THINK GLOBAL WOMEN


GLOBAL LEADERSHIP


That is, the ability to positively impact people’s lives and oftentimes, to help someone struggling through their worst and most critical moments.” She eventually rose to the rank of Commander at


Long Beach Police Department, where she worked for almost 20 years supervising many sections, including: Criminal Investigations, Vice, and the Police Academy. It was working as a patrol officer, though, that taught her leadership and teamwork skills in dangerous and unpredictable situations. When she finished her shift patrolling the streets or managing her team, she would be studying for her English Literature degree, and later her master’s. Her colleagues found it both amusing and bewildering that she would want to study the liberal arts while working as a police officer, but it was her passion and her inspiration. “In academia I have a love of the arts, and I value


being able to blend critical thinking with practitioner application,” she says. “There's a quote on the wall in our CHDS classroom from Thucydides, a Greek scholar, who wrote: “The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.”


THE BARRIERS WOMEN FACE IN PROFESSIONAL LIFE – AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM Cynthia has had decades of experience managing teams in difficult environments and working in organisations which are hierarchical, and male dominated. For women eyeing leadership, three challenges stand out. First, visibility. “You have


to make yourself known in your


organisation,” she says. Second is self-belief. “We get in our own heads and in


our own way. Imposter syndrome creeps in. Are we really good enough to be here? The answer is, yes you are.” Thirdly, it can be tough to manage the demands of


a work-life balance. “A lot of us are mothers, daughters, wives and partners. We carry life responsibilities, and it is hard.” Cynthia knows this first hand. For many years she


was a single mother while leading a police department, juggling the weight of public safety with parenting. “Motherhood makes you tough,” she says. “If you


can figure out how to take care of a child and still have a career, you can figure out anything.”


KNOW YOUR CRAFT & DO THE HARD JOBS Cynthia values education not just for the qualifications, but for the life skills it develops in you. “It’s not about getting a qualification to tick a box,” she


says. “It is about learning how to think. Critical thinking, questioning, weighing up options – that is the value that you glean from education. It gives you the frameworks to scan the environment around you.” That skill, she argues, has never been more vital. “We’re


on the cusp of massive global changes – geopolitically, technologically. AI, large language models – this is going to fundamentally change how we live and work,” she says.


“Education gives us the foresight to think about what’s coming, to look at signals and understand how they might impact us.” She urges women to step into the difficult roles. “Take


the jobs nobody else wants. The unglamorous ones. That is where you learn. Expertise is the ultimate equaliser. If you’re in HR, know everything about HR. If you’re in law enforcement, know everything about law, tactics, response. If you’re in academia, know curriculum development inside and out.” When you are determined and tenacious, and known


for delivering results, then doors start to open. “And when those doors open, don’t be afraid to walk through.” “Don’t self de-select” Perhaps Cynthia’s most powerful message is this:


women must stop taking themselves out of the race before it even begins. “We self de-select all the time,” she says. “We look at a job and think, ‘Oh, I don’t have a chance.’ Or ‘That person’s applying – I won’t bother.’” Her advice? “Test for the job, go to the interview.


Apply for the promotion. Put yourself forward. The process is free. It doesn’t cost you a dime.” When doubt creeps in, as it will, have a support system


and a group of friends who remind you that you are as good as you think you might be, and you deserve to do well and to gain the promotion. Leadership, she believes, isn’t about fearlessness. It’s


about stepping up despite the fear. “John Wayne said it best: bravery Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway. So saddle up.” Cynthia has seen the obstacles women encounter first


hand. Some are external – visibility in male-dominated spaces, a corporate culture that still demands women be near-perfect to succeed. Others are internal. “Sometimes the biggest barrier is our own lack of self-belief,” she says. “We get in our own heads, questioning whether we’re good enough to be here.”


CYNTHIA’S TIPS FOR CAREER PROGRESSION: • Serendipity: as a woman your career path may not be as linear and may have breaks for caring or other responsibilities, but you can still actively create opportunities for yourself and when those opportunities come, have the courage to take them


• Learn your craft: become an expert in your field so that you really understand your own potential, and take the tough assignments; do the jobs and the roles that no one else wants, because you will learn so much from them


• Value education: it teaches you to think critically and think for yourself, which is important in every aspect of life


• Build networks: have mentors, sponsors and colleagues in your chosen career and also outside with whom you can exchange ideas and “horizon scan” for threats and opportunities


• Don’t self de-select: go for the job interview, put yourself forward for the promotion, don’t talk yourself out of opportunities that come your way


• Be visible: fight your imposter syndrome and create a support network to get you through the tough times


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