Even though women represent almost half the UK workforce, senior leadership roles are still dominated by men. At 8%, gender diversity in some of Asia’s leading economies is the lowest compared to other parts of the world. According to LinkedIn, in the United States, the largest leadership gap is in the staffing industry, where 55% of the industry are women, but only 40% of the leaders are female, a gap of 15%. 

Mentoring can be a highly effective strategy to support women, including those who are interested in developing their career and taking on senior leadership roles within an organisation. In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we asked 12 senior female leaders from across our global business to share the best piece of career advice they have ever received.

1. Don’t ever stand still. Continue your learning every day, and if you make sure you enjoy what you are doing, it will never feel like work!
   - Indy Lachhar, Group Talent Development Director 
   
   
2. Instead of spiralling into self-doubt, recognise the potential that others see in you, and just do it. The confidence will come, and even if it doesn’t, you’ll appear confident - which is half the battle.
   - Jane Hillard, Client Services Director
   
   
3. Fail fast. Try something new, but if you realise it’s not working, make changes quickly, learn from them and move on.
   - Tracy Kriel, Operations Manager, South Africa
   
   
4. Always conduct your work with a sense of integrity and treat others with respect, essentially as you would like to be treated. Good business is as much about people as anything else.
   - Kritee Gower, Account Director, UK
   
   
5. If you want something, ask!
   - Sally Martin, Global Head of Talent Acquisition
   
   
6. If there’s a problem, fix it. If there isn’t, don't create one.
   - Jenny Ong, Associate Director, APAC
   
   
7. You can diminish your power and impact by wasting energy fearing you aren’t perfect. Be persistent, passionate and productive… perfection is not a requirement for success.
   - Rocki Howard, Client Services Director, USA
   
   
8. If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.
   - Tess Eyles, Client Account Director, UK
   
   
9. It’s very easy to feel pressured into saying yes. Don’t be afraid to push back and ask questions.
   - Malika Bellaltia, Manager - Implementation, APAC
   
   
10. Be respectful to your colleagues, both senior and junior to you, because whilst you’re climbing now, you never know who you may pass on your way back down.
    - Liz Newnham, Client Services Director
    
    
11. Are you doing enough to make people feel tall rather than small? People who walk tall will always drive better outcomes which will ultimately make them, the business, and the world a better place.
    - Kirsty Adams, Global HR Director
    
    
12. Surround yourself with the best people, both in terms of your mentors and your team, and don’t be afraid to hire people who are ‘better’ than you. Also, empathy is not a weakness.
    - Gemma Ellis, Senior Marketing Manager