The most valuable conversations often happen behind closed doors, not broadcast, not rehearsed, and not easily forgotten. That’s exactly what unfolded at the latest Women Leading Together breakfast, where our guest speaker, Marina Go, shared an honest and deeply insightful conversation on what it really takes to lead.

Marina is a leader whose career spans decades, industries and boardrooms, and whose impact runs deep. After an executive career in media, she now has a thriving board career and is an influential chair and NED. She spoke with clarity, humility, and the kind of insight that only comes from years spent navigating leadership hurdles.

She began with her early days in publishing, as editor of Dolly magazine (among others) and then spoke about launching Australian Good Taste for Woolworths, a magazine without a blueprint and at the start of the customer magazine era. And then about enrolling in an MBA not to chase status, but to build confidence in spaces where she was often the only woman. Her first board appointment came via Netball Australia. It was unpaid. She wasn’t a governance expert. But she showed up, listened, learned… and kept going.

Soon after came the Wests Tigers. As Chair, Marina was the first woman to lead an NRL club, a role that brought national attention and gendered criticism. “They weren’t questioning what I was doing,” she said quietly. “They were questioning whether I had the right to be there at all.”

Still, she stayed. She led. And that experience, she told us, transformed her more than any title ever could. It built her resilience, and she was noticed by the business community for the right reasons.

Throughout the morning, Marina shared the kind of lessons you rarely hear spoken so plainly. The importance of saying yes to stretch opportunities, even when you don’t feel ready. The value of finding people who see your potential, and trusting their belief in you before you fully believe in yourself.

She was candid about the slow pace of progress for women on boards. But she also spoke about strategy. About planning. About learning to read the room, lead the room, and build the confidence to speak with conviction when it counts.

And perhaps most importantly, she spoke about the often-overlooked leadership qualities like communication, emotional intelligence and intuition. These aren’t optional anymore, she reminded us. They are the leadership edge.

She offered the kind of real-world advice and reflections that aren’t written in books, such as:

• The importance of taking opportunities that are presented, even if you know it’s going to be hard, and having the courage to show up anyway.
• Enduring public criticism not just for her decisions as a leader, but simply for being a woman in leadership, and building the resilience to lead forward anyway.
• The reality of stagnating progress for women on boards, and why soft skills, transparency and strategic focus are now non-negotiables.
• Navigating imposter syndrome and learning to trust the people who see something in you, even when you don’t.
• Planning your career 5 – 10 years in advance and having a clear path to where you want to go.

Marina didn’t offer a script for success. What she gave was something far more valuable – the unvarnished truth of what it takes to lead over the long haul. No shortcuts. No guarantees. Just the steady accumulation of experience, conviction, and the courage to stay the course, even when the room isn’t built for you.

Alexandra Smart, Partner, ECI Partners

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