If I put a dollar in my savings account for every time someone asked me when my leadership journey began, I’d be driving my dream car by now – a Tesla 4×4 for anyone who’s interested!
My undergrad degree was Psychology, so given my interest in the motivation and drive of others I should have known that one’s leadership journey starts much before you are ever bestowed the title by your organisation and handed a team to lead. I believe there is a major misconception that you are only a leader when you’re at the top of your game or have succeeded in becoming the head of a global organisation. Reality is, we all have the ability to be leaders, no matter what stage of life you are at or what your job title is.
For me, leadership is about being authentic and remaining true to who you are, all the time and I wish I had of known that younger when I was trying to be everything I thought my superiors wanted from me. Authenticity for me translates into knowing my own strengths and being able to harness them to bring out the best in other people. In my business, leadership is about ensuring everyone knows where the company is going, they are clear on the mission, vision and values and how their role plays a significant part of the organisation as a whole. It’s about having difficult conversations which drive people to be more passionate, driven to be their best and to be accountable to themselves and others. As my hero Brené Brown says, ‘integrity is choosing courage over comfort.”
It’s not easy! As a Founder and Director, the hardest thing for me to learn about leadership was to step back from the day-to-day, something I think all business owners struggle with. I had to let go and allow the team to take care of the necessary tasks so I could focus on more important goals in terms of growth and scaling, whilst still holding the team accountable for delivery.
My proudest achievement along my journey would have to be the release of The Leadership Institute in 2017. A sub-brand of my parent company Konnect Learning, our mission was to really shake up what people think of when they think of conferences. Our institute stems from my belief that great leaders only learn from other great leaders, so our programs are strategically designed to be a place for great leaders to share their stories and educate the new generation.
Coming up in March 2020 we will be hosting The Empowered Woman, a one-day experience to ignite your passion for business in all its forms – so you have the skills to achieve your dream career. Be inspired by personal stories of success, learn from intimate tales of failure, harness your ambition to make it happen. Our headline speakers confirmed include Sarah-Jane Clarke, Justine Troy, Suzy Nicoletti and Van Le. Get in early and book your tickets now!
