Just be yourself” sounds empowering — until you’re a woman leading in a university, juggling expectations you never signed up for. This blog explores the authenticity paradox: why the most grounded leaders aren’t always the most transparent ones. Drawing on research by Marian Izzat White, Valerie Stead and Carole Elliott, it shows how strategic emotional labour helps leaders stay true to their values, even when their feelings must take a back seat. From protecting teams to surviving toxic environments, it’s a refreshing, honest look at professionalism, gendered expectations, and what authenticity really means. If you’ve ever questioned your “work face,” this will resonate.

Want to know how to navigate the politics of your workplace? Then watch out for lies and bullshit. This Women-Space blog sets out the kinds of lies you are likely to encounter and how to navigate them to ensure you are never caught out.

Discover the do’s and don’ts of writing a compelling leadership CV for women in academia. Learn how to showcase impact, lead with clarity, and position yourself for senior leadership roles in universities.

Discover the essential power keywords that elevate academic leadership CVs, especially for women in senior leadership roles navigating executive leadership transitions. This blog offers strategic support for women by aligning CV language with high-impact terminology.

Navigate university restructuring with confidence and land the role that advances your career. Whether you're applying for a promoted post within your institution or pivoting to a new university entirely, these 10 strategies will help you present your best professional self and demonstrate why you're exactly what they need during uncertain times. If you're a mid-career woman navigating these choppy academic transitions, you're not alone—and you're more prepared than you think.

Have you ever wished you had better control over your emotions—whether it's a strong feeling clouding your judgment, emotional reasoning like catastrophising, or an unexpected outburst that catches you off guard? These moments can leave us feeling embarrassed, withdrawing from others, and adding layers of stress through self-criticism. Instead of letting emotions overwhelm us, we can use neuroscience to understand them and respond in a more constructive way.

Currently high in the book charts is Mel Robbins’ “Let Them Theory”.  At the core of Robbins’ theory lies an age-old coaching principle: change your thinking, and you change how you feel, what you do, and ultimately, what you achieve.  This is such a simple model that can have transformative effects and can be found in the work of many other models provided by, for example, Brene Brown, Stephen Covey and Brooke Castillo. The core message is change your thought and you can change your life.

The most simple ways of breathing and the smallest movements can make an enormous difference to our sense of wellbeing. Emma King brings us three techniques you can do now. You will be surprised at the difference this makes.

How are imposter syndrome, self-limiting thoughts and social conditioning entangled. Ally Victoria Shepherd provides deep insight into how we come to think particular kinds of thoughts because of our class and gender.

Is it time for allies to step up? Dr Marie Sams discusses what real allyship looks like and what holds people back. She talks about how allyship takes courage and offers five steps that leaders can take now.

As DEI faces a backlash, some have proposed that we should focus on fairness instead. This perspective moves away from categorical representation and instead emphasizes setting all individuals up for success while protecting against discrimination. Is fairness simply a rehashing of existing initiatives or is it a vital new approach to equity and inclusion?

In times of intense change, how do you hold on to your values? Distinguished Professor Sarah O’Shea shows how Stephen Covey’s Circles of Concern and Influence provide a useful framework for where best to focus your energy.

Wondering how to build your profile? Learn how you can correct the four most common mistakes on LinkedIn: the profile picture predicament; the “just my job title” headline; the “About” section: more than a CV dump; the “invisible user” syndrome: become a “go-to”.

We are always being told that it is good for us to get out of our comfort zone. But is it? Leigh Robinson challenges that conventional thinking and offers you five resources to explore to help you make up your own mind.

Have you lost your job through a restructuring or redundancy? Or because you could no longer stay due to the toxic culture you were experiencing? Perhaps you are an executive and change of leadership meant your face no longer fitted? This blog outlines the consequences of forced job loss and provides resources to support your next move.

We have already published our top three “best ever” career books for women who work in universities and want to accelerate their careers.  But don’t take our word for it.  As our post shows, our subscribers agree with us.

For this post, we have selected five books that explore the underlying discriminations – and their impact - that women experience daily.  These texts certainly give advice and guidance.  But importantly they are also useful if you are interested in making systemic change.  

Boundaries are notoriously hard to keep but are essential for well-being and flourishing in your career. Drawing on the work of Sanok and Brene Brown, Christina Hughes provides five ways in which you can practice boundary setting.

How do you build psychological safety in challenging times? There are five things you can do today. The first is to open up conversations with your team.

Have you ever wondered about the truth of those assertions about body language? Leigh does some research and finds resources that will add much more nuance to your understanding of the power - or not - of those nonverbal cues.