WIREDGOV

Blog posted by: Nichola Huey, 30 August 2019.

I am the Head of Architecture and Consulting for NHS National Services Scotland. I recently took part in the Leadership Academy’s Empowering Woman in a Digital World programme.  Before the programme, I was looking forward to the experience and developing my personal leadership style. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but kept and open mind.

On the first day, I was first struck by the positive energy within the room and the openness of the participants to share knowledge and experience.

I really enjoyed the course and the content however the practical elements and the levels of engagement of all the participants is what I found most powerful. There was so much diversity, and everyone had incredible passion for their specific roles. The woman on the course really wanted to make a difference and we were able to share experiences and learn from each other in a safe an open environment.

All organisations face similar issues at varying levels and the complexity of leading will always remain but, after graduation, I really understood that you can really change outcomes through an awareness of your own skills and the ability  to look at situations and communicate messages differently depending on your audience.

Understanding my own values and communication style better – as well as those of others – helped me implement different strategies with team members. This has helped me and the team progress and grow.

I thoroughly enjoy the course, content and the networking with other participants. It was an excellent experience and I would definitely recommend to anyone.