The dynamics of women’s leadership have changed significantly over the past few decades. With the changing views and awareness regarding women’s inclusion, more women are being represented at higher management positions across different industries. While this is a positive sign for women empowerment, it has given rise to competition among women leaders. To thrive in this competition, today’s leaders need to possess several qualities that are different from their peers.
Expressing her views on the ideal qualities of a woman leader today, Kylie Van Luyn (Founder of Elevated Coaching & Consulting) says, “Because of the unique challenges faced by women leaders, they need to possess effective communication skills, empathy, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to inspire and motivate others.”
Kylie is an accredited psychotherapist. She is a Harvard Business School graduate, emotional intelligence coach, NLP master practitioner, and founding member of the International Strategic Psychotherapists Association. She has a Master’s qualification in Human Resources and leadership. Moreover, she is an accredited Human Rights Consultant. Her first co-authored book was published in April 2023, “8 Qualities for Great Leadership: Critical Elements for Current and Future Success.”
“I am the Founder and a visionary, so I dream big and my team of amazing professionals often execute and integrate my big ideas!”
Kylie Van Luyn
Leading-edge Services
As a part of the business consultancy services, Elevated Coaching & Consulting provides tailored workplace diversity, equity, inclusion, and psychological safety consulting. A new Elevated Workplace training program is developed to support teams, leaders, and organizations to develop greater awareness of creating more inclusive and psychologically safe workplaces. The company partners with business owners and leaders across the non-profit, private, and public sectors to set and execute a clear strategy that drives transformation and maintains a competitive edge. Some services are listed as follows:
1. Nonprofit Consulting and Support
Elevated Coaching & Consulting has enormous experience in the non-profit sector and offers a range of specialist support services. These include organizational transformation and change management, grant writing, person-centered program design, vicarious trauma training, and Elevated Mindset® for job seekers and non-profit case managers. It also offers a range of training programs to support diversity, equity, and inclusion including:
- Culturally responsive practice training to support employment services, settlement, and nonprofit practitioners who provide services to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Disability awareness training
- Uniquely Us® Elementary School program: delivered across Australia and the USA adopting an early intervention model to disability inclusion and awareness
- Cultural awareness training
2. Career Coaching
A coaching option for everyone: from high school graduates to people exploring a new career path. The company has extensive experience in delivering tailored and results-driven career coaching to individuals, adopting a strengths-based and solutions-focused approach.
3. Leadership Coaching
The company works closely with leaders across all industries and levels of management to support, empower, and develop crucial leadership skills.
4. Elevated Mindset® Coaching program
- As Master NLP Practitioners, Psychotherapists, and Coaches, Elevated Coaching & Consulting, adopts Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques and processes to address limiting beliefs. It supports people in understanding their behaviors, establishes boundaries, and improves customers’ emotional intelligence. The company helps in achieving goals and fulfilling one’s potential by imbibing more confidence, self-belief, and clarity in the customer’s abilities.
- It also coaches individuals, specifically youngsters. The people living with disabilities, migrants, refugees, and women who are returning to the workforce or in need of coaching and pre-employment support to help them launch their businesses or pursue meaningful and sustainable employment.
Preliminary Hardships
Kylie Van Luyn bootstrapped the company and has not got any loans on her to date. The lack of access to funding is a real challenge for women entrepreneurs and business owners. Women often struggle to secure funding for their businesses, due to factors such as bias from investors and a lack of access to networks that can help them and funding.
To overcome the obstacle, Kylie has alternative sources of funding through grants, allocated by corporations and the Government to support women-owned businesses. She faced challenges while expanding to the US market as well. These challenges include the different taxation systems, legislation, compliance, and regulations. It was tough but her strong professional network with trusted business partners changed the game for her.
Prolonged Accomplishment
For Kylie Van Luyn, having a clear vision aligned with the company’s values while living and breathing the purpose every day is a long-standing success. She also has an amazing team that believes in the vision and mission of the company. The team is driven to make a difference to the world and the lives of others, which is the secret to success.
