‘Be the hero of your own story’: Jenny Jarvis shares key tools for women aspiring to leadership positions

At Content Coms, we believe that diverse leadership is essential for driving innovation and fostering inclusive workplaces. It’s a key conversation that should continue throughout the year, not just as we approach International Women’s Day. While progress has been made, the stark reality remains: female representation in executive roles—especially in male-dominated industries like energy—still falls short.

Women now hold 43% of directorships on FTSE 100 boards and 42% on FTSE 250 boards. On the surface, these figures suggest progress. But a closer look reveals a different reality: the number of women in executive roles on FTSE 250 boards has fallen by 11%, and only 10 women currently serve as CEOs. Not to mention, the UK just received its worst ranking in a decade for equity in the workplace.

To explore the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership, we spoke with Jenny Jarvis, author of Lead with Confidence and COO at the Energy Saving Trust. A must-read for aspiring female leaders, Jenny’s book draws on her 20+ years of leadership experience and offers over 40 practical tools and frameworks to help women navigate their path to the top.

On leadership styles: Does one size fit all?

Leadership skills exist within the larger container of a leadership style. At the beginning of her book, Jarvis lays out the four key leadership categories which can be summarised as directional, supportive, transformational, and ambassadorial leaders.

With practical input and guidance, Lead with Confidence helps readers determine their current leadership style as well as identify which styles they might like to aspire to in the future. Leadership styles are not cemented in stone; they can be fluid and subject to change over time depending on your goals.

When asked about her own personal leadership style, Jarvis shares, “I started off as a very supportive leader, and I still am, but in the beginning, I probably relied too much on achieving consensus when sometimes a more directive approach was needed. I call on this style when the situation demands it, for example when leading targeted intense activity or when a more significant ‘crisis’ occurs over a longer period, such as during COVID. As I’ve developed as a leader, with greater accountability for inspiring others and setting a vision, I have found that a transformational leadership style is necessary.

“I’ve had to develop competency and skill in adopting those other styles and apply them alongside my supportive nature. As I continue to grow, I see myself eventually moving into an ambassadorial role, championing future generations of leaders.”

Leadership within the energy sector and other male-dominated industries

Across the board, it’s clear that some business sectors are dominated by one gender. Nursing, childcare, and teaching still remain predominantly female-driven. Alternatively, STEM and other industries such as the energy sector, while improving, are still largely male dominated.

“The energy sector has traditionally had more male colleagues and senior leaders, though I’m starting to see positive change. I now attend industry events where there are more female leaders in the room, and there’s also a lot more support available than there used to be,” said Jarvis.

She cited groups such as the Women’s Utilities Network (WUN) and the Women’s Leadership Group as fantastic peer-supported opportunities for established leaders. For younger professionals, the UK Youth Climate Coalition offers a space for 18 to 29-year-olds to collaborate and develop their leadership skills in the sector.

“Leadership in energy—or any industry—requires resilience, the ability to navigate change, and strong problem-solving skills.

“Women who want to advance should seek out mentorship, connect with professional networks, and build confidence in key leadership areas like negotiation and communication,” she says.

Resilience and change: The fundamental skills for every sector

The skillset of a good leader is no doubt multifaceted, but Jarvis has learned that a few core leadership skills remain key regardless of sector: negotiating, handling confrontation, and networking.

Advice and tools on how to develop these skillsets are peppered throughout the book, with over 40 tools and frameworks to leverage. This book is broken down into eight sections to help aspiring leaders work through these in a methodical way, or dive in selectively based on their needs.

Jarvis underlines particularly useful skillsets that can help women thrive: “Additionally, leading change and managing resilience are crucial, particularly as you navigate challenges. Lastly, effective problem-solving techniques and creativity are invaluable across industries.”

Mentorship isn’t just for early career stages….

Mentoring plays a crucial role in supporting women aspiring to leadership by providing guidance at different career stages. As Jenny Jarvis explains, early-career professionals can benefit from understanding potential career paths, while mid-career women can use mentorship to develop key skills. Seasoned mentors can act as champions, advocating for leadership growth.

“It’s also important to recognise that mentorship isn’t just top-down—leaders can learn a great deal from younger professionals as well,” Jarvis adds.

Along with sharing input, she says, it’s vital that women also actively voice all parts of their experiences in the workplace, particularly the challenges. This helps women to know they are not alone in their struggles.

“It’s so important for women to actively support each other. One way to do this is by openly sharing our career journeys and experiences. I recently attended a Women of the Future programme ambassadors event where 100 school-age young women spoke with 100 women leaders, and just having those conversations was so powerful.”

‘True allyship requires reflection and action’: Male responsibility

Lead with Confidence is an empowering tool in itself that allows women of all ages and ranks to take action and hone their leadership skills. But, does the responsibility to climb the ranks fall entirely on women’s shoulders? Do organisations in male-dominated industries have a responsibility to improve environments for women in leadership?

To the latter, Jarvis answers ‘Yes, absolutely.’ She tackles this topic in the last section of her book, written partly to help women advocate for change in their organisations. The last chapter lays out an in-depth table of each chapter matched with guidance and reflection questions for supporting female leaders through their journey. This toolkit is a step-by-step guide that helps to engage managers and upper leadership in the conversation around women and the workplace.

“It’s important to ask the right questions: Are our values serving all employees? Are our performance frameworks rewarding the strengths that women bring to leadership? True allyship requires reflection and action.”

Building equity in the workplace is the responsibility of all, not just key stakeholders. If unsure where to start, seek examples of others acting positively in the workplace.

Jarvis shares how her organisation continue to move the conversation forward: “For example, at my company, Energy Saving Trust, we’re co-designing a session for our senior male leaders to discuss how they can be better allies.”

Key learnings from the author…

As the saying goes, we often write the book we needed for ourselves. Part of the calling for Jarvis was realising over many years that she would have loved a useful resource on her own leadership journey. While the idea had been a long time coming, the true catalyst was having a few months off between jobs.

‘I went to the library one day and just started writing. I wrote 4,500 words in one go and realised that the whole book had been inside me all along, waiting to come out.’

Now, Jarvis is on a mission to help other women reach their full potential and leadership goals.

‘Writing this book has been a journey,’ she says. ‘And I hope it helps many women become the heroes of their own leadership stories.’

You can order your own copy of Lead with Confidence here.

At Content Coms, we believe that diversity in leadership isn’t just a box to tick—it’s essential for driving innovation, resilience, and success, especially in industries like energy and sustainability. As a company that champions transparent and impactful communication, we’re committed to helping businesses tell authentic stories, amplify diverse voices, and create meaningful change.

If your organisation is looking to craft compelling and transparent narratives, we’re here to help. Get in touch to find out how we can support your communications strategy.