5 Skills to Kickstart Your Career Progression and Negotiate Your Workplace Requirements
Rachel Holloway shares practical, empowering advice to help women step into leadership with confidence. Covering strategic influence, flexible working, burnout prevention, communication, and negotiation, she urges women to lead boldly, prioritise wellbeing, and advocate for themselves—transforming workplaces and shaping inclusive leadership across the public sector.
At PDG, we are passionate about empowering women in leadership across the public sector. That’s why we are delighted to share insights from Rachel Holloway, Founder and Chief Executive of Partners for Reform.
With over 20 years of international experience and a deep commitment to leadership development, Rachel offers practical, transformative guidance to help women rise, lead, and thrive.
Her voice is a vital part of our shared mission to shape inclusive, forward-thinking public sector leadership.
Empowering Women in Leadership
By Rachel Holloway, Chief Executive & Founder, Partners for Reform
I guide emerging women leaders who want to move forward, step up, and take their place at senior levels. At the Women in Public Sector Leadership Conference, I lead a workshop focused on real tools and strategies for thriving in today’s workplaces. My goal is simple: help women lead with impact while navigating the structural and cultural challenges still present in many organisations.
Here are five key areas I focus on—each one crucial to your leadership journey:
1. Use Strategic Influence to Advance
You do more than work hard—you shape outcomes. Strategic influence means making yourself visible, aligning with decision-makers, and actively seeking growth opportunities. Build a strong internal network, speak up in key moments, and position yourself where decisions happen. Advocate for your progression with confidence, because diverse leadership isn’t just ethical—it improves performance.
Organisations with more women in leadership deliver stronger results. So claim your seat, shape the agenda, and lead with purpose.
2. Define Flexibility on Your Terms
Flexible working is not a perk—it’s essential. Whether it’s remote work, adjusted hours, or job sharing, define what flexibility looks like for you and communicate it clearly. When you prioritise your personal needs and energy, your professional contribution becomes more sustainable and powerful.
Know your rights under the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, but don’t wait for permission—lead the conversation. Flexibility fuels retention, performance, and wellbeing, for you and your team.
3. Prevent Burnout Before It Begins
Burnout doesn’t build resilience—it drains it. Learn to spot early signs like chronic fatigue, disengagement, and lack of motivation. You don’t need to “push through.” Instead, establish clear boundaries, take proper breaks, and protect your energy.
Balance is a leadership skill. Prioritise self-care, seek help when needed, and don’t internalise pressure as a personal failure. Thriving leaders manage their wellbeing with intention and honesty.
4. Speak with Confidence and Clarity
Stop softening your message. Phrases like “I was just thinking…” or “Maybe we could…” dilute your voice. Speak with purpose. Ask directly. Own your contributions. When you remove qualifying language, you gain authority.
Imposter syndrome often creeps in, even for accomplished women. But confidence grows through action. You already belong in the room—you don’t need permission to lead, just presence and practice.
5. Negotiate with Purpose
Negotiation is daily leadership. Whether it’s for salary, workload, flexibility, or visibility, know what you need and ask for it—clearly, specifically, and unapologetically.
Practice your ask. Aim higher than your comfort zone. Don’t rush to accept the first offer. Use negotiation as a tool to shape your role, your path, and your impact.
Lead Boldly
You have the insight, the experience, and the ability. Step into leadership with intentionality. Trust your voice. Prioritise what matters. And keep challenging systems that weren’t built with you in mind. Because when women lead, everyone benefits.
This was presented at the Women in Public Sector Leadership Conference. Rachel is also a trainer for our Women in Leadership – Techniques and Pathways to Senior Roles Course. Check out a snippet from her training and the link to our training course below.
Women in leadership techniques and pathways to senior roles
More information
Reuben Carr
reuben.carr@pdguk.co.uk