90 The Australian Women’s Weekly | JUNE 2018
LISA WEARS FORWARD TOP, CARLA ZAMPATTI SKIRT AND KAILIS BRACELET. NICOLE WEARS ALTUZARRA AT DAVID JONES. JULIE WEARS HER OWN CLOTHES.Lisa Harrington
Executive General Manager,
Stakeholder Relations, AGL Energy
Lisa Harrington’s mother escaped from communist
Yugoslavia when she was just two years old and, says
Lisa, “I grew up being very aware of the sacriices
that had been made for me. I wanted to work hard
and make those sacriices worthwhile. My grandma
used to read our school reports and cry.” So, hard
work is one of the secrets to Lisa’s success in business.
Another is an ability to overcome self-doubt by
thinking of others. “I try to remain focused on what
other people need, rather than worrying about whether
I measure up. If I start to doubt myself, I take my
cues from my team.” Communication and sharing
stories are also important to Lisa, which is one of the
reasons she was delighted to join The Weekly’s team
of judges. “It’s so important, at the moment, that we
share our experiences, good and bad, so we can learn
from each other and bring along the next generation.”Nicole Byers
Editor-in-Chief, The Australian Women’s Weekly
The Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief, Nicole Byers, has had a long
and successful career in magazine publishing. Nevertheless,
she knows nobody is immune to the creeping doubt that
comes with stepping up to pursue your dream. “I think I
allowed myself about 20 minutes of unadulterated joy when
I was irst offered my dream job as Editor-in-Chief at The
Weekly before my nagging inner critic crashed the party,”
she says. “It was actually reading last year’s Women of the
Future judges’ interviews that helped me overcome the
wobbles. Learning that someone like Lisa Wilkinson, whose
work and career I have long admired, had also struggled
with so-called Imposters Syndrome went a long way to
allaying my fears and allowing me to acknowledge and
celebrate my success. Something I would encourage all
women to do more of.” Whenever she needs a fortifying dose
of courage, Nicole thinks of something her father told her
when she was young: “Fear is the greatest enemy of success.”