Dr Amanda Sterling: What’s really holding women back?

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Amanda Sterling, Principal Director, award-winning consultant, and proud mum, to unpack her groundbreaking PhD research to help organisations remove systemic barriers and close gender pay gaps.Amanda combines decades in corporate leadership development and culture change with work that is backed by data, driven by curiosity, and fuelled by a deep commitment to creating workplaces where women can thrive.We speak about:· Amanda’s personal story of returning to work post-parental leave, and how it led to her PhD· The subtle ways bias and outdated assumptions sideline mothers in the workplace· Surprising findings from Amanda’s latest survey of 212 women in leadership roles· Why manager support and partner support top the list of career success factors for women· Practical steps organisations can take to hold leaders accountable and build inclusive leadership capability· The role of parental leave policies in shifting gender norms and why paying both parents matters· How to have the “awkward but essential” career conversations at home· Why the solution isn’t telling women to “lean in”, it’s changing the systemResources Discussed · Connect with Dr Amanda Sterling: https://dramandasterling.com/Connect with EmmaThis podcast was funded and created by Emma Mclean, the founder of Works for Everyone.Emma Mclean is a mum of three and founder of Works for Everyone, a professional development business that partners with NZ's leading corporates to help them retain and grow their working parent talent. She does this through innovative leadership programmes, executive coaching and keynote speaking. She founded her business in 2019 following a 20-year career in corporate strategy where she experienced first-hand how hard it was to have a career and a family.As an impatient optimist when it comes to system change, she launched her successful podcast “How to Smash the Motherhood Penalty” in 2023 where she talks to humans who are actively working to change the system that creates financial penalties that only mothers pay. And in 2024 she launched the first NZ Part Time Power List – to shine a light on those senior roles in NZ that are career building, not side stepping." To work with Emma or enquire about speaking – [email protected] www.worksforeveryone.co.nz https://www.instagram.com/worksforeveryone/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclean-9176217/