Last week, I was invited to a Women in Leadership Breakfast Briefing. MEN – keep reading, the nuggets that were handed down apply to you as well!

The breakfast was organized by Neela Bettridge, an executive coach & sustainability mentor. In attendance were women working in a variety of industries (including banking, PR, not-for-profit), backgrounds and levels of experience. It was truly refreshing to gather with people outside of my usual network.

There was a talk followed by a breakout session, in which we had to answer questions assigned to us. My group had the following question:

What are the key ingredients in companies that make it possible to promote women into leadership positions?

The conclusions that came from the discussion are applicable to individuals (both men and women) not just companies, and are key for all those that want to move into leadership positions at work. Below is a brief overview of them. I will delve into them in subsequent posts.

1) Sponsorship is key –> you need to find someone who acts as your “champion”

2) Self-promote –> step-up your game and market yourself

3) Network with a purpose –> think about it as connecting with others

4) Interact with different people –> opportunities to do so can be at work or outside

Bottom line: To become a leader, it’s key to find a sponsor, self-promote and connect with different people.