Leadership in Freelance Strategy

close up photography of yellow green red and brown plastic cones on white lined surface — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I thought I’d write about my leadership journey in freelance strategy. In my second leadership session with hipages Group, I gathered a wealth of knowledge and training.

We worked through the “3 Things I Did Well Today” exercise, fostering a positive mindset among us. It was amazing to learn that such a little exercise can combat a tremendous amount of negative thinking in your brain!

We also had a meaningful conversation about the unique challenges we face as women in leadership roles. We delved into topics such as gender differences in management, biases against women in traditional roles, diversity and inclusion, the glass ceiling, and the importance of having women mentors who are eager to guide us. We also discussed managing difficult relationships as well as managing yourself, all while learning about “pluralistic ignorance” and confronting our doubts with resilience.

The session included a discussion on imposter syndrome, where we empowered each other with effective affirmations. We emphasised the importance of self-compassion over self-criticism, the value of sharing feelings, and engaging in positive self-talk.

We also described the best leader we’ve ever had using just one word. Descriptors such as Open-minded, Inclusive, Consistent, Genuine, Trustworthy, Inspirational, Calm, Authentic, Encouraging, Uplifting, and Competent were highlighted, reflecting the qualities we admire and aspire to emulate.

Thank you, hipages Group for making a difference to my leadership journey in freelance strategy. More power to you!

#thesmilingstrategist #leadership #leadershipjourney #empower #empowerwomen #womeninleadership #hipagesgroup #diversityandinclusion

Author: ROMA SINGHAL

Roma has spent over 15 years as Brand, Design and Digital Strategist carving disruptive and impactful strategies for blue-chips brands at marketing advertising organisations such as American Express, Ogilvy, Publicis Groupe, McCann, BBDO and more in Sydney, Singapore and Mumbai covering Global, AUNZ, ASEAN and India markets. She has planned and launched insightful and effective campaigns for a diverse clientele, spanning across various industries and brands. Her works have been awarded, one of them being The EFFIE Gold for Cadbury. She was also chosen as the first round judge for EFFIE Australia 2019. Last few years, she has been experimenting with her entrepreneurial spirit, having launched three planning initiatives, 1. THE SMILING STRATEGIST (www.thesmilingstrategist.com), a freelance strategy initiative working across a variety of brands and industries in a highly collaborative set-up; 2. SELFCONCEPT (www.facebook.com/selfconcept123), a self-awareness platform gathering true human insights, where training from Mind Master Tony Buzan on Mind Mapping techniques helped her think divergently; 3. ROYALE ARTISAN (www.royaleartisan.com), an online artisan gift store, which she has founded to give back to the talented rural artists. In her free time she drives her humanitarian initiatives, tries her mind at poetry, plays the guitarlele and experiments with acrylic painting on square shaped canvasses. A lover of philosophy, she is working everyday to become a better human being. To start a conversation please e-mail her at romasinghal@brandself.net. Also join her page on Linked-in @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/romasinghal-thesmilingstrategist/ for strategy tips. View all posts by ROMA SINGHAL

The Smiling Strategist

ROMA SINGHAL

Roma is Founder & Strategy Partner at Brandself. She has spent over 20 years as Brand, Design and Digital Strategist carving disruptive and impactful strategies for blue-chips brands at marketing and advertising organisations such as American Express, Ogilvy, Publicis Groupe, McCann, BBDO and more in Sydney, Singapore and Mumbai covering Global, AUNZ, ASEAN and India markets. Recently, she was chosen as one of the four female leaders to have broken down societal barriers by the hipages Group in Australia for their Empower Women in Leadership Program. Her works have been awarded, one of them being The EFFIE Gold. She sits in the APG UK Head of Planning Forum and was also chosen as the first round judge for EFFIE Australia. She is a Strategy Teacher at the esteemed Miami Ad School and a Strategy Mavin on Mavardo. She is also a Mentor at UNSW and the industry recognised Assisterhood. Last few years, she has been experimenting with her entrepreneurial spirit, having launched Brandself (www.brandself.net), a disruptive strategy studio; 2. SELFCONCEPT, a self-awareness platform gathering true human insights, where training from Mind Master Tony Buzan on Mind Mapping techniques helped her think divergently; 3. THE SMILING STAYS, a cozy Air BNB in Paddington, Sydney. In her free time she drives her humanitarian initiatives, tries her mind at poetry, plays the guitarlele and experiments with acrylic painting on square shaped canvasses. A lover of philosophy, she is working everyday to become a better human being. To start a conversation please e-mail her at romasinghal@brandself.net. Also join her page on Linked-in @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/romasinghal-thesmilingstrategist/ for strategy tips.