Leadership Influences
My work ethic was shaped by both my parents and my longtime dance instructor. My parents had an incredible work ethic, with the mindset that early is on time and if you’re on time, you’re late. Follow through was also incredibly important to them, which taught me to honor my commitments. My instructor taught us not only how to be great dancers but how to be professional from an early age, and then held us to that expectation. The leaders I have reported to, the best PR team, and many coworkers I have worked alongside during my nine-year career with Phoenix have continued to influence my drive and motivation to be the best version of myself and to lead by example.
Biggest Leadership Challenge
After having my son, creating a work-life balance was my biggest challenge. I learned you do not have to work 24/7 to be seen as a successful or a valued employee. It’s the results that matter most. As a leader, it’s critical that I’m able to be present and support public relations efforts for all office locations, but Phoenix also understands that family comes first for all employees. They give us a degree of flexibility that makes work-life balance much easier to accomplish. With this lesson as a leader came compassion and understanding for others’ personal time.
Advice to Aspiring Leaders
Be intentional with your time. If you need to work after hours to meet goals, that’s OK, but set limits and don’t overlap work with family time. For me, that means the laptop can’t come out until my son is in bed and not too late into the night. Don’t forget to make time for yourself. I stick to a morning gym schedule because that is the time I know won’t get interrupted or scheduled over. Put your phone away at dinner and talk with your family.
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