Ruth Carter on influencing people, failure and accepting leadership

ruth

Charismatic and driven, CEO Ruth Carter speaks to us about the moments that formed her career and shares frank advice about climbing the career ladder. Here’s how you can follow in Ruth’s footsteps and become a leader.

Share your achievements

While working hard is commendable, those who are keen to progress will tell people about their abilities. So, why not be your own cheerleader and speak up about your efforts?

Ruth says: ‘The world has changed no question: ‘Heads-down mouth-shut’ doesn’t work anymore. You have to do your job and do it well, and you also have to think about influencing the people around you.’

 

Remember, you’ll move on from failure

Leaders have steely resilience and recognise failure is just a blip, it’s certainly an excuse to stop striving.

Ruth comments: ‘If you are going to be a leader, never quit. Failure is just a moment in time.’

 

Accept you can’t please everyone

If you’re pre-occupied with people pleasing, leadership will be problematic. Ruth accepts that managing a team may ruffle feathers, but it’s a part of being a boss you have to get to grips with – and quickly.

‘I had to take myself to one side and give myself a slap. I said this is what being a manager is about, it’s about making difficult decisions, it’s about doing things you don’t necessarily want to do, it’s about knowing some of the consequences of what you do mean people don’t like you.’

 

Give your best in an interview, no compromises 

There’s only one way to enter an interview and that’s with unflappable enthusiasm. Having interviewed candidate after candidate, Ruth expects interviewees to be nothing less than 100 per cent engaged.

Ruth says: ‘An interview is the best performance of your life. When I interview someone and they’re not engaged, I think they should be performing out of their skin, and if this is all I’m going to get then in a day-to-day workplace I’m going to get half of that. So in an interview you’ve got to be giving everything – no question’

 

You are in control of your career

The moment that changed Ruth’s career was when she realised she had the power to control where she was heading. Adopting this attitude will help you realise that your ambitions are in your reach if you take action.

Ruth recalls: ‘She said to me “What you have to do is prove to the company that they are wasting money, losing money by not investing in you and giving you what you want” And that was revolutionary, I thought hang on a second, I can take control of my own destiny.’

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