Jane Benston - Women's Leadership

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Jane Benston - Women's Leadership

I help mid-career professional women step up to the next level of leadership, impact and recognition.. without burning out or selling their soul.

www.janebenston.com We help high-achieving corporate women in senior leadership positions navigate their career and to feel more secure in their success. Contact Founder and Principal Consultant Jane Benston to find out more.

18/06/2026

If you've ever been in a leadership development program and walked away thinking "that was useful, but something was missing" … you're probably right.

There's a well-documented pattern in how men and women are developed on the path to leadership.

High-potential men tend to get exposure to strategy, commercial thinking, and how the business makes money.

Women are more often supported around confidence, assertiveness, and influence.

Those things matter, but they're not enough on their own.

Because when promotion decisions get made, commercial acumen is on the table. Can she read the numbers? Does she understand what drives results? Can she make sound decisions in the context of the business?

I was selected in my early 30s for a competitive leadership program through my employer – the kind that was seen as a feeder into the senior talent pipeline.

It felt significant. And it was, in many ways.

But looking back, what strikes me is what it didn't include. There was no real focus on the commercial side of the business. No support to build financial confidence or business acumen.

If you're mentoring a younger woman – formally or informally – this is worth thinking about. Don't just help her find her voice. Help her understand the business. Help her read the numbers. Help her think commercially.

That kind of support changes what becomes possible for her.

Was your commercial thinking ever actively developed or was that a gap in your leadership journey, too?

16/06/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭?

My year hasn’t gone exactly to plan.

At the start of the year, I had a clear idea of what I wanted to focus on, the projects I wanted to move forward, and the rhythm I wanted to create.

And then – as it does – life happened. And that all went out the window.

But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve taken some time to reset my plans and expectations for the rest of the year.

And I can already feel the difference.

The heaviness has lifted. I feel clearer, more focused, and genuinely excited about the changes I’ve made to make the rest of this year feel more sustainable.

And it got me thinking…

Maybe you could do with a reset too.

That’s what the Mid Year Reset is all about.

It’s a free 2-hour hands-on workshop that is practical, reflective and real – the kind of space where you can step out of the day-to-day, get the thinking space you need, and move from blurry to more focused about what matters now.

And yes – there will be opportunities to be coached along the way.

It’s happening next week and spaces are limited, so save your spot today: https://janebenston.lpages.co/mid-year-reset-webinar-registration/

14/06/2026

The challenges of mid-career, midlife leadership are complex. Especially for women.

You need space to talk them through, tools to reframe your thinking and a community that reflects your ambition – and your reality.

Finding a community of women who have your back, who will challenge you and celebrate you in equal measure, and who understand what it means to navigate mid-life leadership is one of the most strategic things you can invest in at this stage of your career.

And it’s not something most workplaces can offer you. Would you agree?

11/06/2026

Redundancy can happen quickly. Restructures arrive without warning. Change doesn’t wait until you’re ready.

The best way to navigate uncertainty is to prepare for it well before it arrives.

Here’s exactly what that looks like: https://janebenston.com/how-to-prepare-for-redundancy-before-it-happens/

09/06/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫

Right now, I'm working with some of the most capable women I've ever encountered in my career – and a significant number of them are stuck.

It’s not a lack of experience or ambition.

Most often, it’s the quiet beliefs their inner sh**ty committee whisper to them that hold them back.

Here are the 5 most common beliefs I see, and what they’re actually costing you.

1️⃣ I’m not ready yet
Women consistently underestimate their readiness. But ‘ready’ isn’t a feeling that arrives before you act – it’s something you get by doing.

2️⃣ It’s not the right time
I bet you can come up with a range of reasons to wait. Sometimes, those are valid. But often, if we’re honest, they’re simply fear in disguise.

3️⃣ I’m too busy
This is one of the most insidious traps in mid-career leadership because it feels like evidence of contribution. But there's a difference between activity and progress, and they don't always point in the same direction.

4️⃣ I might fail.
Yes, you might. And at this level, the stakes are higher than earlier in your career. But failure is inevitable – and I’d rather it arrives through imperfect action than no action at all.

5️⃣ I can’t afford it.
The instinct to deprioritise investment in yourself is understandable – especially when budgets are tight and the ROI feels uncertain. But at this stage of your career, investing in yourself is often the most direct path forward available to you.

