St Swithun’s School, Winchester was delighted to welcome 220 Year 10 girls from 16 girls’ schools in the South East to a Girls’ School Association leadership conference on 30 September.
The girls were welcomed by headmistress Jane Gandee before a talk by international executive coach Joanna Kane, co-author of ‘The Suited Hippy And The Stress Junkie’.
The aim of the day was to introduce the girls to a variety of different aspects of leadership, not just the prevalent ‘hero’ model. Groups comprising of girls from each school attended sessions led by 12 female leaders from a variety of careers including the NHS, human resources and law. The girls were relieved and surprised to learn that not all leaders are flawless public speakers who never make a mistake.
The groups also tackled leadership challenges and there were plenty of opportunities for mistakes when the girls were asked, using only newspaper and drinking straws, to prevent eggs breaking when dropped from a height in a frantic 12 minutes team challenge. They also enjoyed participation in a drumming workshop led by Creative Team Events.
Headmistress Jane Gandee said “It is important for young women to understand that leadership isn’t about being a perfect person or a chief executive, but about making a difference, and that can be achieved at any age whatever your status or stage of life”