Judy Oliver, founder of ANKLe (A New Kind of Leadership) and leadership coaching business Oliver and Company, speaks to Caroline Watson about shaping a successful career. Judy will be faciliating our Leadership training workshop on Weds 8 Feb, ’Understanding Change and Transition’. Find out more and reserve your place here
After establishing a successful career in the public sector what made you decide to set up your own company?
I worked for BP for 17 years after I left school. They paid for me to go to university and to study part-time for the bar. I never expected to leave but when the company seemed to start going in (what I thought was the wrong direction) I made the switch to local govt for another 9 years. Throughout all the time though, I had always believed that I would work for myself one day and after more than 25 years of being managed by others, I decided I never wanted to be managed by anyone again!
What advice would you give to anyone setting up their own company?
Talk to others who have done it first. In my field of leadership development, it is important to have done things yourselves, to be credible with the audience so that you can genuinely relate to their experience.
You also established ANKLe. Can you tell us what inspired you to do so?
After my Mother sadly died, I realised that, having lost both my parents, I didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission any more (not that I always did!) And started to collect a list of the many like-minded women I was meeting. I had helped set up women’s groups previously in BP – you have to remember I graduated the year of the Sex Discrimination Act!! The real push came when I was working with Baroness Julia Cumberlege who had been a Government Minister for 5 years but had retained her integrity, femininity and the ability to be a true friend. I told her that I had this idea of starting a women’s group to make the quality of leadership better and wanted her to be the first inspirational speaker. She simply replied ‘ I’ve got my diary so let’s fix a date. That was it!! We launched in 2001!
What do you see as your greatest career accomplishments?
Setting up the first public private sector MBA with Warwick Business School. Writing a book for The Economist when my daughter was 2 to pay for my loss in salary when I moved from the private to public sector. Being a member of an NHS Board that managed to get a new hospital built. My work now with junior doctors to help them prepare for leadership. Lots!
What have been your greatest career challenges? And how did you overcome them?
Greatest challenge was moving into a new sector, local govt, at a senior level looking after 30000 people and negotiating with 17 unions ; being the only women on the management team and being given no support at all to make the transition – closest I’ve ever come to a nervous breakdown!! What helped – a wonderfully supportive family and my amazing team!
How have you balanced work and family life especially having children?
That’s always been the challenge and looking back I wish I’d had more time with my daughters. I was reliant on good nursery support and after school care and later on, my husband retired early around when I decided to start the business. That meant that he could help me with the school runs which enabled me to work longer hours. But, it also meant I became the main breadwinner. No easy answers too. I have decided not to think about it as work/life balance as I love a lot of my work – instead I think of it as stress/life balance.
What one important message would you like to share with Progressive Women readers?
Life and especially relationships are very precious. I believe we are here for a purpose and try to live ‘on purpose’ as best I can.
Join Judy and Progressive Women on Weds 8 Feb for our first Leadership workshop of 2012 ’Understanding Change and Transition’, Friends Meeting House, 173-177 Euston Road, London, tickets are £20 and must be purchased in advance. Find out more and how to reserve your place here