#propelher - Grounded Curiosity

April 13, 2026April 13, 2026Propel Her

Leadership doesn’t come from the comment section – when noise meets reality

Reading Time: 10 minutes It is also a significant day for every young girl who has ever thought about what leadership might look like for her. For every female soldier, officer and veteran who has quietly pushed through barriers that once felt immovable.
It is a reminder that those barriers are not what they once were. And that, more than anything, is worth acknowledging.

September 4, 2025September 4, 2025Propel Her

Blood, Sweat and Tears: A Bloody History

Reading Time: 14 minutes If we want young women to grow up with dignity and health, we need to talk about it openly. Women’s Health Week is the perfect time. Pens out, pads ready (see what I did there?) – class is in session.

Australian Army soldier Corporal Caitlyn Elleray reads a letter from a distant relative writing about his account of the landing at Gallipoli.

August 5, 2025August 5, 2025Propel Her

Hysteria, witch hunts and the wandering womb

Reading Time: 11 minutes To the wandering wombs, the witch-hunts and the Diagnostic Manuals that couldn’t quite fit us in. To the Freud footnotes, the battlefield breakthroughs and the male-led mental health movements that found time for everyone else first.

May 31, 2023February 11, 2024Propel Her

Shattering Identity Bias – An interview with Captain Mona Shindy CSC

Reading Time: 5 minutes Captain Mona Shindy is an accomplished Naval Officer – one of the first to serve on an Aussie warship. She wears many […]

August 2, 2022February 11, 2024Propel Her

High Performance Teams and Leadership Lessons – Afghan Evacuation Task

Reading Time: 8 minutes For nine months (August 2021 – May 2022), I have been part of a volunteer team, including Chris Parsons and Martin Dransfield, […]

April 8, 2021February 11, 2024Propel Her

How to have a Challenging Conversation at Work

Reading Time: 5 minutes By Shamsa Lea and edited by Lyndsay Freeman. This article is part of the Propel Her Australia – Defence Women’s Leadership Series. The difference […]

October 1, 2020February 11, 2024Propel Her

The Mediator Mindset: A Leader’s Guide to Conflict Resolution

Reading Time: 5 minutes This article is part of the Propel Her – Defence Women’s Leadership Series. There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and conflict […]

September 17, 2020February 11, 2024Propel Her

Imposter Syndrome: Feel it, name it, propel forward anyway

Reading Time: 5 minutes Uncover more insights from our centre of 40+ articles at the Propel Her Home Page or submit a guest author submission, read how here. […]

September 3, 2020February 11, 2024Blog, Propel Her

Learn, Connect, Inspire: The Power of Networking

Reading Time: 5 minutes This is the fourth article in the Propel Her – Defence Women’s Leadership Series by Lyndsay Freeman and Shamsa Lea. The term ‘networking’ will invariably turn some […]

August 27, 2020February 11, 2024DEFAUS, Propel Her

Intrapreneurship: The Art of Innovation and Influence

Reading Time: 5 minutes This is the third article in the Propel Her – Defence Women’s Leadership Series by Lyndsay Freeman and Shamsa Lea. You might purely associate ‘intrapreneurship’ with tech startups and […]

August 13, 2020February 11, 2024Blog, Leadership, Opportunities, Propel Her

The Value of Mentoring

Reading Time: 5 minutes Most ADF members don’t realise the value of mentoring until late in their careers – with the common reflection being ‘Why didn’t I do this sooner!?’ Mentoring can change your career and life trajectory. It can open up networks and opportunities beyond your immediate reach, and can give you the tools and confidence to develop and promote yourself.