Sandra Patel-Stewart
23rd December 2022
2022 has been a fulfilling yet still challenging year for me. As a round-up for another well-deserved break, enjoying the festivities and spending time with my loved ones, I wanted to share with my fellow leaders my leadership lessons of 2022.
Allow genuine flexibility for staff.
This year we introduced flexible, and our response has been fantastic. I have enjoyed watching my team enjoy an outstanding work-life balance, as flexibility allows you to adapt to change and unprecedented times. It’s great to see them manage their time and be proactive and productive. I am so glad we introduced this!
Being vulnerable is okay.
My early fears of being seen as an “emotional woman” kept me hiding my emotions from view. Even as a child, I have wanted to be seen as solid and robust; how could anyone ever see me crumble? As leaders, we owe it to our teams to admit when we make a mistake, but it takes vulnerability to realise that we can be wrong. I have been honest with myself, my team and my network this year, and it has helped me. We don’t always have to have it all together, we don’t even have all the answers, but that’s okay; if you establish a collaborative, empowering environment, we can figure it out together.
Be a present leader; your team need you.
As leaders, being fully present and listening with an open mind is often the most powerful way to solve issues. Your role can be to create a safe space for people to air their frustrations and process their problems. I want to be there for my teams, both professionally and personally; I want to see them grow, shine and succeed. I can’t do that if I am not here. My door is always open.
Give back to the community in any way you can
Giving back to the community has always been something close to my heart and a core value at TP. But this year, being on the board for the Leeds Digital Ball made me realise what real value and impact it can have. Some individuals are born leaders, while some have to work for it. Still, everyone in a leadership position has a responsibility and giving back isnt just about supporting charities, it’s about making a difference, and that’s a dream of mine. Building a more digitally equipped society, abolishing digital poverty and supporting the tech ecosystem.
You can control how people perceive you.
If you know what you need to do, go for it. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. I realised I had the power to control how people perceived me and that impacts how people deal with me, and after 12 years in leadership, I have only just realised it. You can be intentional about that. Decisions are made when you’re away from the room. So you can control how people perceive you. You do not know what it is as a person that causes another person to connect to you. You become an influential, impactful leader in this environment when you lead to win.
You are not the only woman who suffers from imposter syndrome.
Another one of my most important leadership lessons and challenges is overcoming my imposter syndrome this year. This insecurity comes from not feeling good enough to be a leader. But the truth is, you’ll always be an imposter when NOT being yourself. Role model leaders see around us and adapt to the culture. My advice to anyone, even though you may have self-doubt, is don’t let them hold you back from achieving your goals. Overcome your imposter syndrome, be authentic and show the world what you’re capable of!
As we go into 2023 facing uncertainty, the more human-centric approach offered by empathetic leadership practices will only become more important if we are to move forward together with our teams and our communities.
Every leader has regrets, and every leader makes mistakes, but you need to look in the mirror every year and say, I am me, respectfully; I am only one person, and those mistakes, failures etc., I will learn from and be a better version of myself in 2023.
From Sandra, have a festive period, and I wish you all a prosperous new year filled with blessings!