Summary
In this episode, Laura Witcher speaks with Laura Hancock, about the leadership lessons she wishes every woman heard earlier in her career.
Laura shares how a chance role at Norwich Union led her into insurance, before taking the leap to co-founding an Insurance company while raising her one-year-old daughter. She reflects on the challenges of building a business from scratch, navigating difficult personal circumstances, and why resilience is often built during the moments that feel the hardest.
Together, they explore what great leadership really looks like. Not through hierarchy or authority, but by role modelling the behaviours you want to see in others.
The conversation also challenges one of the biggest myths around women in leadership:
that ambition and compassion cannot exist together.
Laura explains why she believes the best leaders combine high standards with empathy, why saying "yes" to opportunities has shaped her career, and why many of the beliefs holding women back are not their own, but stories they have carried from others.
They also discuss the importance of building a strong business culture, mentoring future talent, embracing technology, and why the insurance industry has a responsibility to inspire the next generation.
This is a conversation about leading with courage, staying true to your values, and creating opportunities. Not only for yourself, but for those who come after you.
Key Takeaways
- Great leaders role model the behaviours they want to see in others.
- Ambition and compassion are strengths that can exist together.
- Some of the beliefs holding you back may not be your own.
- Difficult moments often become the foundations of resilience.
- Networking, curiosity and giving back to the profession create opportunities throughout your career.
- Technology should remove administration so people can focus on relationships, advice and creating value.
About the Guest
Connect with Laura Hancock on LinkedIn.
About the Host
Connect with Laura Witcher on LinkedIn.
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