Desray Shuck- A Leader Adept at Managing a House of Cards

Have you ever looked at your To-Do list and wondered, “How am I going to balance this house of cards?”?

If you have, take heart; you are not alone.?

Head of Technical Learning for Anglo American and self-proclaimed “serial starter upper”, Desray Shuck has been asking herself that question for years. Below are insights from her leadership journey that have supported her success in continually finding balance in a constantly shifting world.?

#1: Ask yourself, “Who needs me most at this moment in time?”?

Early in her career, Desray found herself struggling to balance the demands of her corporate job with the needs of her two young children. By asking herself, “Who needs me the most at this moment in time?” Desray concluded that it was her family and not her career that required her attention. That realization led her to step out of her growing corporate career and set up her own business, which enabled her to be more flexible with her family time. While Desray admits she felt conflicted about her decision then, today she is grateful for the relationships that choice enabled her to build with her children.?

#2: Prioritize your time using “Now, Next, Later”?

Desray also shared that every day she asks herself, “What must I do right now? What must be done next? And what can wait until later?” Using this simple three-tiered approach to prioritization enables her to stay focused on what—and who—matters most.?

#3: Never do for yourself what someone else could do for you!?

As Desray has moved through her career, she has launched many new endeavors and is widely known as a serial start-up entrepreneur, incubating many new business ventures. Since joining Anglo American seven years ago, Desray has launched three learning-related ventures while living in three different countries. She was hired in Johannesburg, South Africa to build the Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) then moved to London, England to start the Leadership Academy, and is now based in the US, spearheading the Global Technical Academy. To accomplish all this, Desray stays focused on the work only she can deliver and lets others step in to be of service in the ways they uniquely can.??

#4: Face it and embrace it...you are a leader?

While today Desray clearly sees herself as a leader, it wasn’t always that way. Despite having her first leadership role when she was the youngest captain ever of a sports team in school, Desray saw herself as a technical expert and resisted seeing herself as a leader in her professional life for years. Looking back, Desray realizes now that she, like many women and leaders from under-represented groups, was suffering from imposter syndrome, which is an important reminder that representation in leadership matters. Fortunately, on a pilgrimage walking the Camino de Santiago, Desray finally had an epiphany that helped her break through the barriers of self-perception and came to see herself as the leader she is and has always been.?

Desray appreciates the many managers she has worked for over the years who have served as role models of good leadership, and she is especially grateful for those who had the courage to give the tough feedback that enabled her to grow and succeed.?

Interested in learning more from Desray? Join NIIT Principal Consultant, Pooja Singh Mehta, Desray Shuck, and a panel of other women leaders for “From Glass Slippers to Glass Ceilings | Celebrating Women Leaders in Learning” on March 30, 2022, at 10 AM Eastern time. Click here to register. ?