Jill Bausch is author of Why Brave Women Win, which provides stories and tools for women who want to tackle imposter syndrome, increase their confidence, show their authentic self and gain authority while they reach success and fulfilment in their personal and professional lives.
Jill is the ex-CEO of Futures Group Europe and worked in behaviour change and sexual health while the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaged Asia and Africa. Using her expertise in behaviour change for social good and economic empowerment strategies, Jill now runs her own coaching company Vivepoint, and coaches high performing executives worldwide for organisations like the UN, The Green Climate Fund, The Center for Reproductive Rights, and the WHO. For more information about Jill and her book, see the attached press release.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background, and your current role
I began my career in senior roles marketing luxury hotels. In 1995, I walked away from my comfortable role to bring more fulfilment to my life. I became CEO of Futures Group Europe, working in behaviour change and sexual health while the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaged Asia and Africa. I spoke globally about HIV/AIDS prevention strategies while bringing up a family in the UK.
I now coach high-performing executives worldwide for UN agencies like the World Health Organisation and other global entities such as LVMH, The Green Climate Fund, The Centre for Reproductive Rights, and The World Bank. I serve as the head of International Search & Leadership for SRI Executive and run my own coaching company VivePoint Ltd. I am also a business mentor for The Princes Trust, Social Impact Advisor at London Business School, and the author of “Why Brave Women Win” published in November 2022.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
No, I didn’t sit down and plan my career. But I did sit down and examine what I did well, what I wanted to know and planned on how I would learn it. In the early days it was how to market luxury hotels, in later years it was how to encourage sex workers to use condoms, so they and their families didn’t die of aids, and in the last few years it has been how to assess and hire the best people to run UN agencies and change lives for the better. At every stage I knew I had to learn about tough empathy and keep doing so, while I am teaching it to others that are coming into their professional highlights.
Have you faced any challenges along the way?
Loads! Every single successful person in the world who is honest will have tales of failures. My book, Why Brave Women Win is full of lessons I learned from challenges and failures. I had to learn to be assertive without being aggressive, I had to learn how to see things from others’ perspectives to have a fair negotiation. I had the challenges of diverting sexual harassment, I had to be the only woman in a board room full of older white men. I suffered from Imposter Syndrome when I landed a CEO job. The list is endless, but the outcomes are mostly great. As Nelson Mandela said, “I never lose – I either win or learn.”
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
This is a great question. If I died tomorrow, I would be happy with my many achievements, and I’m not done yet. I’m proud that I worked on myself enough to be a role model for other women, and that I was honest enough with myself to change the parts of me that were keeping me back from success, and I got help where and when I needed to. I had to find the balance between being assertive and aggressive, how to practice tough empathy and learn the value of kindness. I am proud that the result is that I am someone many very successful people come to for advice, guidance, discussion, laughter, and collaboration. And I am sure that through my work in HIV/AIDS I had a hand in many deaths averted and countless lives that avoided misery. I am very proud of that.
What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?
You can always see what you’re leaving, not what you’re going to. I always told myself to take a chance and step out to the unknown, even if you can’t see the whole island you’re stepping onto. That has opened many doors for me, built my confidence and belief in my own power to change my path has opened many doors for me and allowed me to help build the power in others as well.
How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s mentee?
I think everyone needs and deserves a mentor. I am a certified coach and I also have a coach. I am a mentor to many, including formally and informally, for MBA Students at the London Business School and throughout my professional circle. I think many of us are mentoring all the time without even knowing it. When you give 15 minutes of your time to someone who needs advice, POOF! You’re a mentor and you probably just changed someone’s life for the better.
If you could change one thing to accelerate the pace of change for Gender Parity, what would it be?
Give women more confidence in themselves. They can be braver; they have what they need but fear holds them back. If you imagine the worst and get your head around that, 99% of the time that thing won’t happen and everything else is better than what your unsubstantiated fears told you. So, get out there, stand up, speak up, mirror your role models and act as they would. Once you mirror confidence enough, it becomes your authentic way of being.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Just to take that tiny first step, even if you don’t have all the answers yet. The road that follows can take you anywhere. Use your innate bravery to do it, even if it scares you.
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
My book “Why Brave Women Win – Creating Your Path to Confidence and Power in the Workplace” came out in November 2022. Next, I want to write about what Brave Men can do to Change our World and Harness their Power for Good. In a world of pain, let’s all use our power for good.
Why Brave Women Win – Creating Your Path to Confidence and Power in the Workplace
In Why Brave Women Win, Jill Bausch shares her story as a woman who used bravery to tackle imposter syndrome, find joy in failure, and find her true self. In this inspiring book for women aiming to achieve all types of wins, you will learn:
- Why it’s important to learn to mirror confidence until it is natural and how to do it
- Different levels of listening, and how they bring you closer (or pull you away) from reaching success
- The seven habits of highly successful women and how you can practice them
- What it takes to package yourself in a way that produces maximum impact without compromising your integrity, authenticity, or your voice
- How to be a lasting leader during turbulent times
Allow yourself to be inspired by Jill’s experiences throughout the world, absorb her advice, and march forward into the world on your own hero’s journey with a bit of bravery.
To win takes bravery.
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