Being Yourself

What do you think makes for great leadership?

I think a great leader is someone that continuously thrives to become better, realizing there is no end goal to when it comes to personal and subsequently professional development. Someone who creates strength out of their vulnerability and is not afraid to show areas of weakness.

How would your staff/colleagues describe your leadership style?

Transparent, trustworthy, demanding in a healthy way. Maybe a little to pushy at times when deadlines must be met.

Who or what has influenced your leadership style?

Women who are allowing themselves to stay women in leadership positions without having the need to be more masculine or copy leadership styles from their male superiors to be successful. Growing in the process and finding your own way to lead without being afraid to make mistakes or fail at times.

What professional success are you most proud of?

There is not one particular thing I’m proud of, but I take my pride and measure of success from the feedback I receive from colleagues and peers. How people around you react and treat you is in my opinion one of the most accurate indicators on how you do in your job and life in general.

What has been your greatest professional failure or challenge?

The need to be liked which is something I always thrived for in my career and only recently gave up. There is strength in having the courage not to be liked and I only learned that very recently and it feels good just to be myself even at that risk that not everyone resonates with that.

What would most people be surprised to know about you?

I think my ability to be quite cutting when I must be. It’s a challenge for me to express that in the process of when a conflict arises so I can have the tendency to abandon people rather than continuing to work with them to find a solution and resolve the conflict at hand.

What is the best advice you've received?

Be yourself, don’t fake anything and have the courage to be disliked.

What advice would you give your younger self?

You are perfect just the way you are. Growth comes with time and experience. You are exactly where you are supposed to be at this point in time. There is no rush for anything, the day has enough hours. The only thing you need to do is to prioritize on what is important for you.

Who do you admire? Why?

A former Boss which went through a very difficult time health wise. After she recovered, she shifted, spoke her mind whenever she found it was appropriate, didn’t hold back and stopped being afraid of what people in leadership positions thought of her. There was such a beauty in her courage to be who she really was and this I respected a lot always.

What's next for you?

Working on the things in question 9 and trusting that I will attract good things into my life that will help me grow and develop into the right direction.

What was the last great book you read?

The courage to be disliked.