What’s the latest on how to be a great leader?
Karen shares her insights through a range of research and working papers.
She stays up to date with emerging research in the areas of leadership, leadership development, coaching, and gender-balanced leadership. Her focus is on continuously exploring new ideas and their implications for practice. Her writing brings that to life, and identifies practical steps by which leaders can become more effective. What do you need to know, and what should you do, to be a great leader?
Explore 2017 Series: Why leaders should coach more (and sign up below for future updates):
How To Make your Appreciation More Powerful
How to make your appreciation more powerful
How To Satisfy Employees and Improve the Bottom Line
How to satisfy employees and improve the bottom line
How To Avoid Being a Control Freak: Start Coaching
How to avoid being a Control Freak: Start coaching
Explore 2017 Inclusive Leadership Updates (and sign up below for future updates):
How Male Champions Accelerate Women's Careers
What is the best way for men to champion gender equality?
How to Accelerate Women's Leadership Careers
How to Accelerate Women’s Leadership Careers | Five Tactics | Two Programs
Explore Gender Balanced Leadership Updates (and sign up below for future updates):
Update No. 6
Celebrate IWD | Transform leaders | Accelerate equality and more
Update No. 5
Queen Bee syndrome debunked | Ending violence against women | 2015 in review
Update No. 4
Why moving from token representation to critical mass doesn’t happen ‘naturally’ | Affirmative action causes stigma and erodes merit. Fact or fiction? | More on brilliance
Update No. 3
Conversational tactics to ensure women’s voices are heard | The impact of Quotas on political representation
Update No. 2
Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant’s 2015 collaboration for The New York Times highlights how the discussion about gender balanced leadership has progressed | The surprising paradox of meritocracy
Update No. 1
Unconscious beliefs about women’s innate intellectual ability affects their take-up not just in STEM careers, but in any field that emphasizes innate ‘brilliance’ or raw talent as critical to success
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Working Paper No. 1
Business Case for Diversity
Working Paper No. 2
Senior Leadership Commitment
Working Paper No. 3
Getting to Grips with Unconscious Bias
Working Paper No. 4
Collective Intelligence: How Women Make the Difference to Performance
Working Paper No. 5
Flexible Work Arrangements: Work-life Balance
Working Paper No. 6
Flexible Work Arrangements: Infrastructure Support
Working Paper No. 7
Flexible Work Arrangements: Career Advancement
Working Paper No. 8
Organisational Fairness: Senior Positions
Other Working Papers
Gender Agenda: Unlocking the Power of Gender on the Boardroom
Board members on gender diverse boards believe they add more organisation value, have more effective Chairs, have directors who act with greater integrity, are more vigilant about remuneration and performance, and require better documentation of responsibilities.
X Factor CPO Leadership
In 2011, Karen conducted a research project for The Faculty management consultants, identifying CPO leadership factors. You can request the white paper summarising the research here. Each year since then, an outstanding CPO is awarded CPO of the Year. In 2015 the award went to Richard Allen of Telstra.
Reports of interest
What are UK research institutes doing to keep women in science?
In Europe, women make up less that 40% of scientific and administrative board membership, 80% of A grade academic staff are men and only 36% of research performing organisations had introduced gender equality plans.
Women in Leadership
Survey of over 1,000 people in the US to ascertain their views on the status and benefits of gender-balanced leadership.
Unlocking Female Employment Potential in Europe
A new IMF study finds that in Europe, national policies can boost women’s participation in the workforce and enhance their chances for advancement.
WGEA Gender Equity Insights 2016: Inside Australia's Gender Pay Gap
Highlights key differences in women’s pay, using national data from all Australian reporting organizations – $100k annual gap for high earner and career-long penalty for women.
Male Champions of Change Progress Report 2016
Australian Male Champions of Change report on progress against their action plan for increased gender equality in their organizations.
Everyday Moments of Truth: Frontline Managers are Key to Women's Career Aspirations
Profiles career blockers for women and emphasizes the critical role that frontline managers play in supporting women’s career aspirations.
Forgotten women in technology history
Slideshare presentation that profiles women who have played significant roles in shaping technology.
Is Gender Diversity Profitable? Evidence from a Global Survey
Global research shows companies with women in top leadership are 15% more profitable.
Inquiry into Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation
Report for Victorian government on how to increase the number of women and girls participating in sport.
The Slower Track: Women in the STEM Professions Survey Report 2015
Survey of professionals in STEM occupations which identifies a series of barriers to women’s progress.
The Promise of Diversity: Gender Equity in the ICT Profession
Report produced by ACS that identifies barriers in gender balance in ICT profession, and proposes a series of recommendations.
Maximizing the Gains and Minimizing the Pains of Diversity: A Policy Perspective
Reviews research and makes recommendations on how best to harness diversity. Identifies methods to manage diversity without engendering resistance.
Independent Review into Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment, including Predatory Behaviour in Victoria Police
Independent inquiry into discrimination in the Victoria Police found a culture of entrenched discrimination and sexual harassment.
Global Gender Gap Report 2015
The Global Gender Gap Index 2015 ranks 145 economies according to how well they are leveraging their female talent pool, based on economic, educational, health-based and political indicators.
30% by 2018: Gender Diversity Progress Report
AICD report on achievement of target of 30% female board members.
It's good to be the Queen ... but it's easier to be the King.
McKinsey blog that examines expectations about how men’s and women’s behaviour, identifying differences in power as significant in explaining the greater leadership opportunity that men enjoy.