Building A Media Leadership Pipeline
- Women in Media
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
A double lens: how the Women in Media Leadership Program is giving women the training, support and confidence to help shape Australia’s next generation of media leaders.
Words by Susan Horsburgh
By her early 40s, Karen Song had been leading media teams for 15 years, but never felt qualified enough – not for interviews or public speaking, and certainly not to call herself an “expert” in her field. Wasn’t leadership about having all the answers? Solving everyone’s problems?
The Empowering Women in Media Leadership Program taught her otherwise. “You don’t have to be perfect at all of that,” says Karen, Head of Design at Paramount ANZ. “It’s just asking the right questions.”
The Women in Media program gave Karen a new take on leadership and made her realise how well she’d been leading all along. Last month she even mustered the courage to speak on her first panel – a once-unthinkable achievement. “That’s what the program’s all about: bit by bit, owning that confidence,” she says.
The six-month program, delivered in partnership with Nudge Leadership, begins with a 360-degree assessment, giving participants insights into their leadership styles and blind spots. For Karen, that foundation – combined with the program’s monthly masterclasses, group mentoring sessions and one-on-one coaching – helped her see her natural leadership approach in a new way.
“I went into it thinking I’d get some new skills and perspectives, but what it gave me was a deeper understanding of why I lead,” says Karen.
“It made what was invisible, visible. It gave me the framework to understand what I was doing so intuitively for so long, and I was doing a lot of things right.”
Since its inception last year, 52 women from 15 organisations have completed the course, which targets emerging leaders across journalism, broadcasting, production, digital and communications – typically those with direct reports who are ready to step into bigger organisational roles.
Karen’s transformation is among dozens of success stories from WiM’s flagship leadership program, which boasts a Net Promoter Score of 95 and 100 per cent of graduates saying they would recommend the program.
“We started out with coaching scholarships and were hearing some common issues,” explains Fiona Russell, Nudge’s co-director and program lead. “Women in media were lacking leadership development and felt they were missing exposure and advancement opportunities to take up more senior roles.” WiM’s latest Industry Insights Report confirms the urgent need for programs such as this, with 59 percent of women in the sector concerned about limited progression and a lack of development support. Women make up more than 40 percent of the media workforce, but hold just 23 percent of the most senior roles.
What makes the Empowering Women in Media Leadership Program unique, says Fiona, is its “double-lens” approach, addressing both women’s leadership challenges and media industry specifics. Of the 52 women across three cohorts, 100 percent said the program had improved their leadership capability and that they felt equipped to lead diverse, high-performing teams.
Through practical, evidence-based coaching and content, says Fiona, the participants learn about everything from self-awareness to motivation, conflict management to career advancement strategies – and gain a community of women that lasts long after the last session.
“We provide this lovely balance of challenge and support, both through the group and individual coaching, that scaffolds you to try different approaches, reflect and see how it went, and then try again,” says Fiona.
“Seeing that camaraderie is the magic of the program. We’re looking to impact the leadership and lives of participants, but also the industry itself.”
Mandina Oh calls it “the most impactful leadership program I’ve ever done”. The Diversity and Inclusion Screen Project Manager at the ABC says the initial 360-degree review confirmed what she suspected: her desire for approval was hampering her leadership potential. “I was probably spending too much time people-pleasing and not enough leading,” says Mandina.
The program’s structure allowed participants to test out new concepts in real workplace situations and to discuss them in small groups. “It wasn’t just a one-off workshop and then you went on with life,” says Mandina. “The frequency really helped instil lessons so they actually stuck.”
Since learning “the power of the pause”, Mandina has stopped rushing to fill silences in meetings. She also tries to resist the “advice monster” – the urge to solve other people’s problems. Instead, she aims to empower her team.
“Leadership is about influencing rather than necessarily managing people,” says Mandina. “If you truly listen, you might be able to help them figure out the solution on their own.”
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the program, though, has been the way Mandina sees herself. “I am a leader,” she says. “Sometimes you feel like you’re waiting for someone to call you that. But I’m a really great, caring leader – and I won’t let my people-pleasing or imposter syndrome get in the way of that.”
For Karen, the media has sometimes felt like an inhospitable place, especially for women with children. “When you decide to have a family, you have to lean out of the industry because it’s relentless, fast-paced and not super family-friendly,” she says. “In my age bracket, we’ve been a bit lucky with COVID [ushering in] flexible work, but I definitely felt like I would be edged out.”
The WiM program, however, has made Karen see her future anew. “I’m much more invigorated and empowered, and my confidence has grown,” she says. “[I’m] being loud and proud of my achievements. Opportunities are opening and I’m excited. I feel a sense of possibility.”
Empowering Women in Leadership will run two programs in 2026, beginning in February and July.
