TESTIMONIALS
Unleashing My Superpowers
“Patience uses her superpower of storytelling to provide an inspirational but practical guide for all of us striving for Peak Performance! I know first-hand that she not only preaches and teaches the lessons she shares, she truly lives them. I am grateful for Patience, this project and book, and thrilled that so many will be touched and empowered by Patience and this extraordinary work.“
Shannon O. Pierce
IWF Fellow Alumni and 20-year Energy Executive. USA
Helena De Oliviera
IWF Fellow Alumni and Executive Transformational Leader. Canada
Kate Nuttall
IWF Fellow Alumni and Human Resources
Leader. Australia
Heike Truol
Non-Executive Director Clarkson plc and former Executive Head Anglo American plc. UK
Have you ever wondered,
“What does it take for women to succeed in a male-dominated workplace like mining?”
Or are you a woman in STEM, struggling to navigate the male-dominated work environment?
Unleashing My Superpowers!
Imagine what life would be like if you had a manual with strategies and step-by-step practical tools to help you navigate the challenges of trying to succeed in a male-dominated workplace to C-Suite level. What benefits would that bring to you and your family? Look no further!
Unleashing My Superpowers is a compelling and inspirational memoir filled with profound stories, wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about succeeding in the tough, male-dominated mining industry for over 25 years. Patience shares how she left her mark on this industry and won several awards for it in Africa. Her near-death experience on a family holiday in Africa inspired her to pay it forward by creating this valuable narrative for women.
Patience tells the unique story of how her upbringing in a Lemba (black Jew) tradition shaped her belief system, which led to her embarking on a STEM career. She rose above many challenges and traumatic experiences, from not feeling good enough as a child, to almost drowning while in primary school, to becoming a mother at the age of 21. She offers a first-person account of struggling through her first days as a PhD researcher to being the most influential woman in mining in Africa. With humor, her journey through various locations across the globe, including safaris in Africa, will keep your eyes glued to the page.
This book creates a subtle but profound shift in mindset that helps you understand what gives you meaning and unleash your superpowers. Unleashing My Superpowers will forever change the way you think about your ability to succeed in male-dominated industries.
“You need to unleash something extra to be the change you want to see in the world. It’s about having a sense of purpose, stepping out of your comfort zone, using your voice to inspire others, and being a catalyst for change. Women have superpowers and it’s time to unleash them! Wathinta umfazi, wathinta imbokodo is a Zulu saying that means, ‘You strike a woman, you strike a rock.’ Let us all shine our lights and help others shine theirs.”
Unleashing My Superpowers is eloquent and inspiring, a practical and accessible book backed with real-life examples and personal stories that inspire women to unlock the superpowers necessary to succeed in their career. It is a call to action for leaders to create diverse and inclusive workplaces so that women can achieve their potential and create value.
10 Key Things
This Book Will
Teach You
Chapter 1
“OVERCOMING CULTURAL BARRIERS”
In this Chapter, Patience explains how your upbringing can be reshaped by powerful paradigm shifts as a leader. Patience tells the unique story of how her upbringing in a Lemba (black Jew) tradition shaped her belief system, which led to her embarking on a STEM career.
Chapter 2
“RISING ABOVE LIFE’S CHALLENGES WITH GRIT”
In this Chapter, Patience reveals how you can overcome adversity to achieve success. She shares the obstacles she faced, from losing her father, to becoming a mother at 21, to getting divorced five years later. With grit and determination, she turned her pain into success when she received a scholarship from a global mining company to study for a PhD in Australia.
Chapter 3
“HOW TO OVERCOME IMPOSTER SYNDROME”
In this Chapter, Patience shares how to overcome imposter syndrome, develop resilience, identify your superpowers, and find fulfillment in your career. Patience arrived in a foreign land, struggled with adjusting to the new culture, and almost gave up on her PhD until she had an epiphany that changed her life forever when she heard Oprah Winfrey on TV say, “You are enough.”
Chapter 4
“WHO ARE MY MENTOR AND SPONSORS
In this Chapter, Patience shares powerful strategies for identifying and overcoming invisible barriers with the help of mentors and sponsors. Inspirational stories from locations across the globe, will keep you engaged as she shares how she struggled to balance single motherhood and working in remote places.
Chapter 5
“WHY WE NEED MORE FEMALE ROLE MODELS”
In this Chapter, Patience explains how having female role models can help you succeed. She shares her “Aha moment,” when the company she worked for appointed its first female CEO, which made her believe in the possibility of being a female leader in a male-dominated workplace.
Chapter 6
“THE GLASS CUSHION”
In this chapter, you’ll learn why relationships matter as you rise through the ranks and how to advocate for yourself. Patience turned her pain into growth as she found herself at one of the top business schools in the world, fully funded, with a new promotion and better prospects.
Chapter 7
“BOUNCING BACK FROM ADVERSITY WITH THE HELP OF A COACH”
In this Chapter, you’ll learn how to develop a stronger identity and believe in yourself as Patience shares that “it is at your moments of decisions that your destiny is shaped.” Her decision to enrol as an executive coach turned out to be one of the best investments she has ever made.
Chapter 8
“FROM BOYS CLUB TO MALE CHAMPIONS: THE ROLE OF ESG”
In this chapter, you’ll learn why now is the perfect time to “lean in” for opportunities due to ESG requirements. Patience shares how she was promoted to a role that opened many doors, a role she believes was her calling. She hit rock bottom in her career but exactly one month later, she rose again and became one of the 36 women in the world selected for the acclaimed IWF Fellows Program.
Chapter 9
“BECOMING A GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADER”
In this Chapter, you’ll learn why it’s time to use your voice to claim your power and build the career you deserve, based on powerful insights gleaned from interviewing 30 women across the globe who have achieved C-Suite and Board level.
Chapter 10
“UNLEASHING OUR SUPERPOWERS, TOGETHER WE RISE”
In this Chapter, Patience shares the powerful Peak Performance Leadership Model for the 21st century. She summarises what helped her succeed in this tough industry and why she stayed in it and advocated for it for more than 25 years. Through her stories of success and failure, joy and sorrow, and overcoming adversity, she explains how to balance career and life, find meaning in what you do. And finally, how to unleash your superpowers.
