Ep 67 - 'Is Authentic Leadership Possible? We Say It Is', with guest Dessi Silassie, Chief DEI Officer IHS Markit

Welcome to Her Ambitious Career, the personal branding and success podcast for ambitious corporate women.

Have you struggled with the concept of 'leading with authenticity'? Do you worry that you might actually need to compromise your own values in a bid to be that authentic leader?

Dessi Silassie and I talk today about how to navigate this world of authentic leadership in a way that feels natural and empowering. We explore...

• How you can behave differently in different situations and still be authentic
• How changing how you speak in different situations does not make you inauthentic
• If you are inauthentic, you send people inconsistent messages and people begin to judge you, largely because inconsistency creates insecurity 
• Dessi shares an example of where she inherited a new team at a tricky time... and how deciding to lead with sincerity and honesty won the team over

Something Dessi said that was super interesting:

"I have lived in East Africa, London and Singapore. I'm a mother. A Global Leader, a lawyer, moving from a working to middle class... I am so many things! That's what makes me unique.

So 'authenticity' at work is just 'being genuine'. It doesn't mean everyone gets to see all my layers at once... but so long as I am genuine in any situation, I am being authentic."  (Dessi Silassie, guest on Her Ambitious Career podcast)


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Guest Bio:

Dessi Silassie leads the teams who provide legal support to IHS Markit's Asia Pacific business, global Financial Services business, intellectual property for the company and last, but not least, she serves as the global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer supporting the organisation’s commitment to maintaining diverse and inclusive high performance teams.

Dessi describes herself as "a player-coach leader who is passionate about solving problems with people and providing solutions to our customers and stakeholders through smart collaboration. I love what I do because it allows me to grow, develop and connect with people. Every day provides me with opportunities to be challenged and learn from others around me in a way that brings out the best version of myself."

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Host Bio:

Rebecca Allen is a Career Success Coach for ambitious women looking to land dream career opportunities. She has worked over the last 10 years with clients from companies including ANZ Bank, Origin Energy, J.P. Morgan and Coca-Cola Amatil and loves getting those excited phone calls from clients saying they’ve been promoted, have negotiated a seismic pay rise or have moved into a role completely aligned with their mission, values and strengths. www.illuminategrowth.com.au

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