News Blog
TKAT hosts its third Women In Leadership event
Posted on: 1st Jul 2024On Tuesday, June 25th, over fifty TKAT Women came to TKAT HQ with a further 15 joining online for our third Women in Leadership event. TKAT CEO, Dr. Karen Roberts, opened the day which was full of positivity and energy.
This year, the theme was 'Bulletproof'. The first keynote speaker, Leanne Spencer, spoke about her Cadence Approach™ - the secret to beating burnout and performing well in life.
Leanne is a dynamic and engaging wellbeing speaker specialising in energy, work/life balance, and burnout prevention. She demonstrated how to beat burnout and maintain great energy by asking the question 'When are your Wimbledons?'
By using her unique Cadence Approach™, Leanne taught the delegates that the ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances is a vital skill and one which we can learn from some of the most resilient people in society - athletes. Leanne's methodology inspired the group to see themselves as business athletes, showing them how to manage their energy, reduce stress, and minimise the risk of burnout by following the simple and innovative 4-step process.
Everyone at TKAT HQ and online participated in the workshops throughout the day, networking and meeting new colleagues. Ella Roberts discussed how much progress we have made since our first Women in Leadership conference 'Opening Doors' in 2022.
Our second conference, 'Imposter Syndrome', made us all challenge ourselves in 2023. What theme will 2025 have?
After a 'connecting' game with a ball of wool, guest speaker Sandra Miller, a Director at Aspire Coaching Consultancy Ltd, talked about her journey to leadership, some of the challenging schools she has worked in, and heartwarming stories about her family as her parents arrived in the UK as part of the Windrush Generation - the joy and the heartbreak of a young family as they navigate their way through challenging times.
TKAT Deputy CEO, Liz Harrison closed the conference by talking about leadership in the past, what leadership is like now, and what it will be like in the future. She explored with the group how to manage pressure and performance - understanding the real relationship between them.
Feedback from women who attended was very positive:
"It is so great to work for an Academy Trust that values women, recognises the barriers that they may face and supports their progression. This day was a testament to this!"
"The whole day was full of positivity. Leanne Spencer was inspirational with regards to feeling the fear and doing it anyway and Sandra Miller showed that no one can pigeonhole you if you don't let them. Generally there was a great feeling in the room. Get a group of strong women all together in one place and you can feel the energy!"
"A great day with inspiring keynote speakers that make you feel like anything is possible."
"An inspiring and engaging conference which highlighted why burnout is happening and provided clear, manageable ways to respond. A fantastic opportunity to network and connect with others across the trust."
Many thanks to Ella Roberts, TKAT Director of the Learning and Development Network, and Professional Learning Lead Cat McKeever, for organising the event.