Written by Caryn Walsh, Business Consultant, International Leadership and team Development Specialist, Facilitator, Executive coach
Providing an Exemplary Performance Time and Time Again!
I am blessed to work across 3 Continents – Australia, Africa and Fiji – and am passionate about the leadership and people development work I do, growing people and transforming leaders, Organisations and nations.
A very special job and I am very humbled to be able to do it.
My role as a leadership development specialist and coach enables me to work with all cultures and levels of people and positions, from the cleaner to the Chairperson of the Board and all with the same outcomes – transformation.
I speak at about 15 Conferences a year within Australia and internationally about many different topics, ranging from women’s empowerment and leadership development to resilience as a woman and emotional intelligence in the workplace.
My leadership and team development work in Australia is across various sectors – aged care and disability services, out of home care, transport services, education, government departments, childcare centres, domestic violence, banking and real estate, for example. I work all over Australia, including regional areas. I have worked in various countries such as South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and work consistently all over Fiji, the epicentre of the South Pacific Region.
Laucala Island, Fiji
I have been working in Fiji for six years, working with Resorts, Banks, Aviation Organisations and University and Touring Company. My latest role in Fiji is to develop Leaders, at all levels, on Laucala Island, the most beautiful Island resort I have ever seen. 12 km x 12 km and 135 miles north east of mainland Fiji, the natural Island is literally ‘heaven on earth.’
My brief is to develop the Executive Team, the Senior leaders and the Supervisors – in total about 100 people. Whilst it may appear daunting, I have been doing this line of work for a long time, and experience goes a long way to dispel the feeling of being overwhelmed that I may have felt as a younger and perhaps less experienced professional.
Key tips I have learned to be exceptional as a Woman Leader
- Know your stuff. To work at an international level, you can’t be good at what you do. You must be exceptionally good all the time, consistently delivering what you promise you will – and more!
- You must have an innate confidence in yourself and your ability, no matter what. I am not talking about being arrogant, but you need to know that you are well educated enough, well experienced enough, competent enough and always ready and willing to learn more
- To get the most out of your work (particularly at this international level) you must be fit and well. Travelling and moving across cultures and nations takes energy, so make sure you exercise regularly, eat well, sleep well and enjoy enough down time to give your body the rest it needs to deliver yet another exemplary performance when the time comes
- Be sensitive to the people and culture with whom you are working. I avoid the topics of religion and politics, for example, but if I am asked for my opinion, I tend to turn the conversation around and ask questions, not answer them
- Be animated and engaged with everybody. The more genuine and involved you are, the more the people you are transforming will learn from you and become your tribe
- Be aware of any political issues that may be going on in the country in which you are working as it is important that you are ‘au fait ‘with all issues that your audience may be affected by, or that may affect the work you are doing with them
- Ask for regular feedback about how you are performing and areas for improvement. When you get it, take it seriously and adjust what you need to in the pursuit of continuous improvement in everything they do
- Always clarify the goals that you will deliver before you begin the work and ensure that you achieve all the goals in the time-frame you say you will
- You are a woman. Stand tall, hold your own, deliver an exemplary service and/or product and believe in yourself
Caryn Walsh is at the helm of Pure Magic International Business Solutions. They develop leaders, people and teams in Organisations in Australia and internationally. Pure Magic trains and coach’s leaders and builds teams to become high performing. They run leadership programs, workshops and leadership Retreats and offer a range of leadership training and team building training programs and conference speaking.
For more information please email me on caryn@puremagicbusiness.com.au and visit our website www.puremagicbusiness.com.au
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