The Carer and the Cared For: Lessons in Courage, Resilience and Leadership
Reflecting on our Lunch & Learn with Janine Hayes OAM
What can caring for someone and jumping out of a plane teach us about leadership? Our Gippsland Women in Business Lunch & Learn with Janine Hayes OAM explored the connection between these very different experiences, and the lessons they offer about courage, resilience and compassion.
Held online on Wednesday 8 July 2026, The Carer and the Cared For: What Caring and Skydiving Taught Me About Courage, Resilience and Leadership invited us to consider how we respond to uncertainty, support others and allow ourselves to receive help.
As a skydiver, business owner, regional leader and GWIB committee member, Janine brought a personal perspective to the conversation. Drawing on her experiences of caring and skydiving, she explored how the skills we develop through life can shape the way we lead and connect with others.
At the heart of the session was the idea that courage doesn’t always arrive with confidence. Sometimes we need to take the first step while we’re still unsure, trusting that confidence can develop along the way.
The session offered several thoughtful reminders:
Courage can come before confidence: We don’t always need to feel ready before taking a meaningful step forward.
Recognise what you can control: Distinguishing between what we can control, influence or need to accept can help us navigate uncertainty.
Receiving help is a strength: Allowing others to support us matters just as much as being there for them.
Listening and patience matter: Caring asks us to slow down, listen and respond with understanding.
Lead with compassion: Grace, humility and an awareness of others’ experiences can strengthen our relationships at work and in life.
These themes reached beyond business. Whether we’re supporting a loved one, leading a team or facing a change of our own, there is value in recognising that we don’t need to have every answer.
Janine’s session gave us space to reflect on both sides of care: offering support and accepting it. It also reminded us that leadership is shaped by how we respond when circumstances are difficult, unfamiliar or outside our control.
Thank you to Janine for sharing her experiences and insights with our community, and to everyone who joined the session.
Through our Lunch & Learn series, GWIB continues to create accessible opportunities for women across Gippsland to connect, learn and explore ideas that support their professional and personal lives.
Explore more sessions in our Lunch & Learn Library.