RELEVANT WITH GERDIEN HAY – by Angela Shearer

Gerdien Hay - Head of Business Management for Infrastructure & Operations as Transformer of Futures 

The world doesn’t belong to leaders, it belongs to all humanity.

  If she were a movie, Gerdien Hay would be Divergent. There is no single mould for someone as grounded, dynamic and driven.

  Gerdien’s favourite question to ask is, “So what?” It’s a simple expression that inspires clearer thinking and digs deeper, scratching beneath the surface of ordinary things for richer colour; seeking the splendour and magic.   She believes that asking this question forces people to hold their ideas and suggestions up; to look at them under a different light and determine if they really are different enough to evoke meaning.

  As a leader, it is important to look ahead, but it is equally important to look back from time to time, to see how far one has come and to learn from the past. Gerdien believes that a common mistake made by leaders is when they try too hard to control their team, telling them what is possible and what is not. She believes it creates an unhealthy dependency and limits the free play of personality and innovation. Her own expectations about leaders is that they should consistently fight for what is fair.

  She says, “We must get to know our teams on a personal level because success is built on relationships.”

  When asked who she looks up to, Gerdien says, “Mike Murphy and Derick Smith. I have learned various lessons from them both. Lessons with the most impact include not waiting for other people to tell you what to do. If you want to grow and make something of your career, you must take ownership of your career yourself. It’s also important to find that fine line that one needs to tread between professional distance and personal connection. As a leader, one constantly makes decisions that affect others who are close to you.” She says that one thing she will never do again is wrongly assume that you can treat all people the same – at work and at home.

  On a more personal level, Gerdien is influenced by the teachings of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. She says, “Regardless of race or religion, humans all want the same things and if you understand this, you can work towards a common ground and achieve some level of peace in the world.”

  Gerdien believes in transparency and says that it’s one of the most important characteristics that leaders should have because it inspires trust. As the Greek proverb says, “A thousand people cannot undress a naked man.’ 

  When it comes to creating shared values with her team and colleagues, Gerdien does this by recognising the people who actively live the values every day. She believes there should be an incentive bonus, like a boat cruise, for this category of person alone.

  A personal principle that Gerdien follows while pivoting a complex environment and working towards the greater good is best described in her own words. She says, “I am who I am and I do what makes me happy, which makes it possible for me to add value to others.”

 She also believes in good old fashioned hard work. She says, “Having a reputation as someone who gets things done, always pays off in the end. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing RIGHT!”

  Impressed by punctuality, neatness and attention to detail, Gerdien trusts her gut when it comes to selecting team members. One of the biggest challenges that she is currently faced with is managing the Infrastructure and Operations Transformation Journey that will affect about 400 people. She believes that a shared vision, people with the right level of drive and commitment, coupled with the ability to get things done, are key to a successful culture shift. Having clear alignment between personal goals and company vision helps to set performance expectations and achieve success. 

  When bringing new team members on board, Gerdien supports the Buddy System as it helps newbies understand undocumented and unspoken rules quickly, which helps them navigate unchartered territory more rapidly with ease.

 To keep herself relevant, Gerdien says, “I spend at least 3 hours a day either reading or listening to content across multiple categories. You never know how developing patience with a new mentee can help you watch that soufflé in the oven!”

She does her daily route, finding ways to motivate those around her, driving transformation and inspiring those who seek to gain their own momentum. Gerdien is inspired by her engagements with other people and she says, “I learn something new about people every day.”

  She believes that nothing is unforgivable and that everyone is capable of forgiveness. She sees herself more as a hunter, not having much favour for the dust bunnies that tend to form with the habit of gathering. Associating with blue as her personal colour, she is stable, moody, yet very dependable with a very strong sense of self. She says, “I am where I am because of my mistakes and achievements.”

  Like the Bengal Tiger, she is graceful with a powerful personal brand – not likely found on any social media other than LinkedIn. She is a limited edition, but hopefully not an endangered species.

 On the personal side, Gerdien has a massive Smurf collection and strong family connections. Her dream is to travel the world non-stop, time permitting.  The daily family tradition at the dinner table is to tell each other what three things made them happy during the day. 

  As a kid she was captain of the 1st netball team, popular and nerdy at the same time and the good marks didn’t come easy; they required focus and hard work. From an early age she had the desire to embrace the Earth and dreamed of a job as an air hostess; practically living on a plane would have been first prize and her ultimate Nirvana.

 The last series that she watched was Schitts Creek on Netflix, mostly because the name tickled the families interest. It turned out to be three seasons of incredible comedy, which brought tremendous joy to all.

Recommended Reading by Gerdien and some of her thoughts:

THE SECRET by Rhonda Byrne – Ask, believe and receive – it’s all energy and we have the power to harness it. But I’m still practicing ??

REINVENTING ORGANISATIONS by Frederic Laloux – We are at the cusp of the next stage of human consciousness - we are becoming less focused on our own egos and more focused on family and community so we need to change the way our organisations operate if we are going to keep them relevant in the future.

 When asked what the hardest thing was that she has ever done, Gerdien said, “Losing 20 kgs over 6 months – pure will power only gets you so far!” She isn’t the type who takes the easy way out and she holds herself to the highest possible standard.  In her spare time, she is learning to become a handy woman, like Suzelle DIY, because she’d like to fix things - but without her own YouTube channel.

  As a last word, her advice to others seeking to grow their careers, “There are so many opportunities out there, all you need to do is reach out. We are capable of so much more, but we tend to give up too easily. Like animals who survive the impossible, we need to be stronger than giving up.”

 As the Dalai lama says, “A tree with strong roots can withstand the most violent storm, but the tree can’t grow roots just as the storm appears on the horizon.”