It was a breath of fresh air to have alumna and Executive coach, Hazel Chapman, in to speak to year 11 about courageous leadership and how to make the most of this important time in their lives, where they are looking ahead, exploring and making discoveries. She noted that time for reflection comes later, with sense making later, as Steve Jobs famously said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” Now is the time for forward-thinking and asked pupils to think about what their future might hold.
Hazel described her path from Sydenham High School, studying English, French and Maths A Level, followed by a degree in Linguistics (after several changes of heart!) to her current career, working with leaders across the corporate sector, charities and government. She acknowledged her need to not feel ‘boxed in’ by her career and found that starting by working in HR allowed her to help people to shine and to bring energy to the workplace, as all organisations are the people. She discussed the fact that people who stand up and overcome fear and self-doubt are appealing to others as leaders, but that leadership is difficult and she has worked to develop her business to help leaders to be more courageous.
Hazel spoke about how important it is to find your own way, even when you feel held back by fear or that you don’t have a voice, and to exercise as it centres you, which is crucial to leading and making an impact. Being able to ground and centre yourself gives you a place to resource yourself when challenged.
Year 11 shared their thoughts on what leadership is and what makes a good leader such as being a role model, taking control, being a voice for others and having inner self-belief. Hazel reminded them to take any leadership opportunities available but that leadership is also about bringing others with you. Who you see as a leader or an inspiration says things about you and what is important to you.
She closed the session with some physical gestures to remember her key recommendations for courageous leadership: be bold, resilient, authentic, vulnerable and embrace difficulty. We are sure this is a session that year 11 will take forward with them.
Hazel wrote about her experience on LinkedIn:
Recently I returned to my secondary school Sydenham High School GDST for the first time in 41 years to speak to Year 11 about courage and leadership. To put this into context I was in Year 11 myself when Margaret Thatcher first became Prime Minister! The girls shared the leaders who inspired them including Jacinda Ardern, Kristalina Georgieva, Nelson Mandela and Beyonce and we discussed how the qualities that inspire us are also within us. I shared the 5 B.R.A.V.E. practices that can help us to grow our courage to lead and we explored how we can apply these in our daily lives, including their forthcoming exams. As I looked around I was reminded of the immense power and potential of women, of a school whose motto “Fear Nothing” has quietly shaped my life and my work, and of the resonance and relevance of the founding principle to give the same education to girls as their brothers.
Given recent events in Afghanistan and now Ukraine, where so many girls – and boys – have had their education interrupted or halted, the need for our courage and leadership to fight for and protect that education is stronger than ever. And today, on International Women’s Day, the need for us to lift girls and women up, especially in times of crisis, is a call to us all.
This inspiring video speaks volumes. I am hugely grateful for the privileged education I received and the financial grant that enabled it.
March 2022
You can connect with Hazel on LinkedIn
