It has been a busy few weeks for our very own Tracy Westall, so we thought we’d get her to share some reflections.
I’m really lucky. I get asked to be involved in some really interesting things.
Sometimes those opportunities give me chance to stand back and reflect.
Just like buses, two of those things happened last week and gave me the chance to think about how many clever, talented and super motivated people live and work in our region and how lucky I am that I get work or meet with many of them.
The first was the chance to chair the judging panel for the first West Midlands Women in Tech Awards. I will admit to being very excited. I had seen this whole thing take shape, becoming something quite spectacular and full credit going to Debbie Assinder and Ifraz Ahmed in pulling this together. After all, you can take the tech out of the girl but…….
My fellow judges were equally as impressive: Faye Pressly, Pam Waddell OBE, David Hardman OBE, Deborah Leary OBE, Jo McDonald and Professor Hanifa Shah – I will confess to a dose of Imposter Syndrome before the day even got started!
It was long, fast-paced and totally inspiring. It was, quite literally a continual stream of ability, inspiration, passion and vision – a joyful celebration of talent. The judging process wasn’t easy – far from it – simply because the bar was so high but at the end of an utterly exhausting but exhilarating day, our job was done.
Well – until the Awards Dinner on 3rd October that is.
The next was the launch of the Mills and Reeves Innovation 50 report showcasing the regions “R&D Royalty. Industry ground breakers and rising stars”. The judging process for this was an expert panel of business leaders and I was delighted to be asked to be involved in my capacity as Executive Chair at Curium Solutions. Again, the process showed ability, originality, passion and vision and was an amazing experience. The launch of the report brought it the whole process back and got me thinking….
What is the secret ingredient? What drives these super talented people? Is there a X factor?
All the successful entrants have a great story, and are continually challenging their own thinking in order to strive for that business edge. I am pleased that Curium Solutions made the Mills and Reeves list for their work in Leadership Development and I don’t think it’s any coincidence that leadership, coaching, support and mentoring play a part in so many success stories. I know these things have helped me in my career.
A chance meeting, a supportive boss or partner, a safe space to grow, someone to listen and offer great advice and then the ability to do something with those ingredients is often what it takes to propel us forward.
So my reflections reminded me why I am Chair at Curium as this is what they do, day in day out. Helping people achieve; empowering potential and simply be the best that they can be.
And the judging experiences offer me the chance to see what we are all truly capable of – #inspiring #empowerpotential #keepitreal #peoplefirst
