There are female leaders out there making giant strikes that inspire next generation of leaders, encourage others and set an example. I was lucky to have met such a person. When I came to FieldCore it was a big change for me as I was new to the field. One of the people that inspired me was Sandra Azike, EHS Manager for Middle East and Africa region. She was always there for me to answer my questions, and to support me. But it was not just Sandra who made a difference for me. I would definitely give credit to my team in the field. The way they supported me really pushed me to acclimatize much faster.
I believe that change in the field of diversity starts with representation. We need more role models, trailblazers, more females in various jobs to believe that we are capable of doing the same. We need to understand that not everyone, by default, has the drive to be a pioneer. We are constantly being told what we can or cannot do, what we are or aren’t supposed to do. This creates limitations in our unconscious, preventing us from taking leaps in our life or career and in such cases, we need others to show us that it is possible to do anything, to become anyone.
But it is wrong to assume that only us, women should be pushing for diversity and inclusion. It is everyone’s responsibility to support diversity within the company. Diversity within the team brings the diversity of thought. We need to create diverse teams to generate diverse solutions for any problem or scenario we face in our business. Today we know that we need women in the field, not just in admin or in offices. Differences do not make us less or more, they just make us human, that is all it is. If everybody would be uniform life would be very boring.
For me what it means to be a good leader, or a good female leader in particular, is:
- You must know your limits, you got to know what you can achieve singularly and in group. Do not try to achieve something alone, that you were supped to achieve as a group.
- Be open to criticism. It will come, but not all criticism is aimed at diminishing you, harassing you, or making you feel bad. It might be coming from the actual open heart. Some people can be brutally open and it is painful, but you have to sift through all the criticism and find that one rooted in truth.
- Pass on your experience. Make sure you help others coming after you. If we want to create environment where women are appreciated, encouraged and supported, you need to keep passing on your knowledge and experience.