A Thoughtful Mentor
Kylie values every one of her employees and ensures that she conveys her appreciation and gratitude to them regularly. For her, it is important to empower, support, and encourage the team members and treat everyone as equals. She emphasizes the well-being and development of her team and understands how crucial it is to foster a supportive work environment where everyone can thrive. The positive and unique team culture includes:
- Regular feedback sessions
- Opportunities for ongoing professional development
- Career progression
- Flexible work arrangements
- Focus on work-life balance
- Diverse talents
- Collaborative spirit
- Shared commitment to the company’s mission
Tech-based Training
Elevated Coaching & Consulting offers online and virtual sessions of the workshops, training, and coaching programs. It ensures all people who want access to the services and support can do it virtually. It also offers the opportunity for consulting clients to engage in the sessions virtually.
Expanding by Bridging Gaps
The expansion plans are aligned with meeting industry, partner, or client’s needs. It is also informed by identifying gaps in the market, and via research and client feedback. Kylie was aware of the gaps and need in the US market for a combined focus on DEI. Psychological safety training, consulting, and leadership coaching were incorporated into the US expansion and service offerings.
She also identified a gap in early intervention disability awareness and inclusion at the elementary school level. In collaboration with her team, Kylie created the Uniquely Us program to be delivered in schools across the US. Similarly, in Australia in partnership with a national Non-profit, the team identified a need to design a pre-employment program supporting migrant women into sustainable employment using a positive psychology model. She designed the program, applied for grant funding and the company won, the program is still being delivered in its 2nd year.
Regular meetings are held with partners, clients, Government departments, and legislators to tackle changing customer demands. The company also does a lot of market research to make sure the service offerings remain relevant and meet the changing needs of the clients.
Golden Pieces of Advice
Kylie Van Luyn says, “Don’t let fear of failing hold you back from starting your journey as an entrepreneur. Feel the fear and do it anyway! We all have limiting beliefs and lack confidence at times, but it is better to have tried than to never know.
Embrace resilience and tenacity in the face of challenges. Surround yourself with a supportive network, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and leverage your unique skills, experiences, and perspectives to achieve success.”
Heap of Achievements
Kylie Van Luyn has had some great achievements over the years. Here they are:
- 2019: Australian State Business Women’s Awards Finalist in the For Purpose & Social Enterprise category for her work empowering women from refugee backgrounds across Australia.
- 2022: Elevated Coaching & Consulting was named an Australian State finalist in the Outstanding Start-Up category.
- March 2023: Named one of the Top 10 Influential Female Entrepreneurs
- December 2023: Named as a Women of Influence Finalist for her work in empowering women on their career journey.
Women’s Corner:
Q. As a woman leader, what has been the biggest challenge in your career? Have you ever confronted any gender-related barriers?
A. Gender bias! Being a single working mother was challenging, I faced a lot of discrimination throughout my career as a leader because I was a single working mother.
Women often face gender bias in the workplace and business, which can affect their career progression and limit their opportunities. To overcome this obstacle, I have found that it’s important to be aware of gender biases and to challenge them whenever possible, I certainly have! This can include speaking up in meetings, advocating for yourself, and seeking out mentors and sponsors who can support your business and career growth.
Q. How do you ensure women’s inclusion and empowerment in your organization?
A. I walk the talk when it comes to empowering women and creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. This includes promoting gender diversity in hiring, providing mentorship and leadership development programs, fostering a culture of equal opportunities, and regularly assessing and addressing any gender-related disparities. By creating a supportive and inclusive environment, we aim to empower women at all levels within our organization.
Q. What is your definition of feminism?
A. From my perspective, feminism is the belief in and advocacy for the equality of the sexes. It’s about dismantling societal barriers that limit opportunities based on gender, promoting inclusivity, and ensuring that every individual, regardless of gender, has the freedom to pursue their aspirations and choices without discrimination.
Q. Whom do you look up to as a source of inspiration and why? (You can name any woman leader that inspired you)
A. I am inspired by women leaders who stand for something, and who use their voices to make a change in the world. I am inspired by women who empower and inspire other women and girls by sharing their stories and who have overcome challenges and adversity, lighting the way for girls and women who are perhaps experiencing similar challenges.
A few women leaders who inspire me include Melinda Gates, Angela Merkel, Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney, and Sheryl Sandberg.
These women have demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, resilience, and impact in their respective fields.
Q. Beyond the cabin, how do you ensure a perfect work-life balance?
A. There is no such thing as perfect! I prefer to work towards work/life integration and harmony instead of balance. I focus on self-care, good nutrition, regular exercise, maintaining a growth mindset, and prioritizing family time. I focus on maintaining my energy and am mindful of what projects I invest my time and energy in.
