Do you feel there are enough opportunities at ATC Williams for you to be the leaders you want to be?
Lis – Yes, with the ongoing expansion of services and locations across the company and country, there are opportunities for talented staff to grow into leadership roles.
Genevieve – I really agree, and I have always felt the opportunity is what you make it and that I could make my role what I want it to be.
Nicola – I have found ATC Management very open to new business development ideas, and they encourage people to step up and pursue opportunities.
Luisa – I’ve accepted the opportunity to head up our new Hobart office, which opens this year, and I want to bring a vibrant and fresh team to Tasmania. We don’t see enough younger engineers in leadership roles, so I am excited and hope to inspire other young engineers to aim for such positions.
Lis – We have a lot of young staff who exhibit leadership traits and could move into leadership roles. There is value in fresh ideas and having that mix of young and old.
Genevieve – Yes, that mix of young and old is essential as it creates diversity and is a key aspect of business development. We have many highly skilled people at ATC Williams, who come from different backgrounds and have different ways of doing things.
What does leadership mean to you?
Genevieve – Leadership can be demonstrated in many ways. For me, it is how I interact with my clients, and offering guidance and encouragement to less experienced peers to help them grow and develop. A leader should act as a role model for others.
Lis – There are so many different leadership styles. Different environments require different styles of leadership. Leadership, to me, is someone who provides direction and security to those around them. Leadership is different from management – managers generally execute the task to meet the direction set by leadership.
Nicola – I believe leadership is a skill that you can develop and learn, like building a muscle. The quality of leadership and management training is far better now than 20 years ago, and we have an awareness of the need for coaching and mentoring to help people improve those skills. If we work on it, I think we can all be leaders.
How did leadership change over the COVID lockdowns?
Genevieve – One of the best things implemented in the Melbourne office was the daily virtual team meetings. These meetings helped individuals stay aligned with the business and allowed communication in what were extreme circumstances, where we had to work from home for such an extended period. I realised that for me, it was important to maintain that visibility with others. I now like video conferencing because it is one of the few ways I get to see people daily.
What do you think are essential traits of a good leader?
Nicola – It is essential to trust and respect a leader. We talk a lot about official leadership roles, but not unofficial leadership, which is something that all of us do within our work to a greater or lesser extent. You don’t have to be anointed as a ‘leader’ to be fulfilling a leadership role, and sometimes you forget how visible you can be in a small organisation and how much positive impact you can have. It’s quite nice when that happens.
Genevieve – If you can influence others and people want to follow you, that is the definition of a leader. If you demonstrate a skill people want to learn or support others to grow over time, or guide individuals, a team, or a business towards a shared goal, that is the definition of a good leader. Leadership is about relationships and being available to guide and inspire others.
An example of good leadership for me was over Christmas when ATC Williams staff received gift hampers with a nice message from our CEO and Office Manager. It was a great gift, especially after the year we had with COVID-19. I felt valued and that I was part of a cohesive group.
Lis – I agree, some people are natural leaders due to their attitude, core values and abilities. For me, a leader is a visionary, and that can be hard to teach.
ATC Williams is a sponsor for an AusIMM event in March to celebrate International Women’s Day. Why do you think it’s important to sponsor and attend events like these?
Luisa – I think it is important for ATC Williams to be visible beyond the office and our immediate contacts. I’ve attended these events in the past, and they are of great value for professional development and staying current.
Genevieve – I agree, this AusIMM event is a great way to show who we are and what we do. We are always pleased to support an event that encourages diversity in resources and engineering.
Nicola – It’s an excellent opportunity to meet new people and show our ongoing commitment to diversity in the workplace. I like how people at these events are always very keen to engage and share their stories.
ATC Williams is a proud sponsor of AusIMM International Women’s Day events 2021.
