20.08.2020

The softer, stronger side

Despite the progress concerning gender equality at work, I think it’s fair to say we’ve still got a way to go. A case in point being that there are still misconceptions associated with how women in business think they should act in order to climb the corporate ladder.

I’ve always been proud of the fact that I am one of the few female leaders in workplace management, an industry traditionally dominated by men. As well as offering a female perspective when I joined the Business Moves Group board, being almost a generation younger than the rest of the leadership team, and relatively new to the industry, I was also able to add a fresh perspective. I was fortunate to be given the opportunity early on because the senior team recognised the need for diversity. It’s a luxury to have grown within the same business and this has helped me define my leadership skills.

I’ve learned a lot along the way and I’m a very different leader now than I was back then. A decade or so ago, I felt that the way to deal with conflict was to be stern. My way of dealing with a difficult situation was to be tougher. I thought it would foster respect and show I had the strength to get things done no matter what.

I had it in my head that to be a good MD you had to fly solo and push forward. To be seen to be a “winner” and someone who gets the job done. I had to work hard, and the harder I worked, the luckier I got.

My main objective all those years ago was to further enhance the business. I therefore became the conduit for the inevitably difficult conversations with those I had previously worked alongside. Going from ‘colleague’ to ‘leader’ was quite unnerving. I had little experience in this arena, and no female role models in business. I felt I had to build a barrier and set boundaries to do what needed to be done. And it worked.

Being assertive helped me gain respect and buy in, but this was coupled with the fact that I rolled my sleeves up and got stuck in with delivering projects. I guess my colleagues’ thinking was – ‘she might be hard but she doesn’t ask us to do what she isn’t prepared to do herself’ – and I imagine that’s what helped me earn their trust. I started to shift into a mentor rather than just a boss, and slowly that barrier that I built up started to break away.

As the business grew, so did my confidence. It wasn’t an overnight transformation, though, but bit by bit I started to feel confident in showing more of my nurturing side. I still kept some of those boundaries, of course, but I learned how to be more open.

I'm truly grateful that I had the foresight to change, because I now have a team of courageous people who show who they really are, and who aren’t afraid to step into the arena. This means we can share ideas and fortunes. It enables us to build solutions that come from a sense of integrity, a sense of what’s right for the business as a whole. And we have a very successful business as a result.

As a young, ambitious managing director, it took me a while to realise that being true to yourself is a strength, not a weakness. Successful leaders are not afraid to open themselves up or to be challenged. They actively seek constructive criticism and new ideas. More importantly, though, the best leaders are comfortable in their own skin. Only when you’re true to yourself can you hope to take people on a journey with you.

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