What is your role at Auror? Talk us through your journey into leadership‍

In May I joined Auror as the Customer Success Lead for Australia, working in a team of legends!

My journey hasn’t been linear in the ways of landing in a people leader role and sticking to it. I’ve been lucky to be able to move back and forth between leadership and individual contributor roles. I’ve loved discovering that leadership can be found in both.

When I landed my first leadership role, I didn’t have years of experience behind me or a checklist of career steps completed. It was my attitude and aptitude that landed me there and whilst it was daunting, I deeply appreciated the experience.

In my first role, I had a leader who has had a profound lasting impact on me. They treated me as a person and an equal, provided boundaries and were invested in my success. They also took chances on me and provided me with opportunities to take on something new.

This impact has stayed in my mind and as I progress in my career, I found myself looking back at it from different angles. I realised what stood out about this experience, which helped me understand and define my values.

Understanding those gave me clarity and confidence to try my hand at doing what I believed in - creating environments for people and not just a task list or a business.

This relationship has shaped my leadership style, my values and how I go about creating meaningful career experiences for others.

‍Reflecting on your experience, what has been your biggest lesson?

‍The biggest lesson I’ve had (and is an ongoing lesson of acceptance!), is that we don’t need to fit a mould, or look, sound or be a certain way to be good and great at what we do.

We’re good and great at what we’re doing because we are doing it.

‍What are the leadership philosophies that you hold close?

‍People first, everything else after.

Empowering people drives me and my priority as a people leader is curating a space where the people in my team are empowered to grow into their best selves. I work to create a space where their needs are seen, we have a partnership and we are equal in the grand scheme of things.

I do my best to make sure my team knows their voices and input have impact, and that they have space to collaborate with purpose, challenge each other safely, and have a purpose together.

By doing this I find we build a stickier function together, our objectives are shared in workload and outcomes and they gain experience at a pace that works for them.

‍What areas of focus are you looking at over the next 12 - 24 months?

‍Auror has generously enrolled their leaders in leadership skills intensive and coaching over the next year. We’re about halfway through and I will continue giving my focus on what I’m being challenged with and absorbing all that I’m learning.

I also plan on continuing to focus on and give support to my peers and team to allow them to continue becoming the best version of themselves that they want to be - and taking the same for myself!

‍How I’ve uncovered strengths in my teams‍

At the end of the day, it's about the people. We can push and cheer and support until we are blue in the face but there will only be success if they are open to building their strengths portfolio.

If they are open to levelling up their strengths or finding new ones, then my role as their leader is to be their biggest supporter.

As their #1 supporter, there are three main things I usually say/do over a period of time with someone to support them in uncovering strengths:

1. Use everything at your disposal now. Take things you’ve learnt or seen and apply them to your role and responsibilities now.
2. Ask. Ask anything and everything - ask for a chance or second chance, for a deeper explanation, ask to be involved, ask to take the lead.
3. Think about the future skills or resume that you’d like to have. Often people don’t have a clue what they are and that's okay. Take it as a chance to look deeper into those “what if” thoughts that you’ve had, ask ex-peers/bosses, friends - whoever it is and see what they think and take the time to consider different angles.

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