Exploring the professional and personal faces of leadership
Welcome back to another instalment of our blog series ‘Leadership Stories’, where we explore the professional and personal faces of leadership and embrace the inspirational power of storytelling.
In this episode, LaToyah McAllister-Jones, Executive Director of St Paul’s Carnival, shares her insights with us on her flexible and creative leadership style.
Professional
What has been the greatest challenge as a leader for you?
My greatest challenge as a leader was feeling comfortable stepping into the leadership space. I was hung up for a long time on the fact that didn’t go to university. I felt less than those around me, and I didn’t trust in my natural ability and instincts; the things I have come to discover are important parts of my leadership profile now. It took me a long time for me to understand that not being university educated wasn’t a blocker to doing the things I wanted to do. The belief that I needed a degree probably held me back more than anything else.
What do you believe will be the most effective leadership style in coming years?
Covid changed the workforce and leadership, as well as what we expect from our professional lives. We were forced to reevaluate what was important to us, like our family life. I think flexibility is the most important quality that we need to develop as leaders.
What is the key to encouraging diversity of thought when building teams?
I believe the key to encouraging diversity of thought is to regularly get the team to reflect on their practice and learn from one another. People solve problems in many different ways, and you need to build an environment and a culture that understands that failing is part of the process. This means people are free to try new things, fail and learn from that. My team know I trust in their ability to deliver in their own unique way. I don’t want to be the one solving all the problems.
Personal
Is there a moment that you feel changed the course of your career?
In 2010, when I was working in the homelessness sector, a colleague suggested I do the Clore Leadership Programme, and it changed my life. I took a year out of work, I was awarded a bursary, I did two internships, and had a lot of coaching during that time. I did things I had never done before and changed how I thought about myself in a professional way, and I created some invaluable networks as well.
Can you tell us about something that happened at work that made you feel included or excluded?
Men and women have very different career paths, and becoming a mother made me feel really excluded as I watched my male colleagues supersede me in both remit and salary. It’s not an unusual story, it’s happened to many of us. I took the opportunity to make sideways moved into things that interested me, so now I have a portfolio of diverse experiences.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I wouldn’t change a thing about my journey, but I would leave aside my hang-ups. I would tell my younger self that university is not the be all and end all, and not to spend the next 10 years worrying about it.