‘I want to be a leader like me’ Olivia Ruello

Last week we took 120 women to Hamilton Island for our annual conference Movers and Breakers.

It was a beautiful few days of learning, connection, and lots of fun! An absolute highlight for me was the chance to interview Sportsgirl’s CEO, Colleen Callander. We talked a lot about leadership and I asked her what leaders and leadership qualities she admires. Colleen told me that yes, she admires a lot of different people, but at the end of the day she said, “I want to be a leader like me”.

“Over my years I’ve dealt with many different leaders on different levels and scales. I think what I’ve done to enhance my leadership skills and style is picked out all the really great things I’ve loved from meeting different people I’ve come across in my career,” says Colleen.

“There are certainly people I’ve come across in my career that I wouldn’t want to take on their leadership style, and I think that shapes you too.”

“You have to have your own style of leadership. I’ve never looked at anyone and said, ‘I want to be a leader like him or her’. I just want to be a leader like me, but what I want to do is continue to grow and evolve and learn from other people.”

“I’ve never looked at anyone and said, ‘I want to be a leader like him or her’. I just want to be a leader like me.”

“One thing I always talk about leadership not being is it’s not a position, it’s not a title, and it’s not a salary. It’s absolutely none of those things. What it is is a sense of purpose and it’s about one life influencing other lives in a positive way. I think that’s what the headline is for me as a leader; influencing, inspiring, and making an impact on people. Those are the three clear words for me when I think of leadership.”

“Leadership is not a position, it’s not a title, and it’s not a salary.”

There is so much talk about role models and how you can’t be what you can’t see. Of course that’s true and every day I talk to women seeking role models to validate their decisions to go into business or take a leap into a leadership role. But just imagine for a second if all of us become our own role models. How powerful would that be?

Connect with Liv here, and follow her on LinkedIn.