LEAP23 – and we’ve been feeding the buzz by interviewing our upcoming keynote speakers to get a hint of the wisdom to come. Here’s a little of what they said.
This week we’re quoting Carine de Meyere (President and Founder at Women of the World)
What de Meyere said:?
“I am happy that I can be a beacon of light and hope, of inspiration, of positive energy…I want to be seen as a human mentor – telling my mentees to first of all be a human being and then a professional.”?
How important are role models?
Meyere’s words got us thinking about role models, and how much they really matter. Can a role model be a key motivator to help young entrepreneurs build successful careers in tech, and develop world-changing products and services?
What’s the difference between having a role model and…not having one?
We went looking for some hard evidence, and this is what we found:?
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Spotlight on: Role models for gender diversity in tech
Role models are important for everyone. But in tech, role models are particularly important to help drive more gender diversity across the industry, and at all levels – from experimental innovators to corporation CEOs.
Here’s what happens when gender-diverse role models appear on the scene:
But diversity of role models doesn’t just mean they have to be demographically diverse…
Yes – it’s good for people to see people like them (whether that means gender-diverse, racially diverse, socio-economically diverse, or age-diverse) doing the kinds of work they dream of doing.?
But at the same time, men can be role models for women. Women can be role models for non-binary entrepreneurs. Etc…
How??
By being diverse in the messages they communicate.?
For example, if a man gives a keynote presentation that focuses not only on his tech achievements, but on his position as a father; as a part of a family; and explores how he juggles the pressures and demands of work with his family life and opens up about how hard that is sometimes – he could be acting as a role model for women who haven’t heard many high-level tech industry players speak openly about those challenges.?
Just as Meyere said, we’re all humans first. And everyone has the potential to be an empowering, uplifting role model if they put their humanness front-and-centre in the way they talk about their work.?
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