Charlotte Hails is an ambitious woman in leadership who began her career in policing, rising to become a Detective Chief Inspector leading people in counter-terrorism, safeguarding and public protection.
But Charlotte’s experiences in policing also reflect the darker side of a workplace culture that women in uniformed services still find themselves having to deal with today.
The last few years have highlighted problems of sexual harassment, bullying and misogyny towards women in emergency and armed services across the world.
It’s a topic that Charlotte chose to speak out about publicly in her speech to the UK 2024 Women in Business awards.
In this episode, Charlotte shares her experience:
- of what it takes to be a successful woman in leadership;
- of the good and bad leadership attitudes and skills that she’s encountered in her career; and
- what she believes makes a successful leader.
Listen to Charlotte talking about the reality of Life at the Sharp End as a woman in leadership - in policing, and in the technology sector.
Content warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual harm. If you're affected in any way by the issues discussed, please make use of these links to support resources and organisations.
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Contrasting attitudes
Charlotte’s story is one of contrast between the highs and the lows that women can face when they have the ambition to succeed in an emergency services career.
Uniformed services are often the height of professionalism and frequently among the most trusted by the public.
But we’ve heard how Charlotte’s experience of working in the private sector tech industry since she left policing has been a world apart from instances of sexism, misogyny and sexual harassment that she experienced during her time in policing, regardless of her rank.
Consistent themes
Charlotte’s story highlights some key points we’ve also heard about in earlier episodes of the podcast.
In episode 12, Dr. Jen Fraser talked about how the effects on the brain of someone who’s been bullied can result in Stockholm Syndrome, where the brain’s instinct for self-preservation means a target of bullying can minimise what’s happening to them.
That affects the way people respond when they do speak up about bullying or harassment - they can minimise the impact it’s had, especially when combined with fear of the consequences that come from speaking out.
The impact of sexual harassment being minimised by the ‘canteen culture’ of policing came up in episode 5, when researcher Hollie Trollen talked about her own experience of sexual harm in the emergency services - a subject she’s now researching for her Ph.D.
Chad Costa spoke in episode 9 on Fire and Rescue leadership, about the value of bringing in diversity and experience from outside the organisation, to add fresh perspectives that help teams to develop.
Supportive leadership makes a positive difference
Charlotte’s experiences have much to teach us about why supportive leadership makes such a positive difference.
She gave examples of the best of leadership that she’d experienced working in the highly professional counter-terrorism policing unit.
She also reflected on the potential that wider policing has to learn from its own specialist professional units, and from the private sector.
Three tips for women considering policing
Charlotte shared three pieces of advice for women considering a career in policing:
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Get a reality check to set your expectations and understand what it's going to be like when you're in the job.
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Build relationships, so you can create a network and be your authentic self.
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Develop resilience by looking after yourself and maintaining a balance in your life.
Lessons you can learn from Charlotte's story
Charlotte’s story finishes with a positive message for women in the emergency services:
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With supportive leadership, good networks and connections, and a belief in your own skills and abilities, you can overcome outdated attitudes from those around you, who still need to change their behaviour.
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You have what it takes to follow the opportunities that come your way - whether that’s on your current career path - or, somewhere else entirely.
To paraphrase US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 inaugural address:
the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.
Chapter markers
| Time code | Content |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Introduction |
| 02:35 | Charlotte’s motivation to join policing |
| 06:12 | The policing 'culture of cynicism’ |
| 09:10 | Impact of the gender divide on police culture |
| 12:45 | Leading under scrutiny in counter-terrorism |
| 17:39 | Tackling imposter syndrome as a female leader |
| 20:37 | Speaking out about sexual harassment in policing |
| 27:03 | How is policing tackling its historic culture of misogyny? |
| 33:27 | Comparing and contrasting – from policing to the tech sector |
| 38:59 | Charlotte’s advice to women going into policing |
| 42:23 | Transferrable skills build career resilience |
| 47:05 | Who’s the best leader you’ve worked for? |
| 50:42 | Charlotte’s approach to leadership |
| 52:23 | What’s next for Charlotte’s career? |
| 55:44 | Charlotte's contact information |
| 57:22 | Lessons to learn from Charlotte’s story |