Dr Miranda Brawn, multi-award-winning legal, business and diversity leader, gave the final talk of day one (October 31) at the RCM Annual Conference 2017.
Inspiring delegates, she spoke about the power of ‘personal leadership’ and that ultimately, individuals need (and can) take responsibility for taking their careers in the direction that’s best for them.
‘Personal leadership is something you find within yourself and polish,’ said Miranda.
‘There are three factors that allow you to have [strong] personal leadership,’ she continued. ‘They are mindset; energy – what you need to do to renew yourself; and your support system – whether that’s friends, family or a trusted colleague.’
Miranda proceeded to give tips and methods to progress, covering career management, personal branding, overcoming barriers, and how to raise your profile.
Career management includes embracing your talents and skills at work, creating your own career development plan that you take time to reflect on, and flagging up any gaps in your skills, Miranda explained.
Communication, or lack of, is seen to be the most common barrier to progressing, Miranda continued. One of the top strategies to communicate better, she revealed, is to ‘listen properly.’
‘Try to understand where the person is coming from as you listen, rather than formulating how you’re going to respond,’ advised Miranda. ‘It’s the most important leadership skill you can have.’
‘The key to raising you profile is to be visible,’ Miranda continued. ‘Showcase your competence, whether it’s volunteering to speak at a meeting or posting opinion on social media. Become a trusted source.’
Vitally, ‘Have the confidence to believe in yourself, don’t wait for your manager to give you that appraisal,’ she said.
RCM president Kathryn Gutteridge, who chaired the session, finished by saying: ‘We need to stand together and be midwives together.’
