The feminine CEO
By Laini Bennett
Wednesday, 12 June, 2019
Is it possible to be a feminine CEO and still kick goals? Aged care service provider Benetas CEO Sandra Hills certainly believes so. She shares her advice for balancing femininity and strong leadership, and managing in times of change.
A couple of years ago, Benetas CEO Sandra Hills was sorting through her mail when she came across a letter from the Governor General, advising that she had been nominated to receive an Order of Australia medal. Believing it was a hoax, she threw it in the bin. 鈥淚 was thinking: why would anyone give me an OAM? I鈥檓 too young, I haven鈥檛 done enough,鈥� she said.
Luckily, her PA saw her tossing the letter. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a hoax, what are you doing?鈥� she admonished. Sure enough, several weeks later Hills was awarded an OAM. Hills laughs, acknowledging that it was an unusual example of female imposter syndrome.
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The change manager
While she may have moments of self-doubt and modesty, Hills conveys energy, confidence and charisma. She is a sought after speaker on leadership panels and speaks eloquently on the need for leaders to exhibit political savvy. For the past decade, Hills has been CEO of Benetas, a not-for-profit aged care and primary care provider (including disability services) in Victoria with 14 aged care facilities, retirement villages, along with home care, allied health and respite services. Benetas also has a number of further developments in the pipeline. With the aged care industry in crisis, Hills understands the importance of managing risk, clear communication and staying calm under fire.
鈥淚n times of change you really do need to take a long-term view. You鈥檝e got to keep yourself well informed, to be on the front foot and to set an example,鈥� she said.
With the aged care sector under the microscope of a royal commission, keeping staff engaged and morale high during a time of change is a priority for Hills. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of ways you can do it鈥� keep up learning and development, peer support, business plans and KPIs,鈥� she instructs. And importantly, don鈥檛 neglect business as usual.
The feminine manager
Hills firmly believes that it鈥檚 possible for women to be good managers and retain their femininity. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be Margaret Thatcher; you can be female, feminine and still achieve what you need to achieve,鈥� she said.
Hills encourages female managers to use their emotional intelligence and soft skills to build relationships with team members. 鈥淟eadership is a relationship. It鈥檚 not hierarchical, and it鈥檚 contextual. People who want to follow me want to feel they鈥檙e part of a community, that I鈥檓 authentic, and that what we鈥檙e doing is significant,鈥� she said.
But drawing on your soft side doesn鈥檛 mean female managers should be a soft touch. 鈥淧eople know when they鈥檙e not performing. Continual excuses are not acceptable and senior managers or those aspiring to senior management need to demonstrate resilience during these situations.鈥�
That said, when performance managing staff she does so firmly, but empathetically. 鈥淚 have a saying: 鈥業鈥檓 going to do it, but I鈥檓 going to do it with love鈥�,鈥� she said.
While Hills recommends that female managers use their soft skills, she doesn鈥檛 recommend becoming emotional.
鈥淚 know this is contentious, but I think getting emotional and losing it is how a lot of people view women leading and managing. That鈥檚 not where you want to be.鈥� She believes there is nothing wrong showing emotion, but there is a time and place for it. If you鈥檙e likely to become emotional in an inappropriate situation 鈥� such as in a difficult performance meeting 鈥� prepare for it.
鈥淵ou need to plan, role play, have someone else in the room with you, have a script,鈥� she advised. 鈥淏ut if you become emotional, contain yourself and get yourself back on track.鈥�
Female discrimination
Hills says that the worst discrimination she has ever experienced in the workplace was at the hands of another woman.
The culprit was a senior female in the public service. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 report to her, but for some reason she took a dislike to me,鈥� Hills said.
Hills was a young, up-and-coming manager applying for roles within the public service organisation with which she worked, and kept being knocked back 鈥� despite having the skills and experience required.
鈥淭his woman didn鈥檛 know me very well, but she was spreading rumours about me. It was damaging because she had all the power, and I had none.
鈥淏ut the other senior public servants 鈥� mostly men 鈥� actually challenged her on it and took her to task. I鈥檒l forever be grateful to those people,鈥� Hills said.
It was an experience that Hills takes to heart. 鈥淚 tell my managers: you鈥檝e got to be aware you can break someone with what you say. You can make someone want to come into work and put in 120%, or become disengaged and decide not to perform.鈥�
Understanding yourself
Today, Hills is confident in her leadership skill set and encourages up-and-coming managers to invest the time, as she did, in understanding themselves. 鈥淟eaders have to work hard to understand how they think, what motivates them, what presses their buttons, whether these are strengths or weaknesses, what their leadership and management styles are鈥� and they have to learn how to manage in difficult times,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to have really broad shoulders and not be precious.鈥�
Hills has proven that women can be feminine leaders and still kick goals 鈥� even if they do occasionally believe that a letter from the Governor General acknowledging their achievements is a hoax.
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