In this insightful feature, Advocate Thandi Orleyn, President of the International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA), unpacks the intricate relationship between childhood conditioning, societal expectations, and executive career trajectory. She reflects on how early gender roles influence professional confidence and calls for an intentional shift in how leadership potential is nurtured.
How childhood conditioning shapes career ambition
Advocate Orleyn explores how leadership ambition is rarely an isolated adult choice, but rather a journey influenced long before an individual enters the corporate world. From childhood, domestic expectations, caregiving responsibilities, and educational opportunities are often split along gender lines.
She notes that while ambitious men are frequently perceived as confident and natural leaders, ambitious women face persistent double standards, sometimes labelled as aggressive or difficult. Unpacking these unconscious biases remains vital to ensuring that both men and women can lead authentically without societal constraints.
Dismantling the myth of female rivalry
Addressing the common narrative that women fail to support one another in professional environments, Advocate Orleyn challenges this notion through her own extensive leadership experience. Through her work with IWFSA and the Thuthuka Group, she witnesses firsthand how structured mentorship, sponsorship, and peer networks actively propel women into boardrooms and executive suites.
She emphasizes that supportive environments enable professionals to balance personal milestones with executive careers. By encouraging open conversations about expectations and mutual support, leaders can foster workplaces where individuals truly lift as they rise.
Listen to or view the original broadcast on the National Briefing segment. Recorded interview featuring Advocate Thandi Orleyn, President of the International Women’s Forum South Africa. Audio content and interview recording courtesy of SAFM. All rights to the original broadcast remain with the publisher.
