Leadership Tips from Wonder Women

What do these two property professionals have in common? Both women attribute their success to seeking and being guided by great mentors and investing in professional development throughout their career.  

Tracy Gornall
An inspirational business woman, Tracy Gornall is a Director at Jones Lang LaSalle and the first female and youngest person to be elected as President of the Australian Property Institute in South Australia. She began her property career in 1997 at Collliers International, where she worked for 14 years.  

Tracy says that learning to say no and surrounding herself with people she you can trust to delegate to, has been an important factor in her growth as a leader and manager. ‘A lot of women think they have to do everything. It’s not about the quantity, but the quality of the work you produce’, says Tracy. 

Women in leadership roles are a hot topic at the moment with the EU in planning mode to set a 40% quota for women on Boards of listed companies. ‘It is important for women in to be in leadership roles, but not for the purpose of reaching a target quota’ says Tracey. ‘The person must be right for the role. If you dismiss a candidate because of their sex, you could be missing out on a superstar.’

Jane Carey

Property industry maven, Jane Carey had humble beginnings as a receptionist for Carey, Kane and Zecevich at the age of seventeen.  Reputed for her calm and level-headed approach to business, Jane is co-founder and Director of Edge Recruitment and a past finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards.

A cheerleader for women in property, Jane established the Fabulous Women in Property luncheon in 2004 as an industry networking event and fundraiser.  Growing bigger and better each year, the event is now a highlight of the Adelaide corporate events calendar, attracting women in real estate, property and related industries. 

When asked what it takes to be a successful business leader, Jane says you must have a willingness to be consultative, be influential in your vision and continuously improve your skills. 

Jane states that having realistic expectations about what you can and can’t do is important. ‘Accepting your limits will help to avoid burnout. It took me three children to learn that’, says Jane.

So what advice do these ‘wonder women’ have for aspiring business leaders? Jane suggests that a getting a great mentor will help guide you in the right direction. Tracy’s advice is to be confident, back your ability, display professionalism in your dress and manner and always show respect and ethics in your conduct.  

There are great female leaders all around us, but they aren’t just the CEO’s and business owners of the world. We don’t realise they can also be the Office Manager, Finance Manager or supervisor who does an outstanding job managing a team. These ‘small scale leaders’ keep the wind in the sails of businesses everywhere and should also be acknowledged for their contribution.