One of the more amusing developments of the past decade is watching the world become collectively astonished by artificial intelligence. Suddenly we are surrounded by headlines about the complexity of training machines. Billions are being invested in teaching algorithms how to interpret language, recognise patterns, make decisions and respond to human emotion. Panels are convened. […]
Just when many of us thought the arc of history was bending steadily towards equality, along comes a statistic that makes you blink twice and check the date to make sure you haven’t accidentally time-travelled back to 1952. A recent International Women’s Day survey by the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership and Ipsos asked 23,000 […]
A colleague once said to me, with a straight face, “You don’t behave like someone who has kids.” They meant it as a compliment. That is the maddest part. What they were really saying was this: you are not inconvenient. You are not soft. You are not distracted. You do not leak motherhood into the […]
Let’s talk about “professionalism”. That word that gets thrown around in meetings, performance reviews, and subtle side-eyes like it’s a universal truth. As if we all quietly agreed on what it means. As if it dropped from the sky, fully formed, fair, and free of bias. It didn’t. What we call professionalism is not neutral. […]
There’s a funny little social quirk we don’t talk about often, yet every woman knows it instinctively. When a man is missing from his desk or not immediately available, people assume he’s off achieving something impressive. He must be closing a deal, deep in strategic thought or having an important meeting which, let’s be honest, […]
When Hermès announced Grace Wales Bonner as its new menswear creative director, the internet collectively exhaled. Finally, a Black woman leading design at one of fashion’s most established houses. It’s a history-making moment, and not just for fashion. Because for all its talk of innovation, luxury has often been the last to change. Fashion has […]
If you’ve never heard the phrase yatte minahare, you’re in for a treat. It’s a Japanese saying that roughly means “Go on, give it a try!” But it’s not the half-hearted “try your best, dear” kind of encouragement. No, this one’s got fire in it. It’s an attitude, a way of approaching life that says, […]
Leadership. Such a glamorous word, isn’t it? It conjures images of corner offices, decisive handshakes, and someone else bringing you tea. The reality is far less glossy. Leadership is not just strategy sessions and keynote speeches. It is part coach, part kettle, and if you’ve ever been in the hot seat, you’ll know exactly what […]
Before I wrote my book, hair and makeup was not my thing and I am still not convinced it is. But when the publisher booked promo shots, suddenly I was being powdered like a pastry. Then the TV work began and before anyone even said “hello”, I was already being shoved into the makeup chair. […]
A boss once told me that he didn’t think I had what it took to have a difficult commercial conversation with our 3rd party suppliers. Why? Because he heard me having a conversation with one of the third parties about his wife’s difficult pregnancy! I was young then, in my first management role and suddenly […]