I believe that due to the era we are currently in, where everything is available with a click and much is accessible and discovered, people are becoming more demanding, thinking that by consuming mere facts and theoretical knowledge, they are already confident to speak on many topics. Regardless of management and leadership theories, there are also personal beliefs on how business should be run, and one’s own criteria, which may or may not be relevant, and more or less helpful to leaders. As HR, you are always the bridge between what people and the business want, meaning you have to reconcile their often opposing interests so that everyone is satisfied. Having the opportunity to talk to both sides, I notice how easily executives forget when they were on the other side at the beginning, and how employees tend to interpret situations without understanding the bigger picture and in the absence of information, data, and facts, as their perspective is limited.
I started my HR career by having the CEO as a mentor, which was a blessing experience on so many levels. It all began when I reached out on my own initiative for an internship, receiving a return email saying that the CEO was on vacation, and thinking, “Yeah, right, the CEO is going to reply to an intern, better forget about this opportunity.” However, she did reply and suggested a conversation, and we arranged a meeting.
It was challenging at times because, as a CEO overseeing so many different disciplines, under the assumption that one understands everything and can propose corrective actions and improve processes, the individuals involved are so far above in knowledge and skills that they almost always seem dissatisfied and are hard to impress. But the good side of this is that by striving to reach those levels and heights, you quickly form and grow, entering the top league. Another advantage is that they always have more information than you because they oversee the entire company and can quickly detect where time should not be spent, in which details don’t need to be delved into, and can quickly connect things with other happenings in the company. So, what might seem ultra-important actually doesn’t need to concern you.
In this way, I want to thank Victoria Ishkuvatova for the manners and healthy practices I grew up with, which have always set me apart from others and enabled me to turn all desired offers and opportunities into mine.
Often, when we talk about leadership, we think of an example from work or the public sphere in top companies. Knowing how seductive a trap and a farce that can be, I follow leadership principles and lessons from my closest environment, which is family.
My dad, as the Head of the Local Government, who never boasted his position and always generously helped all layers of society. His empathy, which lives through me and my actions today. Also, the gentlemanly act of passing the baton and training next woman leader, which, for that time and environment, was a very progressive move.
My forever an oasis of peace, my brother. In childhood, it was enough for my mom to tell him to stand next to me, and I would stop crying and start smiling. Today, I learn from his example and enjoy his success as a CEO.
He shows up when times are toughest, and because of that virtue, I’ve learned how to filter my closest associates. If they want to be part of the success but not the journey, they’re probably not worth considering.
Psychological safety to be able to say whatever I think, whether irrational, good, or bad, without fear of judgment, and always finding a way forward instead.
“Still waters run deep” – the ability to turn a no into a yes, which proved incredibly valuable when closing enterprise deals.
So, with natural tendency that everything progresses and each next version comes in more perfect, improved, refined shape and form, it’s seems that the essentials and what was called healthy and strong foundation without which you didn’t have a chance even got lost and we slipped a bit into the side of too much talking, philosophizing, overemphasizing one aspect over the other without much practical value in reality. With this in mind, can we first be sure that the healthy foundations are there on which we can build and grow further?
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