• FEMINA ME • December 201590

Tiffany Kelly, founder of RoundTable Global, understands the need to push boundaries to create organizations with uniquely talented and passionate individuals. She tells Yasmeen Maqbool why women are pivotal in creating solutions that will change the world

HEROES role model

THE BALANCING ACT

Insanity is thinking the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, believes Tiffany as she assesses the current impact of today’s leaders. “If we want to leave a world for future generations that is enjoyable and prosperous, we need to not only change what we are doing, but also

how we are thinking about things.” In fact, Tiffany points out that changing mindsets is the uncontested need of the hour.

CHANGING OUR THOUGHTS - GENDER BALANCEAs a founding partner of RoundTable Global, Tiffany’s focus has been to convey the importance of sexual equality.

She elaborates that we are living in a world that has been dominated by masculine leadership and decision-making. “We have focused on survival of the fittest, rather than creating a collaborative, nurturing society that is balanced.”

And with the intent to create this balance Tiffany has created the global ‘Finding Balance’ campaign. By doing so she wants to create a groundswell of individuals passionate about creating a society where everyone is equal and has an opportunity to contribute and develop.

Finding balance is about educating and inspiring young people about the importance of balance and empowering them to courageously redefine how to exist in the global ecosystem.

RoundTable Global is a people development organisation created to unlock potential and create empowering cultures for all, Tiffany explains.

The focus is on bringing the corporate and creative worlds together for mutual benefit and to create a mindset shift towards inclusivity and balance. “We do this through unique solutions and methodologies with a specific focus on leadership, innovation and change.”

Through global summits she intends to bring together a cross section of generations and expertise to imagine and commit to a world where finding and creating balance is the focus.

She wants to stop gender stereotyping and social conditioning at the root cause to avoid fighting for equality. The campaign was delivered through September and October last year, and focused on Asia (through Japan), the Middle East (through Dubai) and Europe (thorough London).

Co-Founder, RoundTable Global, Zoë Cobb, First Lady of Japan and Patron of the En Committee Akie Abe and Tiffany Kelly at the Tokyo Finding Balance Summit at the Japanese Parliamentary Buildings

Tiffany Kelly speaking at an Empowering Women to Shine Workshop in Tokyo

January 2016 • FEMINA ME • 91

I have still experienced gender stereotyping - it is so subtly prevalent in our culture that it is difficult for anyone to say that they haven’t experienced it. Unfortunately even our children’s books and nursery rhymes are full of gender stereotyping and to make change happen we need to start here.”

The types of skills needed in this new world are listening, communicating, emotional intelligence, empathy, creativity and customer insight. “All of which are predominantly feminine energies and guess who currently has these? The women.”

She believes that each of us can become agents of change in our sphere of influence and in our own eco-systems. She emphasizes that by empowering women we can increase the use of compassionate feminine wisdom in what is a largely masculine and patriarchal decision making society and through this create change in the world.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has said the UAE is keen to empower women by encouraging them to assume leadership positions. He has created the UAE Gender Balance Council launched in February last year, to move beyond the phase of empowering women to empowering society through women. He said ‘The impact of a significant female presence in leadership roles has wide ranging benefits on the economy, on governance and on society at large’.

inclusive and free for anyone to join.Women supporting our initiate include

First Lady Akie Abe of Japan, Professor Susan Madsen from USA, Ambassador Pheko of South Africa, Lady Barbara Judge from the UK and Michelle Van Vuuren as an international representative.

THE LEGACY PROJECTThe Legacy Project was created in May 2010 to make a difference in the way that young people interact with and take responsibility for their local communities. The Legacy Team and national contributors have coached, mentored and facilitated hundreds of young people, enabling them to step up, have a voice and deliver positive impact projects.

To recognise and reward the efforts of young people involved in the Legacy Projects, the Positive for Youth Awards was created in 2013. Run by young people, for young people, the awards have now been extended for project nominations from all young people across the UK.

The one way to create a new kind of society that is aware of how gender stereotyping effects men and women is by working top down and bottom up.

Tiffany strengthens her case by citing from a recent report that indicates that men in the UAE are three times more likely to commit suicide or have depression than women due to the repression of their emotions. “As a woman from a supportive balanced background,

THE GLOBAL SHINE INITIATIVETiffany has also initiated the Empowering Women to Shine Programme to unlock the potential in women in order to overcome their self-limiting beliefs and and create fearless cultures both at work and at home, where men and women can tap into both their masculine and feminine leadership energies for creativity and transformation.

To be able to sustainably and effectively create a new global mindset of balance and empowerment we need to readdress the current imbalance of leadership energy to authentically include feminine leadership and thinking.

Shine takes participants on a journey of self-discovery and self-mastery. It enables them to understand and leverage their core strengths to become authentic leaders and role models that bring their whole-selves to work and empower everyone around them to do the same.

THE EN COMMITTEEThe Finding Balance Summits are being supported by the En Committee, which has been created as collaboration between RoundTable Global and Patron Mrs. Akie Abe out of a desire to empower women to shine around the world.

‘En’ in Japanese means ‘Destiny’ and has been chosen as a powerful name for this group of female leaders and influencers who have been galvanised through a synchronistic desire to make sustainable change happen in the world.

The En Committee is not a political or religious movement, nor does it seek to duplicate efforts of existing bodies or governments. The En Committee is an opportunity to harness the current groundswell of support for female empowerment through authentic leadership and action.

The focus of this committee is to engage and inspire everyone, including young people, to create a world where individuals and communities are empowered to work equally and effectively together to make change happen.

The En Committee seeks to create new and further develop existing relationships and collaborations across borders that will enable the sharing of innovations, knowledge, expertise and encourage the peaceful empowerment of everyone.

THE GLOBAL SHINE PLATFORMTiffany created the platform as avirtual space for anyone interested in empowerment and balance to connect and share ideas and resources. It is

At Dubai College, Finding Balance Summit, bringing together business, policy makers and entrepreneurs

“AS A WOMAN FROM A SUPPORTIVE BALANCED BACKGROUND, I HAVE STILL EXPERIENCED GENDER STEREOTYPING - IT IS SO SUBTLY

PREVALENT IN OUR CULTURE THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO SAY THAT THEY HAVEN’T

EXPERIENCED IT. UNFORTUNATELY EVEN OUR CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND NURSERY RHYMES ARE FULL

OF GENDER STEREOTYPING AND TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN WE NEED TO START HERE.”