Leadership in complex environments demands more than technical competence. It requires clarity of values, the ability to influence without always having formal authority, and the resilience to keep going when the path is not straightforward.
These were the themes at the heart of a workshop hosted by Women on Boards Adria at this year’s Adria Future Summit, facilitated by Andrew Jackson, an expert in governance and leadership strategy.
Sixteen senior women from across the region came together for a candid, practical session designed to move beyond theory and into action.
What the conversation surfaced
Three areas dominated the discussion.
Personal authority. Participants reflected on the tendency to wait for permission: to be recognised, promoted, or invited in. The workshop challenged this directly. Building authority means using knowledge confidently, taking calculated risks, presenting with clarity and conviction, and finding allies among decision-makers. Perfection, the group agreed, is often the enemy of progress.
Intentional networking. Visibility is not vanity; it is strategy. Staying relevant, building sponsorship, and creating opportunities for yourself requires deliberate effort, particularly in environments where informal networks have historically favoured others.
Challenging bias. Recognising it, naming it, and challenging it, including the biases we may carry within ourselves. The group was clear that silence is never neutral. Challenging bias effectively means doing so in a way that is educational, grounded in data, and focused on impact rather than confrontation.
The broader point
While the workshop was designed through the lens of gender, its conclusions pointed to something larger. The values that enable women to lead well in complex environments: integrity, accountability, resilience, and openness, are simply the values of good leadership. The work of building cultures where those values thrive benefits everyone.
Women on Boards Adria will continue this conversation, with a follow-up session planned to reflect on how these insights have been applied in practice.
