Finding confidence and connection in leadership
The People Behind the Network
Finding confidence and connection in leadership
The People Behind the Network
My career in Telecoms has spanned over 30 years, where I’ve worked in over 20 different roles, varying from contact centre and customer service management through to business improvement and programme management, and more recently, Wholesale. Today, my role is about bringing people together, understanding concerns, removing blockers and creating the conditions for teams to do their best work. I have a real passion for connecting people, and I’ve realised over the years that this is one of my superpowers.
When I think about key career milestones that stand out most, what I am truly proud of are the relationships I’ve built and what I’ve learned about growth, bravery and confidence, especially when mentoring and helping people find their feet in the industry.
Learning to lead differently
Earlier in my career, I was very task-focused: plans, milestones and deadlines. Over time, I’ve realised that what motivates me most isn’t completing the task, but seeing people come together to achieve a goal collectively.
My leadership style has changed as a result. I’m less focused on solving every problem myself and more focused on creating the space for others to find solutions together. Sometimes that means being a sounding board, connecting people with expertise or simply giving them the confidence to work things out.
The privilege of watching people grow
This extends to my passion for mentoring, something which has continued to shape my leadership style over the years. One of the most rewarding things is watching someone move from fear and hesitation to confidence and excitement as they recognise their own potential.
In my experience, one of the most important factors when helping someone build their confidence is simply listening to them. The best mentoring relationships aren’t always about giving advice, but making someone feel comfortable enough to talk through their worries or concerns before working towards a solution together.
Collaboration as a way to connect
On this point, collaboration is central to how I work. In my current role, I don’t have a traditional delivery team, so I often act as the connection point between different functions, helping people understand each other’s priorities and work towards a shared outcome.
Collaboration doesn’t mean everyone agreeing. It means creating enough trust for people to respectfully challenge one another, share ideas & expertise and ultimately move forward together, whilst always keeping the customer front and centre.
Leading the Covid crisis response in 2020 was one of the biggest learning experiences of my career. We were working through enormous uncertainty, developing new protocols whilst protecting our engineers and customers. This experience reinforced that leadership isn’t about having every answer. It’s about communication, connection and making sure people feel informed and supported. Most importantly, during this period it was critical that we kept our customers connected and our people safe.
Career progression isn’t always linear
Embracing numerous roles across Consumer then latterly moving into Wholesale challenged me to think differently, learn a new part of the business and build new relationships. It has shown me the importance of continuing to learn, whilst also teaching me the benefits of exploring a sideways step to help you grow.
My career in Telecoms has spanned over 30 years, where I’ve worked in over 20 different roles, varying from contact centre and customer service management through to business improvement and programme management, and more recently, Wholesale. Today, my role is about bringing people together, understanding concerns, removing blockers and creating the conditions for teams to do their best work. I have a real passion for connecting people, and I’ve realised over the years that this is one of my superpowers.
When I think about key career milestones that stand out most, what I am truly proud of are the relationships I’ve built and what I’ve learned about growth, bravery and confidence, especially when mentoring and helping people find their feet in the industry.
Learning to lead differently
Earlier in my career, I was very task-focused: plans, milestones and deadlines. Over time, I’ve realised that what motivates me most isn’t completing the task, but seeing people come together to achieve a goal collectively.
My leadership style has changed as a result. I’m less focused on solving every problem myself and more focused on creating the space for others to find solutions together. Sometimes that means being a sounding board, connecting people with expertise or simply giving them the confidence to work things out.
The privilege of watching people grow
This extends to my passion for mentoring, something which has continued to shape my leadership style over the years. One of the most rewarding things is watching someone move from fear and hesitation to confidence and excitement as they recognise their own potential.
In my experience, one of the most important factors when helping someone build their confidence is simply listening to them. The best mentoring relationships aren’t always about giving advice, but making someone feel comfortable enough to talk through their worries or concerns before working towards a solution together.
Collaboration as a way to connect
On this point, collaboration is central to how I work. In my current role, I don’t have a traditional delivery team, so I often act as the connection point between different functions, helping people understand each other’s priorities and work towards a shared outcome.
Collaboration doesn’t mean everyone agreeing. It means creating enough trust for people to respectfully challenge one another, share ideas & expertise and ultimately move forward together, whilst always keeping the customer front and centre.
Leading the Covid crisis response in 2020 was one of the biggest learning experiences of my career. We were working through enormous uncertainty, developing new protocols whilst protecting our engineers and customers. This experience reinforced that leadership isn’t about having every answer. It’s about communication, connection and making sure people feel informed and supported. Most importantly, during this period it was critical that we kept our customers connected and our people safe.
Career progression isn’t always linear
Embracing numerous roles across Consumer then latterly moving into Wholesale challenged me to think differently, learn a new part of the business and build new relationships. It has shown me the importance of continuing to learn, whilst also teaching me the benefits of exploring a sideways step to help you grow.
Career progression doesn’t only mean moving upwards. Sometimes, a sideways move, secondment or completely different opportunity can offer fresh perspective and a more rewarding outcome.
This is something I share with my mentees. Occasionally the best opportunities come from being brave and taking what could be deemed a nerve-wracking step.
When I started my career, I was the only woman in my department. It’s encouraging to see how much the industry and our business has changed, with greater diversity and more women moving into management and leadership roles. Creating that change is everyone’s responsibility. We all have a role in supporting and championing each other.
Being brave, even when it feels overwhelming
If I could give one piece of advice to people early in their careers, it would be to put your hand up, try something different and say what you think. This is a powerful route to building a network that can support you on your growth journey.
I still have moments of self-doubt and times when I feel overwhelmed after decades of doing a job that I love. I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t mean never doubting yourself, and being brave doesn’t mean never being afraid.
Sometimes, it simply means embracing the challenge and doing it anyway.
This is something I share with my mentees. Occasionally the best opportunities come from being brave and taking what could be deemed a nerve-wracking step.
When I started my career, I was the only woman in my department. It’s encouraging to see how much the industry and our business has changed, with greater diversity and more women moving into management and leadership roles. Creating that change is everyone’s responsibility. We all have a role in supporting and championing each other.
Being brave, even when it feels overwhelming
If I could give one piece of advice to people early in their careers, it would be to put your hand up, try something different and say what you think. This is a powerful route to building a network that can support you on your growth journey.
I still have moments of self-doubt and times when I feel overwhelmed after decades of doing a job that I love. I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t mean never doubting yourself, and being brave doesn’t mean never being afraid.
Sometimes, it simply means embracing the challenge and doing it anyway.
The things that give me the greatest sense of achievement aren’t the milestones or projects. They’re the people: the relationships I’ve built, the teams that have achieved something difficult together and the people I’ve been able to support.
Most of all, it’s seeing someone else find their confidence, watching fear turn into belief and hesitation into excitement.
That’s where I find the real joy in leadership.
Karen Casserly, Programme Director
Most of all, it’s seeing someone else find their confidence, watching fear turn into belief and hesitation into excitement.
That’s where I find the real joy in leadership.