Unexpected Lessons in Leadership
Kicking off our Let’s Talk About It series for 2026, our Women in Energy community gathered in Melbourne and Sydney for a roundtable conversation on Unexpected Lessons in Leadership. What emerged wasn’t a list of perfect leader traits. It was a set of practical, human insights.
Law Squared’s Women in Energy community brings women and allies together to strengthen networks, grow skills and embed inclusive cultures across the Australian energy industry.
8 Real World Lessons from Women in Energy
Below are some of the lessons our community shared, and what they’ve changed as a result.
1) Leading by example looks different than it used to
One of the most surprising shifts people noted is how leadership is evolving alongside changing expectations at home. With co-parenting and more shared caring responsibilities, many leaders (including male leaders) are now modelling healthier boundaries and a more sustainable pace.
The takeaway wasn’t “work less” but to lead in a way that gives others permission to be whole humans. Manage energy, communicate clearly, and show that high performance and a life outside work can coexist.
And while great leaders teach and support, the group also agreed on a hard truth: you often learn the most from bad bosses - especially what not to repeat.
2) Failure isn’t a dead end - it’s data
In many workplaces, missed targets, poor numbers or bumpy implementations, carry stigma and even penalties. But when you view setbacks through an R&D lens, the meaning changes.
A failed experiment is still an outcome: it tells you what doesn’t work and helps narrow the path to what does. Instead of asking, “Why did we fail?” try asking, “What did we learn?” or “What data did we gain?”
Top tip: Think of one project that didn’t go to plan last week. Write down:
the specific lesson you learned, and
what you will do differently this week because of it.
As Thomas Edison put it: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 1,000 ways that won’t work.”
3) Trust is built through judgement — not agreement
Trust isn’t earned by always saying “yes”. Many leaders reflected that credibility often comes from being willing to give clear advice, even when it’s uncomfortable and having the judgement to say “no” when it matters.
As a leader, trust happens through everyday behaviours, like:
Lead with the outcome: Start with what the business is trying to achieve, then map the safest path to get there.
Bring options, not obstacles: Translate risk into trade-offs and practical alternatives.
Show up early: Strategic influence is earned upstream, where decisions are shaped, not at the end, where they’re reviewed.
4) Confidence doesn’t mean never wobbling
Imposter syndrome came up across every level of our Women in Energy community from recent graduates to senior executives. The difference isn’t whether the wobble happens; it’s how quickly you move through it.
A few practical “micro-moves” shared during a previous Women in Energy roundtable bear repeating:
Mindset swap: from “What if I fail?” to “What will I learn?”
The four cups check-in: Relationships, Work, Health, Joy — they won’t all be full at once. Notice what needs topping up this week.
Seasonal awareness: capacity shifts with life phases (including caregiving and menopause). Plan high-stakes work for higher-energy windows and protect recovery in lower-energy ones.
5) Managing a micromanager starts with curiosity and clarity
Micromanagement was one of the most common and frustrating traits experienced with ‘bad bosses’; constant check-ins, hyper-focus on details, and a sense that deliverables are never quite “right”
A helpful reframe is to remember that micromanagement is often about the other person’s anxiety or accountability pressure, not your competence.
What helped:
Seek to understand what’s driving it (risk, trust, pressure, experience).
Agree clear definitions of “success ” up front (scope, format, deadline, quality standard).
Set a structured cadence for updates (so it’s predictable, not constant).
6) A 1,000 ways to solve a problem
Just because something is “how we’ve always done it” doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do it now. The most best leaders assume there are multiple workable paths and they actively go looking for them. A simple shift is to treat process as a hypothesis, not a rule: ask the people closest to the work what’s slowing things down, what customers are actually experiencing, and what one small change would make things easier. That mindset builds continuous improvement and it reinforces a principle many leaders forget: the best operational insight is often already in the room, you just need to invite it out.
7) Be the leader you wish you’d had
A strong theme was rejecting the idea that people only grow through hardship, especially in professions like the law where “I went through it, so you should too” can create a harmful culture.
The group returned to one core premise: psychological safety. When people feel safe to ask questions, admit mistakes and experiment, they innovate faster and perform better. The best leaders don’t toughen people up, they create the conditions where people can do brave work.
8) Trust your gut - you always have a choice
Several leaders shared moments where something felt “off” and the lesson was to pay attention earlier. Your job shouldn’t come at the expense of your wellbeing. You can love your work and still set limits. And even when a situation feels urgent, you still have choices.
Special thanks to our guest speakers Nerida Killender – Relationship Executive, Bendigo Bank, Stephanie Young – Barrister, Victoria Bar, Brooke Wells – Executive Director, NAB and Jaymie Rowland, George & Matilda Eyecare and our own Property + Projects lawyers for their generous insights and helping us to create the space for connection, learning, and honest conversation.
Resources our Women in Energy community recommend
How to Fail (Elizabeth Day)
The Speed of Trust (Stephen M.R. Covey)
Radical Candor (Kim Scott)
Atomic Habits (James Clear)
Stay connected
We’ll be hosting more Women in Energy events throughout 2026. If you’d like to be on the invite list for the next roundtable, send us an email here and we’ll make sure you’re included.