In this episode of our podcast, Unlocking Aliveness in Leadership, Andy and Frances are in conversation with Nikki Ayliff, Care consultant.
Nikki started from the ground up in care roles, soon realising that this is an area that she loved. She has progressed through many different roles in the care sector, becoming a team leader and then a manager. Subsequently she just kept going, experiencing a wide range of differing care environments where she eventually became an operations director in the elderly care sector. More recently she has set up as a care consultant, working for various companies advising on care.
Nikki defines leadership as “enabling people to thrive in their role.” She continues by also suggesting that leadership is all about building the connection with individuals and watching both them, and their teams grow. Nikki also adds that leadership is about being courageous enough to make tough decisions - it is not all plain sailing.
Her leadership purpose she expresses as simply being “to build and sustain human connections”, and in doing, so she is able to “watch people thrive.”
Proud of herself for taking the leap into setting up and running a successful care consultancy, Nikki is aware that this is something she could only dream about a few years ago. Whilst she has had many milestone moments in her career, she takes pride in the feedback she receives in her role as a consultant - “making a difference” - and she believes she is most alive when around other people and making a difference. This makes her heart sing.
Although a leader full of heart, drive and determination, Nikki is also still human. She describes how she doesn’t have a great sense of direction and often arrives at venues with her cardigan inside out! She says she is an all-in girl - someone who can laugh at herself. 😃
Finally, Nikki shares her top tips for other leaders with us:
· Always be courageous and show up (even on a bad day)
· It’s ok to be vulnerable with people who you are working with
· Be human and not something that you’re not.
It was a real pleasure to spend time with Nikki who is a wholehearted leader, making a difference in the Care Sector. We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as we did being in it.
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