If you’re like me, you often feel inspired and hopeful when some of our renowned business leaders, entrepreneurs and popular personalities post or tell us a story about their experiences.
Seeing and hearing stories covering topics of a different way of thinking, being positive, accepting others, sharing views on company culture, how to create a better working life (and life) for a better world, kindness to yourself and others really engage my interest and foster thoughts on my own values as a person and a professional.
Over this past 12 months I have realised that I am surrounded by local business owners and colleagues who are equally as inspiring and insightful. I want bring to light these remarkable leaders’ self-reflection in relation to the recent challenges that have been brought to our working lives and how our views and our professional approach has been changed for the better. I’m showcasing these learnings in a bid to provoke a greater understanding on professional growth during adversity.
I am sure some of this will resonate but for me, I enjoyed the honesty!
My question was “What have you been taught about yourself in the past 12 months”?
The responses:
“It’s OK to ask for help and we need to promote that through our culture” Head of People and Culture, Global Medical Devices
“As an HR Head, I don’t like working from home and when I actually asked and delved deeper, neither did anyone else” HR Manager, Construction
“I’m more introverted than I thought … I am the leader and cannot expect my team of Managers to lead if I don’t .. I had to get over it” HR Director, Pharmaceutical
“It actually doesn’t matter what you look like on Zoom! I hadn’t realised what a negative effect it had on my team when I turned my camera off at a group meeting” Operations Director, Manufacturing
“I have taught myself to let people know outcomes that I want and be clear about it, if I don’t, I rarely get what I want and then I’m upset, all because I didn’t communicate it clearly enough, that’s my issue not theirs” CEO, Pharmaceutical
“I knew I was resilient and a go getter, but I started second guessing myself, I had to do some work on me to ensure I believed in me because how would anyone else if I didn’t” Customer Service Manager, Not for Profit
“I needed to be clear and consistent and ensure my Managers were too, when we are in the office together its so easy to jump up and change the direction, so I learnt that I have had to change my own communication and keep checking in that we are going in the same direction and not assume a conversation I had last week or even yesterday was still clear.” Talent Acquisition, Retail Distribution
