Embracing Authenticity and Purpose

When the team at Drinkaware asked me to write a short piece on leadership for Women’s History Month, I said yes straight away and put it on my to-do list. I said yes because, 25 years into my career and despite having taken on increasingly senior roles, I still have the tendency to say yes. And I put it on my to-do list because, despite having attended a leadership course a few years ago where someone told me, “to-do lists were for do-ers, not leaders,” I still love one.

After rolling the task forward for a few weeks, I found myself thinking, why did I say yes to that? There will be a whole host of thoughtful and insightful posts for Women’s History Month, what am I going to add? And when would I find the time to write anything? I have a busy job, my role as a trustee, and a busy family life - four children, two cats, a dog, and a new puppy!

At one point I thought, I know, I’ll ask someone in my team to draft it. I suggested the theme of authentic leadership, and the draft they produced was very good. But the irony of posting something on authenticity that I hadn’t written wasn’t lost on me.

So here I am, writing something myself. 

I do think I was right to choose authenticity. There are lots of images and expectations of leadership. Growing up, there were (and still are) the suited men of business and politics.  There were also the shoulder-padded, stilettoed women, fewer then, thankfully more now (though not so many shoulder pads, although I did read they are making a come-back though). And there were people like my Mum, someone who worked hard for decades building an amazingly successful career, starting a business, running a multinational business, while raising my sister, brother, and me. 

When you start your career, you look at the leaders around you, those you see on television, in the workplace, and the ones you read about. You take inspiration from them and feel like you should somehow emulate them if you are to follow in their footsteps and become a successful leader yourself.

I tried to do this. I tried showing up in a certain way, forcing myself to speak up and sound authoritative and set out my “vision”. And to an extent it worked, I got the next job, the new opportunities. But then someone told me I should try to show more of myself. Who I was outside of work. What I cared about. What made me laugh. What inspired me. And to not worry about being buttoned-up, polished and “professional” all of the time. 

I found this hard at first. Scary. Exposing. But then liberating and effective. People want to work with and be led by people they understand, can relate to, can learn from, and be open with. At least I do. And it is much easier to just have one version of yourself, and not to have a work version of yourself and a home version.

While there is only one me, there is no single version of leadership. I am sure some traits and profiles prevail among leading leaders. But I believe you can inspire and lead by being you, whatever that looks like.  It takes some self-awareness – knowing your strengths and using them, knowing what you are less good at and surrounding yourself with people who can help you in those areas. It takes some bravery too - a willingness to be open and show some vulnerability.

It is also the case that being authentic is much easier when you believe in what you are doing and have a connection to the business or organisation you are working for and what it is trying to achieve. I am lucky to work at Mars, a company which is family-owned and genuinely purpose-driven, principles-led and people-focused, and to sit on the leadership team of the Food & Nutrition Segment.  Our segment objective - our purpose - is to scale our impact through the power of tasty, accessible, and healthy food. As a lover of food and a strong believer in its power to bring people together, and fuel our bodies and minds, this is an easy purpose to get behind. It makes leading in an authentic way much easier.

This connection to a purpose brings me to my work with Drinkaware. I am not a preacher of abstinence. I enjoy a glass of beer or wine, sometimes both. But I have also seen the harms associated with alcohol misuse and believe it is important that industry – through its funding of organisations like Drinkaware – plays a part in promoting responsible drinking and empowering individuals to make healthier choices.

So, when asked to apply to join the Drinkaware Board of Trustees, I said yes. 25 years on in my career, I still say yes more than no. I still love a “to do” list. I’m still not the loudest voice around the table. But I am comfortable with my own style of leadership and what I can offer.