Where does the most useful leadership advice actually come from? Rarely a textbook. Usually someone who has already sat in the seat you're about to take.
I sat down with Sarah Wallwork, Managing Director at Conker Communications, to talk about what leadership actually teaches you. These were my three big takeaways.
Clarity and kindness are two of the most admirable values a leader can hold. Sarah embodies both, and it showed in every answer she gave.
But kindness is easily confused with people pleasing. They are not the same thing. Kindness sometimes means saying the difficult thing clearly and early. People pleasing means avoiding it until it becomes a bigger problem.
The hard truth? You can't please everyone and lead well. The leaders who earn the most trust are usually the ones who are clear about what they're doing and why, even when not everyone agrees.
Try this:
Sarah talked about the pace of change in tech, in AI and in workplaces where several generations now work side by side. She didn't describe it as a threat. She described it as exciting.
That was a refreshing reframe. So much of the current narrative treats change as a challenge to survive. It can leave capable people feeling permanently behind the pace.
The challenge isn't the speed of change. It's the story we tell ourselves about it. Curiosity is a far better starting point than catch-up.
Try this:
In the discussion that followed our conversation, I watched senior leaders sharing their wisdom and experience with emerging female leaders who are building their careers right now. It was genuinely exciting to watch.
It was also a reminder that those conversations don't happen by accident. Someone has to create the space, put the right people in it and make it safe to ask the questions that matter.
What I would have given to learn from these women 15 years ago.
Try this:
This blog is a snapshot of my conversation with Sarah at Lead Forward, our Gather LCR event in partnership with Brabners, held on 22nd September 2026 at Brabners Liverpool.
Lead Forward brought female leaders, founders and emerging talent from across the Liverpool City Region into one room. Spaces where women at different stages of their careers can learn directly from each other are still too rare, so we set out to create one, built on connection, honest conversation and advice worth taking home.
The morning opened with networking, followed by my conversation with Sarah. Then we handed it over to the room.
A special thanks to Sarah Wallwork for her contributions, and to everyone who joined us and brought their questions and honesty into the room.
Thank you also to Brabners, our Gather partner, for hosting and their collaboration. Events like this only happen when partners share the belief that the region's next generation of leaders deserves the space to grow.
Want to be in the room next time? Keep an eye on our events page for any upcoming events.