Self-awareness is where change begins, but it only counts for something if it's followed by action. Notice which of these beliefs shows up most strongly for you, then take one step this week to challenge it.

The sooner you start, the sooner you step out of the messy middle – and into the leadership role you're ready for.

04/06/2026

Leadership means being known for the right things.

What do you want to be known for?

31/05/2026

I recently spent a weekend with our Leadership Connection (TLC) members in Newcastle.

And it’s left me with a deep sense of joy.

There’s something powerful that happens when mid-career women step away from the noise of everyday work and come together... giving themselves space to think properly.

Not just about what they’re doing. But about who they are becoming.

Over the retreat, we explored the value they bring, the work that actually matters now, the leadership AI can’t replace, and what it means to be known for the right things.

There were ah-ha’s and deeply honest conversations.

There were moments where women realised they had been shrinking their value, assuming “everyone can do that”, or making something look so easy that others missed the depth of skill, judgement and wisdom sitting behind it.

And there were those beautiful moments where the room reflected back what someone couldn’t quite see for herself yet.

That’s the magic of being in this room.

You remember you’re not alone. You see yourself more clearly. You borrow belief from other women until your own catches up.

The TLC members left Newcastle with a renewed sense of who they are, the value they bring, and a deeper connection with this exceptional community of women.

This is the kind of work I love most.

Because so much of leadership growth doesn’t happen in the middle of an overloaded week of appointments and deadlines.

It happens when we pause long enough to think deeply, tell the truth, allow ourselves to be supported, and choose who we’re becoming next.

If you’ve been lurking, circling, thinking “maybe one day…” this is your sign. Send me a DM and let's talk.

29/05/2026

A pattern I see often is women becoming indispensable in operational roles … and then wondering why they’re not being considered for strategic leadership opportunities.

The challenge is that organisations often keep rewarding people for the role they already play.

Have you experienced this dynamic?

25/05/2026

Is busywork getting in the way of your leadership? Here’s how to tell – and what to do about it.

When women are buried in the day-to-day, leadership starts to feel heavier than it needs to.

What used to light you up is now totally draining.

But more importantly … it can erode your confidence, shape your reputation, and impact the opportunities that come your way.

Because even though you’re capable, highly experienced, and respected, you struggle to find the time, headspace, or energy for the true work of leadership.

If you’ve ever reached the end of the week without touching the project that really mattered, having the important conversation, or fixing the issue you spotted because it needed focused thinking you simply could not find time for, then you will know exactly what I mean.

You know what to do and how to do it. What’s missing – is space.

Space to zoom out beyond the here and now and to think clearly. Space to step out of constant reaction and lead more intentionally.

Because if you are too busy to think, you are too busy to lead.

If you’re struggling to manage a workload that never seems to end, let’s talk. DM me SPACE to start the conversation.

21/05/2026

“I can’t believe how much difference freeing up just 1 hour each month has made.”

That’s the feedback from a client after we were able to reclaim space in her overfull calendar.

There are 2 things I see in my work with senior women leaders:

1️⃣ She feels as though her time is no longer her own.
She moves from one meeting to the next, decisions need to be made, people are relying on her, and there’s always something that needs her attention.

2️⃣ It feels impossible to change.
There’s a growing discomfort, but besides chucking it all in and starting again (not an option!), she can’t see a way to even begin creating the clear air she desperately craves.

So, she stays stuck, telling herself that ‘once things settle down’ she’ll figure it out.

I’m sorry to say … that space almost never appears on its own.

You have to make it happen.

The good news is, there are small shifts you can make that will begin to snowball.

It might look like:

👉🏻 10 minutes each week to review your Big Rocks. Keeping them front of mind can help you prioritise when the week inevitably crowds in.

👉🏻 Having lunch outside the office once a fortnight. Not only will it stop people interrupting for ‘a quick question,’ but changing up your environment can change your energy, which will ripple across everything else.

👉🏻 Asking a delegate to attend one meeting and report back the key outcomes.

My programs help you reclaim 5+ hours every week – but you don’t have to start there.

If taking back 15 minutes is what you can sustain week after week, start there.

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

http://www.janebenston.com/

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