International Women’s Day

What’s one leadership belief that has shaped how you run your team today?

One core leadership belief that shapes how I lead today is that people perform at their best when they feel trusted and genuinely supported. My end goal is always that my team are considered the experts within their field of expertise, and my job is to facilitate their best performance.  

How do you create an environment where people feel empowered to speak up?

Working in a field where performance is continuously measured against KPIs, regulations, quality, and timelines, it is increasingly important for me to ensure that the team is operating in an environment where they feel psychologically safe to speak up and communicate where they need support.  My own leadership style is very much based on empathy and transparency. I firmly believe that these are essential to building a strong, trusting team. Being transparent also means acknowledging when I don’t have all the answers and being able to communicate this openly.

I find that when you realize that your team is working from a place of feeling secure you will see a lift in overall performance as it empowers and motivates people to contribute and take real ownership.

What does great leadership look like in practice, not just in theory?

One thing I have learned and improved throughout the years in my different leadership roles is that the ability to provide candid, timely and concise feedback is one of the most important skills you need to possess as a leader. Candid feedback is not criticism but provides the needed direction, expectation setting, course corrections, and development needed. This helps the individual team member, the group, you as a leader and ultimately the business.

As a leader I strive to always be available for my team and will do what is in my power to ensure they have the knowledge, tools and support to perform well. I am consciously aware that they are recognised and appreciated in their daily work as well as in their professional growth.  

Did your career follow the plan you expected — or take a few surprises along the way?

I’m educated as a Nurse Practitioner and worked for many years within the field of critical care which I loved and was a huge part of my identity. It was never on the cards for me to move into clinical research until I got involved in investigator-initiated trials at the hospital I was working at, and later sponsor initiated trials and took on the role as study coordinator. This sparked my interest for clinical research and when I was offered a position at a large Pharma company, I made the move into industry. From there I have had a variety of positions and have welcomed any opportunities that were given to me.

That said my passion for building teams and facilitating individual growth has definitely shaped my career decisions and brought me to where I am today  – and having the privilege to lead a team of highly-skilled Clinical Project Managers is an absolute dream job!

What advice would you give your younger self starting out?

The one piece of advice I would give my younger self is the same advice I’m still giving myself as well as the advice I continually remind my team members is that you cannot control what is not within your circle of control.

By nature, I’m an overthinker and have a need to be in control and plan for all possible outcomes. I have learned to give myself a break from that and remind myself that sometimes doing your best is good enough.

If you could share one message with women building their careers today, what would it be?

I have always been surrounded by skilled, ambitious and hard-working women throughout my career, and some of my greatest mentors have been and still are women. There should be no limitation when it comes to building a career and being a woman today, and my advice to all women is to own your ambition unapologetically, trust your instinct keep your moral compass intact always!