There is nothing more inspirational than hearing from leaders who have been there and done that. At a recent event for Females in IT and Telecommunications (FITT) hosted by Telstra, we were privileged to hear from two people who have made an inspirational career in the ICT industry –  Julie Fahey, KPMG Partner and Patrick Eltridge CIO at Telstra.

As someone who is passionate about family and career, it was refreshing to hear Julie provide an honest reflection of managing career and parenthood. “Worklife balance is different for everyone so it’s important to be honest with yourself and what matters to you. I knew I wanted a career and motherhood but I couldn’t have achieved what I have without a strong support network,” said Julie.

And as a passionate advocate for female leaders in the ICT industry, there was something in particular that  Julie said that was like music to my ears: “Diversity is gold! A diverse leadership team brings different views, different capabilities and a passion for people.” This was something also echoed by Patrick.

Patrick admitted he had often been confronted, shaken – even a little scared – but always stretched and driven to make a difference. “It’s important to take risks as an individual. Unless you are being stretched beyond your current capabilities you cannot achieve the outcomes that you are truly capable of. But you also need to take risks in the people you lead. People took great risks on me, particularly through my early career, and it has had a profound impact on me. I’ll never forget it,” he said.

After listening to both of these extraordinary leaders, one thing became very clear – without constantly challenging yourself and taking calculated risks you cannot achieve your career potential. Patrick shared something that his mentor once shared with him, “There is no crime in setting a target that you just fail to reach. The true crime is setting a target that you can step over.”

I was left with a renewed sense of motivation and I would like to leave you all with a little something too: you never know what you are missing unless you create challenging and diverse opportunities for yourself.

A little inspiration can go a long way.

Connecting women with real opportunities – find out more about the inspiring women of Telstra and what a career with us can mean for you.