Building the leaders of tomorrow
Invest in your personal growth and have a positive mindset so that you are more effective as a person and don't respond irrationally to every irritation.
Shona Shelley from Alberton was named the 2020 Woman of Stature in Education at the Woman of Stature awards on March 8.
She was honoured for her work with Design2Thrive.
“Developing leaders is my expertise and as a certified John Maxwell coach, trainer and public speaker, I specialise in leadership coaching, consulting and development,” said Shona about her work.
“My main focus is supporting leadership development within organisations and helping business owners develop more effective leadership traits.”
She went on to explain that in her opinion leadership is not restricted to titles and positions.
“It is all about character, influence and role modelling, so people from all spheres who are serious about their personal effectiveness as a catalyst to positively impacting the world around them tend to find their way into my world.”
Shona said she has followed Woman of Stature since it was founded, but took her time to evaluate associating with them as she wanted to align her networks with her vision and primary focus.
“I joined Woman of Stature because of their values and receptivity to being a learning organisation,” said Shona.
“They were evolving to remain current and be responsive to their members. Also, the content and calibre of the women who attended illustrated that it wasn’t a ‘ladies breakaway’, but rather a values-based movement to develop women of impact and stature.”
The award came as a surprise to Shona.
“There were such dynamic finalists, every one of whom deserved to win and are doing phenomenal work,” said Shona.
“I think as a small business, we often feel insignificant in the bigger picture and take our passion for granted, not realising the ripple effect of the work we do. I am humbled and honoured by the recognition.
“I was in a senior position and had accomplished significant success in the corporate world as one of the youngest female executives at WesBank, but receiving this award has shown me how following your passion produces deep, significant results.”
Shona advises women to invest in themselves and remains focused.
“Hold yourself together, don’t give into fleeting emotions and everything that dazzles.
“Invest in your personal growth and have a positive mindset so that you are more effective as a person and don’t respond irrationally to every irritation.
“We are the nurturers of society and have a social responsibility to role model good values and behaviours.
“We are all human, have made and continue to make mistakes. Pick yourself up and show up. Get better every day and don’t allow your past to define you.”
