Leading Through Uncertainty: Believing in People Before They've Proven Themselves

What unexpected turn in your career has shaped you into the leader and adviser you are today? And how does that experience help you deal with uncertainty?

"One of the most defining turns actually began right after my studies. I started as a research consultant in recruitment within pharma, biotech and medical technology, but within a few years my career transformed into an international role in which I was responsible for expanding the business in Central and Eastern Europe and for the Nordic region.

At a young age, I had the opportunity to set up start-ups in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, where I lived for two years and which was still an emerging market at the time. I grew from consultant into someone who shaped, built and led a business. That experience permanently broadened my perspective: you get to know different cultures, different people and different ways of working together.

But perhaps more importantly: I learned what it means to be given opportunities by people who believe in you. That experience shapes how I look at people to this day. Not only at their education or precisely what they have done before, but at the person, the motivation and the potential that is there."

What leadership quality do you deliberately draw on when circumstances change or become complex? And how do you see this reflected in your work with clients and candidates?

"I notice that I don't freeze in complex or unexpected situations. On the contrary, I spring into action. The first thing I do is bring people together: gathering what everyone is seeing, and collectively looking for the best way forward.

I experienced this during the Covid pandemic, among other things. At the time, I was building a new practice whilst simultaneously serving as chair of one of the top golf clubs in the Netherlands, which faced a different reality every single day. That called for quick thinking, clear decisions and the ability to keep a group moving forward even in times of uncertainty.

I firmly believe that you never do this alone. You need different perspectives, especially when you don't know what lies ahead. But there does need to be someone who provides direction and keeps the group together. That is the role I take on at such moments.

You see this reflected in my work as well; what defines me is my involvement throughout the process and the careful management of all stakeholders, so that together we arrive at a broadly supported choice for the best candidate. We often guide highly complex searches, where the outcome is frequently different from what was set out on paper beforehand. That is precisely where I see an important role for us: managing relationships and acting as a trusted adviser."

What area would you like to further develop or experiment with this year?

"I am firmly focused on the health and life sciences sector and, more broadly, on the theme of health. Central to my thinking is the question of how we can help people to stay healthy for longer, and how the right care, products and technologies reach the right person at the right time. Organisations that research, develop and produce solutions that improve and enhance human health play a crucial role in this. Driven by demographic developments, technological advancement and growing demand for healthcare, these companies and organisations will experience strong and accelerated growth in the years ahead.

What particularly interests me is the tension between the short and the long term. We are accustomed to working with both fast-growing and established organisations, and that remains enormously valuable. That is where we make concrete impact today. At the same time, I firmly believe that leadership can make a difference early in an organisation's existence and make an important contribution to value creation within the broader ecosystem over the long term. This is a space we are actively exploring this year: how we, from our leadership practice, can support start-ups and scale-ups at an earlier stage and thereby accelerate sustainable growth and impact."

Giving Opportunities as a Leadership Style

Angela's story shows that a strong leader is not always the person with the most experience, but the one who believes in others before that belief has been proven. Leading through uncertainty requires the ability to bring calm, provide direction and get people moving together. The fact that she is now looking towards sectors and organisations where leadership is still taking shape fits seamlessly with that.

At Odgers, we believe that the best advisers keep moving themselves, keep asking questions, and bring others along on that journey. Do you recognise these challenges? Or would you like to exchange thoughts on leadership in your sector? Get in touch with Angela.