I was recently asked why I joined Fourth Floor, and whether I would recommend joining a start-up. That answer was fairly easy. Fourth Floor gave me the opportunity to achieve my career aspiration of C-level and provided me with an opportunity to join the board as COO. I’m very aware that women continue to be underrepresented at senior levels, and striving to have a seat in the boardroom was my career goal.

And to further my excitement, Fourth Floor is a start up, and I’ve learnt over time that start-ups are where I feel my best. Start ups have tremendous ambition, with a real desire to succeed. The camaraderie of the people is immense, and all have the same can-do attitude. They are nimble, and adulate innovation and ideas, generating extraordinary opportunities which have positively impacted me throughout my personal development and my career.

Our future is about more than business success

But the question that followed-up required more thought: “What is my hope for Fourth Floor?”

Why is this one tricky? Of course we have a clear vision, and understand where we’re going over the next three years, and why. But it goes deeper than that. When I stopped to really think about it, what I want is for Fourth Floor to be a great and enduring company. One that is truly respected for excellence, taking the lead to guide our industry in doing the right thing ethically and morally.

I want everyone who is now, or has been, a part of our journey to feel they have experienced something special, something they can take with them, not just into other jobs and companies but into all aspects of their lives.

This is a bold ambition, but at Fourth Floor we do bold, and this is something I believe in.

It’s based on my experiences as someone who started out working on a technology service desk for City-based global accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward. I learned quickly that clear communications were essential, and usually more important than the technical query itself.

I then moved on to global operations at magic circle law firm Herbert Smith LLP, learning about the importance of cultural awareness. Then came stakeholder management on the global markets trading floor at Dresdner, learning about crisis management and putting people first during the horrendous events of 9/11 and the 2005 London bombings.

Starting up a big philosophy

But my first start-up was the then-tiny OVO Energy, operating out of an airfield in Kemble in Wiltshire. Being part of their journey, from those humble beginnings to an industry Goliath, taught me resilience.

It's a hard slog, building an operating framework around a start-up where uncontrolled change sometimes just has to fly. Quick reactions and thinking on your feet are certainly skill I developed there. When change fails - or magically succeeds - you flex that resilience-muscle and continue to support the teams around you to adopt and adapt.

*Above: Being able to adapt to any changing circumstances is one of the most important - and satisfying - skills to develop.*

Now hooked on start-up culture and excitement, but frustrated with the lack of opportunity, I moved to MyLife Digital, where I built technology from the ground up, developing a product offering with data governance and information security at its core.

Throughout my career I’ve been given the opportunity to work with great companies who have supported my learning and development, both on the job and through formal education. I’ve been privileged to work for some awesome leaders, plus others who have - just as valuably - taught me how not to manage. Luckily, there have only been one or two of those, but I learned a lot from those experiences. Specifically, the extent to which a leader can positively and negatively impact personal confidence, wellbeing, and general ability to do a great job.

Leading the charge

Everyone should be given the opportunity to experience the awesomeness of what a truly inspirational leader is, of which I note two who have guided what I am today.

The first was very early on in my career. A female CTO, one of very few in those days. She taught me that I was allowed to be a woman in technology. Just because the industry was very male-dominated, that didn’t mean I couldn't follow her path and be part of the light that others could follow in turn. Women are still underrepresented, and there are still occasions where I am treated with that patronising ‘well she wouldn’t understand’ attitude. There are still lots to learn of course. There always is. But I still haven’t learned why assumptions or biases are made of a person before any conversation has even been had.

“The shift to a more equal world will happen person by person. We move closer to the larger goal of true equality with each woman who leans in” (Sheryl Sandberg, “Lean In, Woman, Work and The Will To Lead”).

The second important leader was a CEO who taught me about listening, maybe not an observed and known strength of his. The interview process for this role involved an ‘informal’ chat with the CEO. During this interview, I naively committed to winning an award and getting company recognition for the work I would do for him (a lesson learnt to not overcommit too early).

In 1997, my team was awarded the Service Management Team of the Year, a prestigious award in the technology world. Unbeknown to me, the CEO was taking an active interest in my progress, and once the award was publicly announced I promptly received a personal congratulations from him. I have since bottled that feeling of what recognition feels like, knowing someone has my back, and now I would never underestimate how important listening is. These memories remain with me.

Fourth Floor’s forward-facing future

So how does any of this help me build Fourth Floor into my vision for its growing success? It’s developed me into the leader I am today, and given me knowledge and experience of what works and what doesn’t. It’s given me many war wounds, and taught me many lessons. It’s made me even more determined to ensure that women are able to be themselves without the fear of bias.

I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I can positively influence this at Fourth Floor, and ensure we have a safe and inclusive environment where we all succeed. And the incredible people we bring into Fourth Floor remind me that learning never stops. I read more (thank you, Rich), and give myself time to reflect. Who knew that going out running was the best way to come up with new ideas?

And where exactly are we in terms of the journey to achieving the vision?

I’ll come back to that in my next article.