A FRESH START!

"Without commitment, you'll never start.

But more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish."

Denzel Washington at NAACP Image Awards, 2017

A FOCUS ON RESILIENT LEADERSHIP

Welcome back to all my newsletter subscribers!

It has been a busy few months since I last published my newsletter.

Following the successful publication of my first book, 'Climbing Mountains: My 5-stage Journey to Resilient Leadership' in December of last year, I embarked on a global book tour which has seen me visiting 9 cities so far - Boston, New York, Florida, Budapest, Malta, Tangier, Casablanca, Fes and Rabat.

And with a focus on resilient leadership comes a re-brand of my newsletter which is now called The Resilient Leader.

Resilience is something that we all need as leaders.

And going forward, my newsletter will share more about how best to flex those resilience muscles.

AN EXCITING NEW CHAPTER!

I am immensely proud to have joined Open Medical as General Counsel, Chief of Staff and Company Secretary on 1st May.

Open Medical is a provider of cloud-based software solutions for healthcare organisations, empowering clinicians to deliver the best data-driven care by providing digital pathways for every speciality.

? Our software engine, Pathpoint?, is the driving force behind our suite of digital solutions.

? Our mission is to achieve sustainable healthcare for everyone through digital excellence.

? And to date, over 170 public and private healthcare sites across the UK and Europe use our solutions every day to help them manage patient care.

Prior to joining the team, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of my Open Medical colleagues including Poppy Bobbett , Holly Humphry , Harry Lykostratis , Michael Shenouda , Dorota Naumiuk and Piyush Mahapatra .

I am truly inspired and motivated by the work that Open Medical is doing to improve patient pathways.

And I very much look forward to adding value in my new role as a member of the senior leadership team!??

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CHIEF OF STAFF?

I've been asked this question a lot since joining Open Medical last month.....

"What does it mean to be a Chief of Staff, Funke?"

In typical lawyer fashion, my answer is "It depends!"

I am truly honoured to serve in 3 distinct capacities as part of Open Medical's Group Executive Committee...

?? General Counsel

?? Company Secretary

?? Chief of Staff

The first 2 are well trodden ground for me, having worn both 'hats' at Roche and Cycle Pharmaceuticals .

But the Chief of Staff role is new.

Within the Open Medical context, it reflects the fact that we are on an important journey.

And that journey includes shaping and developing our organisational culture as we continue to expand and grow.

So this is where my Chief of Staff role comes in.......

?? Having leadership oversight of this cultural transformation.

?? Guiding my wonderful colleagues so that we can maximise our potential.

?? Starting with self awareness......then focusing on others......before then focusing on the wider organisation.

And in all of this, the old adage definitely rings true......

"Teamwork makes the dream work!"

? What are your thoughts on Chief of Staff roles?

Do share in the comments section below!

PODCAST CORNER - CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH

?? The month of June is Pride Month. ??

? But what is Pride Month?

It's an annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to history, society and cultures worldwide.

?Why is Pride celebrated throughout the month of June each year?

To commemorate its roots in the Stonewall Riots of June 1969.

I have been a proactive ally of the LGBTQ+ community for many, many years.

?? ?? And I am delighted to have interviewed several of my friends from the community for mine and my son Max Abimbola 's podcast series, The Power of Privilege and Allyship Podcast .

Why not click on the link below to listen to our interviews with Joanne Monck OBE FRSA , Mark Baker FRSA , Georgina Wrigg , Daniel Winterfeldt MBE KC (Hon) , Eboné F. Bell , Chuck Stephens , Julia Streets , Steve Keith ????? and Shani Newbold to name but a few?

By listening to their inspiring stories, you will understand so much more about the many ways in which these exceptional individuals have led by example, raising awareness and improving outcomes for others.Importantly, you will find out more about how you can become an ally by supporting their work going forwards.

Links to listen at:

?? https://lnkd.in/gTarH8U

?What are you doing to celebrate Pride Month?

Do share in the comments section below!

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL SELF REGULATION

?? Let's talk about emotional self regulation.

I first became familiar with this concept during a recent conversation with my childhood friend Maje Ayida .

Maje is a renowned corporate wellness coach and mental health advocate, amongst other things.

He has won several awards for his impactful work.

And since he shared the importance of emotional self regulation with me, I have factored this into every aspect of my day-to-day.

??Not everything that upsets us is worth getting upset about.

??We can waste valuable energy on the wrong things.

??Sometimes it really is best to turn the other cheek and walk away.

??And you don't need to invite yourself to every argument!

Emotional self regulation is an essential part of good mental wellness.

And it is something that we need to master in our journey to becoming resilient leaders?

??What are your thoughts on emotional self regulation?

Do share in the comments section below!

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Thank you for reading the first re-branded edition of my newsletter, The Resilient Leader!

If you have enjoyed this newsletter, please?subscribe?and?share?it widely across your LinkedIn network.

Thank you for your support. ??

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ABOUT PROFESSOR FUNKE ABIMBOLA MBE

Professor Funke Abimbola is a multi-award-winning transformational business leader and board executive.

With a first career as a corporate lawyer, she has since spent over a decade working in a range of senior leadership roles within the healthcare industry.

She is also a recognised global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader, a commentator for the BBC, a Public Speaker, podcast host and author.

Most importantly, she is the proud mother of a 21 year old son who is a software engineer.

She was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by HRH Queen Elizabeth II for services to diversity and young people in the 2017 birthday honours list.

Her first book, 'Climbing Mountains: My 5-Stage Journey to Resilient Leadership' is available to purchase through Amazon in both Kindle and paperback versions.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @Champ1Diversity

Instagram: @professorabimbola