Two incredible team leaders from The Kids Research Institute Australia will join a cohort of 25 women working in STEM across Australia, to take part in the 2023 Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program.
Tolu Okitika, a Senior Program Manager with the Geospatial Health and Development team and Alma Fulurija, Program Lead of the Australian Strep A Vaccine Initiative (ASAVI) at The Kids Research Institute Australia, are two of four West Australian participants selected for the prestigious development program.
The WILD Program connects participants with like-minded women leaders in STEM, where they take part in the globally-recognised AICD Company Directors Course, as well as a three-day executive leadership retreat and supported board observership.
Tolu and Alma took some time to share their insights on the program and what the opportunity means to them.
What are you most looking forward to as part of the WILD Program.
Tolu: To engage with a community of women that is empowered and equipped to address gender disparity across the STEM sector. I am also looking forward to expanding my professional network and be able to share my learnings with other women within my network.
Alma: The most exciting thing about the WILD program is being able to connect with a network of like-minded peers and women, who are at a similar stage of their STEM career and wanting to move into a senior leadership role. It’s also an opportunity to do the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course which gives you background in governance, law, accounting, and other areas where you might not otherwise be exposed to as a scientist. These are all important aspects of career advancement.
What made you apply for the WILD Program.
Tolu: The WILD program is one of few available immersive leadership programs targeted at professional women in STEM and the program structure is tailor-designed to equip women with critical skills that would catalyse their career growth and leadership impact. For example, the AICD company director’s course and board observership, will expose me to organizational governance knowledge and experience to prepare me for director level positions (e.g., board membership, executive roles).
Further, topics such as negotiation, exerting influence and executive communication covered in the WILD master classes, are all key to navigating a common barrier for many women. That is, the societal expectations for women to be less competitive or assertive – two critical skillsets required for successful negotiation and influencing others, when done respectfully.
Alma: I heard about the WILD program in its inaugural year, which was 2 years ago, and at the time thought it would be an interesting way to get the expertise and skills needed to sit on boards, for a future career pathway. With leadership roles as somewhere I see myself going, it seemed like a great opportunity. I applied last year but wasn’t successful, so I was delighted to be named part of the 2023 cohort, joining some incredible women, four of which are from WA.
What's the best leadership advice you've ever received?
Tolu: The best leadership advice I have received is around the topic of authenticity: being authentic and creating an environment for other people to be their authentic selves.
Alma: It was from my PhD supervisor who said “Never forget that you are the expert of your own work” which I think helps you to back yourself.
For specific leadership advice, it would be to remember you aren’t expected to know everything; it’s ok to say to you might not have the information now, but you can go and find out. Our careers are a continuum of learning and growth.
Do you have any advice for other women working in research when it comes to pursuing leadership roles?
Tolu: I have experienced an accelerated career growth over the last 3 years and these are the top things that have worked for me:
- Have confidence in your abilities.
- Challenge norms that undermine your leadership capabilities or chances of attaining leadership roles.
- Cultivate both internal and external self-awareness. This would enable you identify existing gaps that needs to be worked on in your leadership journey.
- Build a personal board of advisors. That is, people who will provide you with expert guidance and unfiltered advice, advocate on your behalf and who share similar values as you.
Alma: One of the most important things is to find yourself a mentor. Someone who perhaps is 5 years ahead of you in their journey, to learn from and who helps you grow your network. The second piece of advice – find yourself a career sponsor (which is different to a mentor). A career sponsor is someone who’d be willing to put you up for a role, who would be confident recommending you for opportunities if they think you’d be a great fit. Both of these are really important relationships to foster.
To find out more about the WILD Program, visit: https://wildforstem.com/