What is great leadership in your opinion?
The ability to identify strength in others and to provide the tools for their success. Good leaders need to have integrity and accountability and effectively communicate their decision-making process to their team. Finally, I believe that empathy is one of the most important attributes a great leader should have – the ability to have an open mind and motivate those around them.
What is the leadership lesson it took you the longest to learn?
The hardest thing for me to learn was how to delegate effectively. I tended to want to have control over every aspect of the execution of my team’s goals and objectives and I was not allowing others who worked in my department the ability to grow, make mistakes and learn from them. This is a crucial aspect of proper management, and once I did learn to allow others the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones, our department was much more efficient and successful.
Looking back at your career journey, what are you the most proud of?
I had the opportunity to create a program for movie-goers that were experiencing a disability within theatres throughout Canada. In order for the program to be successful, we needed to get consensus from all exhibitors plus the organizations representing people experiencing a disability. It was a very difficult situation to manoeuvre both internally as well as externally with different stakeholders but eventually we were successful and the program not only still runs today, but the government of Canada has adopted it in other arts and entertainment sectors. It was a true exercise in holding steadfast to one’s conviction that doing the right thing is not always easy, but it is definitely worth it.
What were the biggest challenges in your career? In retrospect, what would you do differently?
For me creating a work-life balance was very difficult when my children were small. I felt I could not turn down opportunities to travel for work or put in long hours at the office. In retrospect, I wish that I had taken a leadership role in the company that I worked at to ensure that women coming up behind me didn’t have to make sacrifices that today I believe we handle much more successfully.
Did you have any mentors along the way? Who has been a mentor to you?
I was very lucky to have several mentors along the way who helped me showcase my strengths and develop my skills. I still go to them with questions!
Why do you think mentoring is important?
I think it is so important to have someone you trust that can help guide you through challenges along your career path. Some things can only be learned by interacting with someone who has been in similar situations and who can provide experiential knowledge.
You were a mentor in the fifth edition of the UNIC Women's Cinema Leadership Programme. How was that experience for you?
I really enjoyed my time as a mentor. I was so impressed with the women in the program and I only hope that I was able to provide some helpful guidance. I learned a lot as well!
What advice do you have for current mentors and mentees?
I think one of the most important attributes a mentor can have is the ability to listen and empathize. Sometimes just being a sounding board is the best thing you can do. Enjoy the journey with your mentee and be open to learning from them as well!