How I found leadership...or how it found me?

For a long time now, I have been thinking about how I can contribute more to the field of leadership - where after many years of searching for that one thing that gave me a sense of fulfilment and purpose in terms of a career path, I have now found my true passion/calling. So now that I am here, I thought I would share a bit of my journey so far. Some of you will know a bit more about my story (you can watch the first time I shared this publicy here at 20.40, thanks to a very special opportunity from the great Ryan Ashton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOQ0DRd-BXA). This sounds very cliche but I never thought I would be where I am today, however, from the moment I decided I could still make something of myself, I dreamed big (the sky is the limit mentality) and never stopped trying and though I didn't really have a really specific end goal, I constantly created goals to work towards to ensure I kept moving in the right direction. Eventually I landed on my dream of becoming a CIO one day and I have kept that dream alive, like a carrot being dangled in front of a rabbit, and continued to set goals to keep me on track and and get me closer to grabbing that carrot! It is true that this path isn't a straight line up, rather, it is very much a squiggly line that runs in all directions but you just keep chasing (remembering why you are chasing and how far you have come)!

I remember my first role in the call centre at Genesis (Energy), I was super excited to be back in the workforce and I made the most of every day. I had great people around me and the culture was awesome. My manager was supportive and believed in me. I learned so much about people (and the issues and circumstances they have to navigate on a daily basis, and how this varies greatly from one person to another), customer service, communication, team work, time management, and of course, the energy industry and products (the list goes on). I will always be super grateful for landing this role (and the 2 other roles I had at Genesis after this one), and from here, I naturally engrained a few basic things that stuck with me throughout the rest of my career journey:

1. Find yourself a mentor - someone who inspires you, a role model, someone you look up to. Someone who believes in you. For me, I found myself stuck in a role, wanting to get into the IT industry with no experience and one day I decided to reach out on LinkedIn to a few connections I knew in the IT industry. I explained where I was at and my goals - I heard back from only one of these people (who happened to be a CIO), but he offered to meet over coffee to talk more. This person became my mentor and this literally changed my life. Just having someone in your corner who believes in you, is ready to listen, give advice and be all the things I mentioned above is life changing. Eventually this helped open a door for me that lead to me obtaining my first role in the IT space. I will be forever thankful. This also added to my motivation to make something of myself as I now also wanted to make this person proud for the effort he put into me.

2. Make the most of every opportunity (and go looking for them). Even if you don't like where you are - it isn't going to be forever, trust that something better is coming. There have been times where I have been in a role or working somewhere where I have realised it isn't for me or it isn't good for me. What I have learned is to believe that everything happens for a reason and you can learn something from every situation - everything you do is an experience to learn from and this is how you grow. Observe, make notes, ask questions, build connections, practice what you learn, see what you can make out of the situation in front of you. Show up, and make the most of it - it is meant to be. Remind yourself of your goals and keep going.

3. To add to the above, say yes to opportunities that push yourself outside of your comfort zone. This is easier said than done. Put yourself out there, show people who you are and what you can do, let them learn your name. I remember the first time attending a Steerco at which I had to present to Senior Leaders, I literally thought I was going to stop breathing, I was that nervous! But I took a deep breath, remembered that there were people there who believed I could do it (otherwise I wouldn't have been given the opportunity), and walked through the door and did it. Every time after that, it got easier. I remember pitching a business idea for the first time to a large audience (only having written my pitch on my phone less than an hour before the start time). Sharing my story at my first public speaking event - super scary, but I did it! Now I actually want to speak to help others (and btw, I am also an introvert like many public speakers are!). Look for ways to contribute and show the value you can add. Ask how you can help?

4. Realise that you don't need to be in a certain (management) role to be a leader. You can be percieved as a leader, no matter what your role is. You can also be a manager but not percieved as a leader. In other words, leadership is not about a job title. It also comes down to your intentions and your actions - do you genuinely care and want to serve others and help them be their best? Or do you want a certain job title, control and power? Do you listen to understand, get to really know your people, inspire others, show care and empathy, empower others, say thank you, support others and do what you can to help them be their best? I introduced myself to people from all around the business and did my best to build positive relationships with everyone worked with each day. I looked for ways to contribute to strategic conversations, shared my ideas, and asked if there were opportunities to get involved in various projects or just help in general. I said yes to opportunities which meant I could practice coaching, giving feedback, building teams and implementing new ways of working. I also joined various social clubs to practice my leadership skills. Again, seek out opportunities that align to your goals and go for them.

5. Ask for feedback often. This gives you a real idea of how you are tracking and what you can improve on and if you need to make any changes. It also says a lot about you as a person. Let others know your dream and your goals, don't be afraid to share this. You never know who may be in the position to help you on your journey.

6. Believe you can do it (even through the hard times). Don't give up, keep setting goals, and keep showing up. Know what is important to you in life and make sure you prioritise this, whether it be your family, your health etc. - make sure it comes first. Be kind to yourself and remember, you got this, and if I can come as far as I have so far, anyone can!

What advice do you have to others from your own leadership journey? Add them in the comments below! If you would like to chat more, please send me a DM and we can go from there :)