Our World | Resilience, relationships and role modelling.

General Sales Manager Kanyathorn Poglad shares five powerful lessons she’s learned from being a female leader.

Being a female leader has its challenges but I’ve always preferred to focus on the benefits. I’ve spent more than 28 years in business and eighteen of those have been at RS in Thailand. My position has given me unique perspective and I’m lucky enough to have taken some powerful lessons from all of those years in leadership roles. There are so many to choose from but five have always stuck out for me…

We’ve got to focus on our strengths …

… rather than what makes us different: it’s about what we have in common. As a female leader I’ve seen the damage stereotyping and gender bias can do but that can all change if we focus on our strengths; it’s how we can embrace everyone’s perspective so we can all feel and do our best.

Sometimes things get tough …

… and we have to face what we fear. We’ve come a long way with our equality efforts but my experiences have taught me that in business and life, we’ll always have to overcome setbacks. But it’s the growth that comes from facing adversity helps us guide teams through challenging times.

That’s how I see myself, a guide …

… and I’m here to help others. I’ve always been passionate about supporting my team and especially other female leaders; I want to be the role model that the younger me would have wanted. By lifting others up, we can all help create a more diverse and inclusive leadership.

Communication is key …

… to any healthy working relationships. If you’ve ever felt like you haven’t been heard you’ll know how frustrating it can be, which is why active listening is something I prize. When we truly listen, we build the collaborative and supportive culture that every team needs to excel.?

Be the change you want to see …

… and lead from the front. If you want to reach targets, bring about change or lead your team you have to set that example. The support for gender equality inside RS is brilliant, although we still have some work to do let’s light the way for our female leaders and lead the industry.