What is more important, talent or drive?
Drive. Many people associate talent with brilliance when in fact, it's a whole lot less glamorous than that. In many cases, talent is the gloss that hides a whole lot of hard work. Possessing a natural aptitude for something certainly does enhance your chances of success, but you will not arrive on this ticket alone.

On a scale of one to ten, how significant a role does luck play when it comes to success?
Four. Luck is helpful and many an arrangement has been struck due to a chance meeting. However, you still need good judgement to take advantage of that luck and turn it into success.

Which is more critical, the idea or the execution?
Idea. If I had to choose one over the other it would have to be idea, because if you don't have an initial concept there's nothing to execute. Moreover, there's nothing worse than a bad idea that's been well executed.

Is it better to be passionate or objective?
Passionate. Passion sustains you when you're running on empty and feel like you have nothing more to give. The ability to look at an issue objectively is also an enviable quality and people who possess both passion and objectivity make for remarkable business people.

What is most and least important? Please rank your priorities.

1. Drive
   Relationship skills
   Talent
   Confidence
   Organisational skills

What one trait has helped you most in business?
The ability to identify and develop mutually beneficial relationships with people and organisations. This is an extremely important trait when working within the not-for-profit sector which has access to limited finance and relies heavily on partnering with those who have the time, talent and dollars to give.

What is the one trait that has hindered you most in business?
Never being satisfied with the status quo. I am a strong believer that there is always room for improvement in everything we do, but it has been challenging to keep everyone on board with this pace of change.

What is the hardest lesson you've learned and how did you learn it?
You can't be too far ahead of the pack. The fear of risk-taking is embedded in most organisations and bureaucracies, and when you put pressure on them to support doing things in a different way, they rarely thank you for it. Disrupting the status quo usually amounts to displacing prevailing power bases, and those who are settled in the latter are often quicker to passionately protect their turf than consider a different model.

What is the one piece of advice you would offer other women in business?
Seek out workplaces which provide adequate support structures for young employees in the form of mentors or mentoring initiatives. Mentors are an invaluable source of knowledge for young executives, dispensing advice on career paths and providing introductions to vital networks which will benefit the employee's career in the future.
For many younger women, developing a mentor relationship with a senior manager, especially a male, is often a daunting and difficult task. Companies need to be doing more to put in place structures that encourage senior managers and employees to engage in such initiatives.

What are the biggest mistakes you see women making in business?
Trying to be one of the boys. Sometimes it's lonely at the top being a woman, however you must be true to yourself and your values.